Substitute Teacher

Position Purpose

A Substitute Teacher is a member of the classroom team who fills vacant classroom positions on a short-term basis. A Substitute Teacher helps plan and implement learning experiences for Early Head Start and Head Start children that promote social, emotional, physical and intellectual development.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in planning, implementation and involvement of children with special needs; assists with observation, documentation, referral and follow up with these children.
• Assist Teacher and Teacher Assistant with preparation and implementation of a classroom curriculum that complies with Head Start Outcomes Framework and Performance Standards, NAEYC, funding and regulatory guidelines and corporate policies.
• Assist in planning and implementation of bilingual and multicultural activities that reflect cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the children and that introduce them to other cultures.
• Integrate Child Inc. components into the curriculum by assisting in planning and implementing of health, nutrition, mental health, self-awareness and self-concept activities for all children.
• Assist Teacher and Teacher Assistant with development of both individualized and classroom lesson plans based on the assessed needs of the child and which reflect each child's interests and learning style and which are developmentally and age appropriate.
• Work to assure the environment is language-rich; talks to and with children throughout the day.
• Assure the environment is orderly, clean, visually appealing and literacy rich; supervises children at all times and situations.
• Responsible, with Teacher and Teacher Assistant, for involving parents in program, center and classroom activities, training and parent-child homework.
• Help recruit and orient volunteers, both parents and members of the community.
• Assist in observation and assessment of all children, using the Portage and Get Ready to Read instruments; report and document concerns/insights in any area; assist in referring as needed.
• Maintain accurate paperwork; comply with deadlines.
• Complete Incident Report Forms if children being supervised are injured or placed at risk; complete Employee Report of Injury if self or coworker is injured while at work.

Communication

• Develop relationships with center staff and with parents so that ongoing family needs assessments and referrals, as needed, can be made.

Professionalism

• Assure confidentiality of all program information and family and staff confidentiality by limiting conversation about them and accessibility to their records.
• Maintain professional boundaries in relationship to staff and families.
• Complete all required paperwork and reports by assigned deadlines.
• Comply with Child Inc. Personnel Policies and Procedures and with Standards of Conduct.

Personal and Professional Development

• Attend and participate in weekly team meetings, all pre-service, in-service, and any other training deemed necessary by the Center Manager.
• Further professional growth by seeking feedback, reflecting on and assessing own practice, and taking opportunities to improve skill and knowledge.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma
• At least three (3) months experience working with children infant to 5 years.
• Proficient computer skills.
• The ability to understand, interpret and apply Child Inc. policies and procedures.
• Ability to work and maintain high standards of professional ethics with persons of different racial, ethnic, economic and social backgrounds.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• Must be certified in Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR within 30 days of employment.
• Must obtain a physical and TB skin test and must pass all criminal history background checks.

Working Conditions

• Occasional environmental exposures to cold, heat, and water.
• In-area and out-of-area travel.
• Ability to stand and sit several hours at a time, walk short distances, squat to sit on a small chair and later return to a standing position, bend or stoop to place objects from standing position to a table surface, and kneel on the floor/ground in an upright position to interact with children close to their eye level, quickly transferring up and down from this position to standing.
• Ability to lift, push/pull objects or pick up children weighing up to 50 pounds.