Associate Child Care Teacher

Bright Horizons • Nashville, TN

9d • $17 - $21 • Onsite

About The Position

Grow your teaching career with Bright Horizons, where you can make a meaningful impact on children’s lives every day. Learn from early education experts while having the opportunity to pursue a CDA or college degree at no cost. Experience this and more as a Bright Horizons Assistant Teacher. Full-time and part-time positions are available with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Primary Purpose: In collaboration with administration and teachers, the Associate Teacher provides a safe and nurturing environment that encourages children’s social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development. Assist in the design and implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum according to guidelines established by Bright Horizons and other designated quality standards. Incorporate Bright Horizons’ mission, culture, goals, values (HEART Principles), philosophies, and policies into day to day work. Maintain positive relationships with families, children, colleagues, and supervisors. Ensure safety and supervision of children at all times by fulfilling critical health and safety duties. Celebrate and value all children and adults by welcoming and honoring their unique abilities and backgrounds. Fulfill mandated reporter requirements as defined by the appropriate State agency including immediately reporting any suspected cases of abuse and neglect to the agency and informing the director. Assist the teacher with all functions and responsibilities listed below.

Requirements

• Candidates must pass required state and company background checks, and meet state and company minimum education and experience requirements
• 18 years of age with a high school diploma or GED is required
• Must meet state requirements for education.
• Must be 18 years of age. If State licensing permits, may be age 16 or 17 with written Division Vice President (DVP) approval. If 16 years of age, must be participating in a supervised work study program.

Nice To Haves

• 1 year of experience working in child care, daycare, or preschool settings is preferred
• CDA, Associate, or bachelor’s degree in early education or related field is preferred
• Related college-level course or CDA coursework - Preferred
• 12 months professional teaching experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist with hands-on activities to meet the needs and interests of the children
• Maintain open communication with parents, sharing their child's daily milestones
• Ensure a safe and clean classroom by following essential procedures and guidelines
• Provide support in any classroom or age group where teaching coverage is needed across a center or in nearby locations
• Interact frequently, affectionately, and respectfully by smiling, and holding children.
• Speak in a friendly, calm, soft, courteous manner within close proximity of the child.
• Respect and observe children's interests. Intervene when needed to maintain safety.
• Enhance children's play with language, materials and developmentally appropriate experiences.
• Communicate directly kindly, and respectfully with each child at the child's level.
• Engage and communicate constructively with individual children during experiences and routines.
• Take every opportunity to positively extend children's thinking and actions.
• Be available and responsive to children's needs, questions, and requests.
• Encourage and model social behavior, respectful communication, and expectations which are developmentally appropriate.
• Acknowledge feelings with sensitivity and demonstrate appropriate expression of emotions.
• Practice positive discipline techniques in guiding children's behavior according to Bright Horizons’ Guidelines for Positive Discipline.
• Be attentive, flexible and supportive of children and their families during transitions to and from classrooms.
• Assist or may design an environment which responds to children's individual developmental levels, physical and emotional needs and current interests by consulting appropriate Bright Horizons’ resources (i.e., Environmental Checklist, MAPP).
• Implementation of a developmentally appropriate curriculum which reflects observations and assessments of individual children and goals jointly developed with parents/guardians.
• Provide a variety of developmentally appropriate materials and experiences which foster social skills and encourage children to think, problem solve, question, and experiment.
• Foster positive self-concept by supporting individuality, independence, and the ability to make choices.
• Encourage creative expression.
• Demonstrate respect for diversity by providing anti-bias, non-sexist language, images, and experiences which reflect both location and global communities.
• Assist or may plan a daily schedule which provides a balance of experiences: quiet/active, indoor/outdoor, fine/gross motor, etc.
• Assist or may plan and implement child-oriented, self-initiated experiences while limiting large group, staff-initiated experiences.
• Provide more than one option for small group experiences and maintain flexibility in changing planned experiences, according to children's interests.
• Assist or may create documentation of children's experiences through anecdotal notes, documentation panels and portfolios.
• Acknowledge parents/guardians and all classroom visitors.
• Demonstrate a friendly, courteous and professional demeanor.
• Respond to parent/guardian comments and concerns with sensitivity, interest, and respect.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• May establish or assist with establishing and maintain a primary caregiving relationship with individual children and their families which includes initial meeting with families during orientation period.
• Invite input from parents/guardians regarding their child’s development and care.
• Share appropriate information with parents/guardians on a daily basis regarding the development and specific experiences of the children in their primary care.
• Utilize appropriate written communication tools as assigned.
• Assist in planning in regular parent/guardian conferences to discuss orientation, transitions, and developmental goals for their child based on appropriate assessment tools, (i.e., Developmental Profiles).
• Assist in planning and attend location/classroom events and meetings.
• Maintain and follow all safety and health rules of the location.
• Supervise children at all times.
• Demonstrate awareness of entire group whether working with a small group or individuals.
• Know the number and names of children in your group and maintain ratios at all times.
• Maintain accurate attendance records throughout the day.
• Complete appropriate paperwork (i.e., accidents, medication, and allergies).
• Encourage children to utilize appropriate health, safety and nutritional practices.
• Keep the environment and equipment safe, clean, and attractive.
• Encourage respect for classroom materials.
• Notify designated individual in advance when supplies are needed.
• Assist in the arrangement of clearly defined space, well organized activity areas.
• Organize a variety of materials on low, open shelves for children to use independently.
• Maintain confidentiality about issues concerning other staff members, children and families or Bright Horizons management and operations.
• Must not involve parents/guardians in location concerns.
• Gain knowledge of the ages and stages of development for those children under your care.
• Understand the general areas of physical, social, cognitive and emotional development for this age group.
• Support organizational mission, philosophies, values, goals, and policies to parents/guardians, coworkers, and community.
• Ensure continuity of care for children by reporting to work on time and maintaining consistent attendance, arranging and communicating leave requests in advance.
• Respect and adhere to staffing schedules which may be adjusted as program needs change and may include working in another classroom.
• Demonstrate flexibility and openness to new ideas in childcare practices.
• Attend staff meetings, training sessions, and other location events.
• When asked support organizational needs by attending regional trainings or substituting at another location.
• Continue professional growth by attending courses, asking for feedback, and reading professional literature.
• Receive constructive criticism with an attitude that indicates a willingness to improve.
• Give feedback in a respectful manner.
• Establish and maintain a relationship of cooperation and respect with coworkers.
• Assume a fair share of work.
• Look for ways to be helpful.
• Demonstrate initiative.
• Assume additional classroom and location responsibilities as needed: kitchen, pets, children's files, etc.
• Offer and share ideas and materials with coworkers.
• Participate actively in teaching team through communication, collaboration, and curriculum planning.
• Communicate directly, work to resolve conflicts quickly, and avoid gossip.
• Exercise care in expressing views regarding the personal attributes or professional conduct of coworkers. Statements are based on first-hand knowledge and relevant to the interests of children and programs.
• Other duties as assigned per licensing or State guidelines.
• Make routine decisions regarding classroom management, respond to children’s needs, and implement lesson plans (subject to review by supervisor).
• Use good judgement, and ask for assistance where needed.
• Must comply with mandated reporting requirements. Suspected child abuse or neglect must be promptly reported to the appropriate State agency, or to the center director who then becomes responsible for filing the report immediately.
• The Associate Teacher has the obligation and the right to contact the appropriate state agency directly.
• May take action but must inform director when caring for child with significant injury, learning of a parent/guardian concern, or recording an unusual incident.
• Supervisor approval needed for schedule changes, time off requests, transition of a child into another classroom, or administration of medication to a child, and to release a child to someone other than known parent/guardian, discuss behavioral challenges or developmental concerns with a parent/guardian, contact a parent/guardian about a child’s temperature or illness, or seek outside support services for a child.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid vacation, sick, holiday, and parental bonding leave
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Money-saving discounts and financial planning tools
• Career development opportunities and free college degrees through our Horizons CDA & Degree Program
• Caregiving support and resources for the children and adults in your family

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED