Teacher - Early

About the role

To ensure our youngest children have a solid foundation for life. To encourage the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of Head Start children and to attend to their safety and welfare. To promote family engagement in all aspects of the program.

Responsibilities

• Actively supervises and monitors children (watching, counting and listening) ensuring their safety at all times in accordance with OHS Performance Standards and NCDCDEE regulations; responds appropriately to crisis or emergency situations reporting appropriate issues to a supervisor in a timely manner.
• Establish a positive classroom climate. Guide the behavior of children in positive, effective ways.
• Follow a consistent schedule that includes small group experiences, choice time, music and movement, large and small motor activities, skill development, meals and effective transitions between activities.
• Encourage experimentation, exploration, problem-solving, cooperation, socialization and choice-making; ask open-ended questions and follow-up questions to promote further learning and thinking.
• Promote English language acquisition of children who are English- and Dual-Language learners.
• Release children only to individuals with appropriate signed consent.
• Individualize, Curriculum and Assessment
• Follow agency-adopted curricula, using effective strategies to guide learning.
• Prepare the classroom environment and materials to support developmentally appropriate curriculum plans and learning experiences.
• Achieve weekly goals that promote individual and group educational plans and include other Head Start components.
• Participate in integrated service meetings to plan for and deliver collaborative services across all components.
• Work with parents to screen and assess children using ASQ-SE and ASQ3, TS Gold and other tools.
• Family Engagement and Community Partnerships
• Create an atmosphere that promotes and reinforces family and volunteer engagement.
• Support the role of families as the first and primary teachers of their children.
• Maintain regular communication with families based on the family's individual needs.
• Conduct the required parent/teacher conferences and home visits for the purpose of assessment and support, and to share information on classroom progress and educational strategies at school and at home.
• Help plan and participate in family activity events.
• Coordinate with the Family Advocate as needed to assist families to complete follow-ups (i.e. dental, medical, physical and mental health needs of families, etc.).
• Coordinate with the Center Supervisor and Family Advocate to provide families with timely information and referrals appropriate to their needs.
• Monitor and document attendance concerns.
• Provide learning opportunities for dual-language in the home.
• Documentation
• Utilize agency-adopted tools for ongoing assessment and documentation.
• Ensure all federal, local, state and/or agency documentation is completed accurately.
• Document all family contacts and home visits.
• Monitor and report child abuse.
• Responsible for meal counts at point-of-service.
• Professional Development
• Attend and participate in training, coaching and appropriate professional development activities.
• Attend and participate in meetings.
• Engage in ongoing self-assessment about job performance.

Qualifications

• Education: A Infant/Toddler CDA awarded by the CDA Council; an AA Degree in Early Childhood Education or . Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Experience: Minimum two years related early childhood teaching experience in infant/toddler classroom. An equivalent combination of experience, training and education may be accepted.

General Requirements

• Certificates & Licenses: Current (negative) TB test with receipt Annual physical First Aid Certificate CPR Certificate
• Other Requirements: Must be able to work conscientiously and effectively with a minimum of supervision, able to appropriately initiate, monitor, and achieve classroom and project objectives. The employee must possess good verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to pass a criminal background record check and pass post-offer employment and random substance abuse tests. The employee must be able to complete a criminal background check and maintain an active Criminal Background Check (CBC) Qualification letter through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child Development.

Conditions of Employment

• Background check with state and Federal law enforcement agencies required.
• Selected applicants must submit to a pre-employment substance abuse screening test and receive a negative result for the use of drugs and alcohol as specified in agency policies. Must submit and receive negative results for random testing of same.
• The employee must have a valid North Carolina Driver's License.
• Must be able to pass a post-offer physical examination.

Benefits Package

• Competitive pay with periodic Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)
• Zero-cost Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability (Employee only)
• Retail plan with 100% employer matching
• Paid Vacation/Sick/Personal leave
• 13 Paid Holidays
• Spring Break (for Head Start)
• Paid professional development training
• Education assistance
• Auto mileage reimbursement for official travel
• Employee discounts
• Bragg Mutual Credit Union Membership
• Employee Recognition Events