Infant Toddler Teacher

Regina Coeli Child Development Center•Covington, LA

About The Position

The Infant Toddler Teacher provides a safe, supervised educational setting for children in the Early Head Start environment, including the classroom, outdoor play areas, and field trips. The role promotes children's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development; encourages parent involvement; develops individual goals; assesses progress; and facilitates transitions into kindergarten. The teacher must follow Federal Head Start Performance Standards, Louisiana licensing requirements, and agency policies and procedures. The teacher develops and implements integrated, developmentally appropriate curriculum; maintains a consistent daily schedule and supportive learning environment; monitors children's health and safety; and documents assessments and classroom and family interactions in agency information systems. The position also involves regular communication with families, parent-teacher conferences and home visits, collaboration with staff and community agencies, and participation in meetings, trainings, and program quality improvement activities.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED, and a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential with an infant/toddler setting, or a college degree from an accredited institution in Early Childhood Education, child development, or a related field.
Experience teaching in an early childhood setting with infants and toddlers.
Ability to adapt curriculum for children with varied needs, including at-risk, special-needs, gifted, and culturally diverse children.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Intermediate to advanced computer skills, including internet and email.
Ability to supervise preschool children and maintain safety in classrooms, outdoor play areas, and on field trips, including monitoring and responding to events and moving quickly to redirect active children when needed.
Ability to sit with children during family-style meals and eat the same Head Start lunch to model good nutritional habits.
Ability to respond appropriately to emergencies or crisis situations.
Ability to drive occasionally for home visits, sometimes in outlying areas.
Pass a criminal background check.
Pass a physical examination every three years.
Complete a tuberculosis test every three years.
Maintain current First Aid and CPR certification; training is provided.
Have a valid driver's license and a driving record meeting the agency insurance carrier's requirements.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and frequently kneel, crawl, stoop, bend, and sit on the floor to attend to children's needs.
Ability to work in an active environment with changing climate and noise levels.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual English/Spanish skills are highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Follow Head Start Program Performance Standards, Louisiana licensing requirements, the agency work plan, and agency policies and procedures.
Maintain professional relationships with staff and families, respecting culture, diversity, and ethnicity.
Participate in annual program self-assessment and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
Maintain confidentiality of children's records.
Report indoor and outdoor safety hazards.
Detect and report signs of illness, discomfort, or unusual behavior in children to Family Advocates and Specialists.
Report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Department of Children & Family Services as a mandated reporter.
Develop and use integrated curriculum plans that support children's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development and reflect mandated elements and parental and cultural influences.
Follow a consistent schedule incorporating group experiences, choice time, music and movement, motor activities, skill development, meals, and transitions.
Provide interactions and an environment that facilitate children's development and involvement.
Establish weekly individual and group educational goals that include other Early Head Start content areas.
Prepare classroom materials and create or change learning centers as needed.
Promote and reinforce parental engagement, model appropriate behavior, and use positive guidance techniques.
Communicate regularly with parents about each child's progress.
Conduct required parent-teacher conferences and home visits for assessment, support, and sharing information about classroom progress and educational strategies.
Help plan and conduct regular parent meetings with team members.
Work with appropriate agencies to develop specialized plans for children and families as needed.
Document baselines and ongoing assessments in CC Gold according to agency benchmarks.
Document classroom issues, parent contacts, and home visits in PROMIS.
Support Family Advocates with documentation of concerns about families and children during scheduled staffing.
Assist with food service and other classroom needs as requested.
Attend meetings, trainings, and professional development activities.
Help maintain and secure the facility and assist with equipment and supply inventory.
Assist with generating in-kind contributions.
Perform other duties as requested.