Lead Teacher, Head Start

Children’s Place Association•Chicago, IL

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Teacher provides direct care to children in a group setting and is responsible for developing educational/recreational lesson plans for each assigned child. He/she participates in the planning and supervision of seasonal family activities, gives program information to clients, engages in weekly staff meetings and client charting and provides direction to classroom assistant(s) and volunteers.

Requirements

Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or Early Childhood Special Education required.
Bachelor’s degree required for classrooms in the 3-5 early childhood program.
Type 04 teaching certificate required for classrooms in the 3-5 early childhood program.
Minimum of 3 years of professional experience working with young children in a child care setting required, with at least 1 year of experience as a Lead Teacher.
Certifications in Infant/Child CPR, First Aid and Caring for the Mildly Ill Child required.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual (English/Spanish) written and verbal communication skills preferred.

Responsibilities

Responsible for daily classroom instruction utilizing best practices as defined by NAEYC and COA accreditation standards, and for meeting state licensing requirements for the program in the structuring of the classroom.
Responsible for keeping NAEYC classroom portfolio up-to-date and completing a new portfolio with each new program year.
Ensures that developmental screenings (ASQ, ASQ-SE and ESI-R) are completed within 45 days of a child’s entry or re-enrollment into the center.
Uses Creative Curriculum GOLD assessment tool, completes weekly lesson plans based on each child’s individual interests and needs and plans field trips and activities to ensure appropriate development of all children.
Using observations, anecdotal records and assessments, provides a balanced daily program of child initiated and adult directed activities designed to enhance the healthy social/emotional, cognitive, language and motor development of each child and to modify and enrich the learning environment.
Conducts regular observations and recordings of each child’s progress as related to his/her IEP, IFSP and/or individualized goals, and completes appropriate referrals for developmental purposes.
Reflects the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of all children in materials, equipment and learning experiences.
Facilitates development of self control in children by using positive guidance techniques.
Listens and responds to children and parents positively and with attention and respect
Facilitates ways for parents to be involved in the daily program in meaningful ways, which may include encouraging parents to participate in lesson planning and developmental portfolios and/or provide input into planning menus, field trips, etc.
Encourages parents to attend monthly parent meetings, home visits, parent-teacher conferences and other meetings/activities.
Assists parents in transition activities within the Early Learning Center, or related to entering or leaving Children’s Place.
Participates in All Staff Meetings and ongoing training opportunities available through Children’s Place.
Effectively trains, supervises and utilizes Assistant Teachers and Substitute Teachers; encourages staff development.
Participates in bi-annual staffing meetings held on each child; works as part of a multidisciplinary team to identify and meet service needs of the child and family.
Through participation in off-site trainings and meetings (for a minimum of 15 in-service hours), stays current in the field of early childhood education or child development.
Maintains the confidentiality of information and records related to children and families in the 0-5 early childhood program at all times.
Reports any child abuse or neglect to Program Manager; informs School Nurse of any change or concern in the medical condition or care of any child.
Works as part of a team, seeking support and offering support when indicated; promotes team building and collaborative partnership among staff.
Participates in Children’s Place quality assurance initiatives as needed and appropriate to improve service quality and ensure compliance with licensing, accreditation and contractual standards.
Performs other duties and responsibilities as necessary to meet new funding requirements or as assigned by the Program Manager.