Preschool Lead Teacher/ Assistant Teacher

Overview

A Lead Teacher at The Goddard School is responsible for establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy and nurturing learning environment. Additionally, a Lead Teacher works together with an Assistant Teacher and in conjunction with the entire faculty.

General Qualifications

• Ability to hear the conversational voice, with or without a hearing aid
• Ability to see and read newsprint, with or without corrective lenses
• Ability to speak and be understood under normal circumstances
• Ability to use arms, hands, legs, and feet, with or without corrective devices; this includes the ability to evacuate the building during emergencies
• Ability to handle crisis situations, especially where children are involved
• Ability to respond immediately to emergency situations

Educational Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Child Development.
• A Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field1, including 18 semester hours of completed coursework related to young children birth to age 8.
• An Associate’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Child Development or a related field1.
• An Associate’s degree or higher in a related field1, including 18 semester hours of completed coursework related to young children birth to age 8.
• A current CDA or Early Childhood Teaching Credential.
• Proof of current and active enrollment in a CDA Credentialing Program.
• Proof of current and active enrollment in an accredited Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree program in Early Childhood Education or a related field.
• RN or LPN with emphasis on the young child including at least one class in Child Development or Human Growth Development (For Infant, Toddler, Get Set only).

Lead Teacher Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy and nurturing learning environment
• Design an appropriate room arrangement to support the goals and developmental level of the children in the classroom
• Develop an appropriate classroom management system to support the goals and developmental level of the children in the classroom
• Ensure that classroom equipment is in good repair
• Understand and implement The Goddard School® emergency procedure(s)
• Promote healthy eating practices at lunch and snack times
• Ensure that children are always within state ratio requirements
• Perform nominal cleaning responsibilities (eg, spills) immediately
• Perform major cleaning during times when children are not present
• Post a classroom schedule that meets the needs of the children and includes a routine and learning opportunities
• Post and adhere to all GSI Health and Safety policies and procedures
• Advance children’s physical and intellectual competence
• Adapt program to meet the individual needs of each child
• Create a multi-cultural learning environment
• Provide a variety of developmentally appropriate materials
• Interact with the children to support play, exploration and learning
• Encourage children to talk with each other and with the faculty
• Create age- and developmentally-appropriate expectations for all children
• Create a print-rich environment in order for children to learn about books, literature and writing
• Encourage creativity through art, music, dramatic play and blocks
• Provide a reasonable balance between teacher-directed and child-directed activities
• Provide opportunities for both active and quiet play
• Integrate GSI resources (including Enrichment Programs) into lesson plans
• Support each child’s social and emotional development and provide positive guidance
• Understand and adhere to the GSI Behavior Policy
• Plan and implement activities to develop children’s self-esteem and social skills
• Plan and implement activities to enable children’s feeling of security
• Encourage empathetic and respectful feelings for others, as well as the environment, through positive modeling
• Respect cultural and ethnic diversity
• Establish positive and effective family relations
• Communicate, in a professional manner, with families and faculty
• Encourage families to become an integral part of their children’s learning experiences
• Prepare a Daily Activity Report for each child
• Maintain a portfolio for each child
• Maintain the classroom Parent Board
• Ensure an effective program, responsive to children’s needs
• Build teamwork
• Develop lesson plan books and posted lesson plans
• Manage classrooms according to GSI QA Standards
• Perform child observations and document in their portfolios
• Maintain professional commitment
• Promote GSI philosophy and educational objectives
• Support a code of ethical conduct
• Pursue professional development/continuing education
• Attend faculty meetings, in-service days, conferences and professional growth opportunities

Foreign Degrees

All foreign degrees MUST be converted to U.S. credits. All foreign courses and/or credit hours must be converted to U.S. standards. Related Degrees Include, But May Not Be Limited To Elementary Education Home Economics Child Development Child Life Psychology or Sociology with a minor in Education Special Education Child Psychology Relevant Coursework Child Development Human Growth and Development Educational Psychology Child Psychology Methods: Age Birth to 8 years Kindergarten; 1st Grade; 2nd Grade