Early Head Start Teacher Infant Toddler

Clackamas County Children's Commission•Lake Oswego, OR

About The Position

The Early Head Start Teacher develops and maintains a safe, nurturing, stimulating learning environment for infants and toddlers. The role provides varied experiences that support school readiness, good health, and social competence through age- and developmentally appropriate social, emotional, intellectual, nutritional, hygienic, and physical experiences. The teacher supports parents as their children’s primary educators, promotes parent-child attachment, builds trusting relationships with families, and assists families with personal goals. The teacher leads and monitors a full-day classroom, supervises assigned Assistant Teachers and Classroom Aides, plans and evaluates developmentally appropriate activities using the agency’s research-based curriculum, and ensures compliance with Federal Head Start Performance Standards and Oregon Office of Childcare regulations. The position includes observation, assessment, individualized goal planning, referrals, family engagement, home visiting, documentation, and coordination with agency specialists and families. The teacher also participates in meetings, trainings, and monthly family nights.

Requirements

Meet one of the following education or credential pathways: a bachelor’s or advanced degree in early childhood education with qualifying infant/toddler coursework; a bachelor’s or advanced degree in a related field with qualifying infant/toddler coursework equivalent to a major in early childhood education; an associate’s degree in early childhood education or child and family studies with qualifying infant/toddler coursework; or a current Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential.
Experience in an early childhood education classroom, certified childcare center, or comparable group-care program.
Ability to interact positively with families from varied cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Ability to use a positive approach to direct and redirect children’s behavior.
Ability to take a leadership role in the classroom and work cooperatively as part of a team.
Good computer and data-entry skills.
Ability to possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and an insured vehicle available for work use, or have alternative transportation.
Ability to possess and maintain compliance with the State of Oregon Criminal Background Registry.
Ability to possess and maintain current First Aid/CPR certification.
Ability to obtain and maintain an Oregon Food Handler’s Card.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Head Start.

Responsibilities

Lead and monitor all aspects of a full-day infant and toddler classroom and ensure continuous supervision of children.
Provide care for the assigned class and supervise the assigned Assistant Teacher and Classroom Aide.
Work with site staff to create developmentally appropriate, nurturing environments and childcare routines.
Plan, implement, and evaluate daily classroom activities that are developmentally appropriate, follow the agency’s research-based curriculum, address individual children’s goals, reflect classroom diversity and culture, and meet Federal Head Start Performance Standards.
Maintain a safe and developmentally appropriate learning environment that meets Federal Head Start Performance Standards and Oregon Office of Childcare regulations.
Maintain child observation notes and conduct screenings, assessments, referrals, and goal planning for children in the assigned class.
Complete child assessments three times per year according to the agency calendar and partner with parents on Individual Goal Plan forms and child goals.
Attend follow-up meetings, including IFSP and case management meetings, and consult with the Education Supervisor regarding attendance referrals as needed.
Maintain CLASS® and/or TPITOS® scores at or above expected thresholds and achieve and maintain TS GOLD Inter-Rater Reliability for the infant/toddler age range.
Collaborate with agency specialists and parents to ensure children with disabilities and special needs receive recommended services.
Enter child observations and assessment completions in TS GOLD, and education service activities and notes in ChildPlus; use system reports to monitor job expectations.
Maintain accurate child and family files, forms, reports, and service documentation within required timelines.
Include the Assistant Teacher, Classroom Aide, and volunteers in classroom planning, and model effective guidance and positive teacher-child interactions.
Take a lead role in planning monthly family-night content and attend and actively participate in family nights.
Partner with parents to schedule and complete required education and social-service home visits and parent conferences for each child.
Provide parents with parenting-skills and child-development information, guidance on developmentally appropriate activities, and examples of constructive, positive ways to work with young children.
Partner with parents to set educational goals for each child and coordinate individual goals with classroom curriculum and home-visit activities.
Maintain complete and accurate electronic and hard-copy child and family files for Education, Disabilities, and Mental Health services.
Coordinate and participate in the annual parent open house in consultation with team members.
Attend regular case-management meetings, ensure each assigned family is reviewed at least annually, participate in monthly meetings about shared EHS/HS families, and attend relevant IFSP meetings.
Arrive on time and participate in required activities, meetings, and trainings; act as a respectful, cooperative, and reliable team member.
Maintain a professional work image and follow position-related policies, procedures, and program objectives.
Follow agency procedures for reporting and documenting suspected child abuse or neglect, and comply with the Clackamas County Children’s Commission Code of Conduct.
Protect the confidentiality of information about children, families, personnel, and program operations.
Develop professional work goals and a training plan in consultation with a supervisor, and participate in requested training.