Early Childhood Lead Teacher - Lake Zurich / Jacob Duman (FT)

JCC Chicago • Hawthorn Woods, IL

4h • Onsite

About The Position

For the 2026-2027 school year, the JCC Chicago seeks a dynamic, dedicated Lead Teacher to join our amazing team at our Lake Zurich / Jacob Duman location, to start in August of 2026! Be part of a team of educators, social workers and specialists who support the whole child through a developmentally appropriate curriculum that embraces Jewish life and complements what happens at home. Classrooms are the first community. When we speak about community, we speak about places of sharing, learning, growing and connection. We are committed to excellence, providing strong professional development opportunities and nature-inspired classrooms that allow our staff to be their most creative selves! With our ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest DCFS standards, we are looking for those who are enthusiastic about guiding each child to reach their full potential. The Lead Teacher is a critical member of a team of educators, social workers and specialists who support the whole child through a developmentally appropriate curriculum that embraces Jewish life and complements what happens at home. As a Reggio Emilia inspired Early Childhood program, we support the individual needs and abilities of each of our students through an emergent, play-based curriculum. We are looking for professional educators who are interested in growing with us! This position is scheduled to start in December 2025.

Requirements

• Associates or Bachelors degree or higher in Early Childhood, Child Development, Elementary Education or Early Childhood Special Education.
• The equivalency of an Associates degree in Early Childhood, defined by NAEYC as at least 60 college/university credits with at least 30 college credits in Early Childhood, Child Development, Elementary Education or Early Childhood Special Education.
• A Bachelors degree in any discipline with at least 36 college/university credits in Early Childhood, Child Development, Elementary Education or Early Childhood Special Education.
• A CDA or 30 hours college plus 6 semester hours of ECE
• At least 19 years of age.
• A love for children and a passion for helping them reach their full potential.
• Ability to build relationships with families and coworkers and create a dynamic environment where children’s curiosity is encouraged and celebrated.

Responsibilities

• Be responsible for the safety and welfare of the children, supervising all children by sight and sound.
• Lead your teaching team in implementing a program that includes elements of the JCC Chicago’s integrated secular and Jewish curriculum.
• Provide and maintain an atmosphere which is conducive to emotional and cognitive growth.
• Establish and maintain good communication and a strong sense of community with directors, staff, and parents.
• Make families feel welcome by greeting them personally by name and be able to share specific information regarding their child.
• Foster a collaborative, team-focused atmosphere, both in the classroom, teaching site and the agency as a whole.
• Actively participate a minimum of 15 hours in staff meetings, trainings, and on-going development opportunities.
• Lead your teaching team in maintaining DCFS and Illinois state standards.
• Can speak to the developmental skills being targeted in learning experiences following discussions with parents, teaching team, and in documentation, including weekly newsletters.
• Maintains education in Early Childhood best practices through professional development, reading, and active communication with directors and social services team.
• Responsible for the written and photo content of all newsletters, portfolios, and mass communications to classroom families.
• Leads regular, and meaningful, communication with families, including, but not limited to, in-person conversations/meetings, virtual meetings, emails, Kaymbu communication, bi-yearly parent-teacher conversations, and portfolios.
• Takes initiative in, and has a global awareness of, all aspects of the teaching position including classroom management, daily tasks, social-emotional needs of children, moving effectively through daily schedule, adjusting to the needs in the classroom.
• Demonstrates awareness of classroom environment, and physically moving through the spaces.
• Responsible for classroom set up and preparation of lesson plans.
• Always maintains respect for children and team.
• Follows and successfully implements guidelines set forth by the Social Services department when raising any concerns about a child’s development or behavior in a classroom setting.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Participation in a retirement plan with matching contributions
• Life insurance and short/long term disability coverage
• Vacation time, sick time, and paid observance of secular and Jewish religious holidays
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Free fitness membership at JCC Chicago community centers and aquatics facilities
• Meaningful discounts on JCC Chicago programming, including day and overnight camp, Early Childhood, and event rentals
• Professional development opportunities with the JUF/Jewish Federation
• Tuition Assistance Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees