Preschool Teacher (Ages 3-5, 9 Month Employee)

Childrens Learning Center Inc•Madras, OR

16d•$24 - $28•Onsite

About The Position

The Preschool Teacher plans, coordinates, and implements a classroom program for children ages 3 to 5, providing comprehensive services that meet children’s and families’ needs. The role creates a safe, supervised, educational setting across the classroom, outdoor play areas, and field trips, and supports children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. The teacher encourages parent involvement, develops individual goals, assesses children’s progress, and facilitates transitions. The position serves in the Butterfly classroom and is supervised by the Education Manager. It operates from mid-August to early June as a nine-month employee, for 40 hours per week. The teacher works collaboratively with families, staff, specialists, and community agencies; maintains classroom and child records; follows Head Start, DELC, and TCLC requirements; and contributes to the safety and operation of the center.

Requirements

Minimum education: a CDA or Step 7 or higher on the Oregon Registry Online; alternatively, an associate or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field including six early childhood education/development classes. A diploma or transcripts are required for validation as applicable.
Employment is conditional on immediate and continued enrollment in the Child Care Division Criminal History Registry.
Employment is conditional on providing current physical examination and TB screening documentation upon hire.
Ability to apply early childhood development theory in daily classroom activities and adapt to individual children’s needs.
Ability to use a positive approach with staff and low-income and/or high-risk families and to function effectively in cross-cultural situations.
Ability to demonstrate warmth, empathy, and genuineness and maintain professional boundaries with families.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
Ability to instruct others in a classroom setting.
Valid driver’s license, ability to drive a private or center vehicle, and reliable transportation.
Must obtain Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification and a current Food Handler’s Card within 30 days of employment.
Ability to comprehend and analyze written material and produce clearly organized written documentation using proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence construction.
Ability to switch rooms, teams, shifts, or programs and cover different rooms or shifts as needed to accommodate school, children, and family needs.
Ability to make frequent significant decisions to support children’s developmental progress and maintain a safe learning environment.
Ability to monitor and respond to activity in classrooms, outdoor play areas, and on field trips, including moving quickly and redirecting or restraining children when needed for safety.
Ability to sit in child-sized chairs, kneel, stoop, bend, and sit on the floor; walk or run quickly and walk on rough or uneven ground; and work in varying weather conditions.
Ability to lift and move objects or children weighing up to 50 pounds and move classroom furniture such as tables, chairs, and shelves.
Ability to maintain environmental and child safety using visual, auditory, and smelling senses.
Ability to perform occasional classroom cleaning using items such as a broom, mop, carpet sweeper, cleaning fluids, and sanitizing agents.

Nice To Haves

Previous Head Start and/or Early Head Start experience.
Two years of classroom experience with children ages 3 to 5.
Ability to adapt curriculum for children with varied needs, including at-risk, special-needs, gifted, and culturally diverse children.
Community service experience.
Home visit experience.
Supervisory and case management experience.
Keyboarding skills, computer literacy, and familiarity with databases, word processing, email, and the internet.
Bilingual English and knowledge of Spanish.

Responsibilities

Develop and use creative, developmentally appropriate curriculum reflecting mandated program elements, family and cultural influences, and children’s developmental needs.
Create weekly lesson plans and prepare classroom materials and learning centers to support individual and group learning.
Maintain a consistent daily schedule with group experiences, choice time, music and movement, motor activities, meals, skill development, and transitions.
Encourage exploration, problem solving, cooperation, socialization, and choice making, using open-ended questions and respectful listening.
Set realistic behavior expectations and guide, teach, discipline, and supervise children consistently in accordance with Head Start and TCLC policies.
Observe, record, and evaluate children’s activities, growth, and behavior to individualize curriculum and identify additional services when needed.
Supervise and monitor children at all times, including in classrooms, outdoor play areas, and on field trips.
Participate in team meetings and collaborate across program components, including with special-needs staff when appropriate.
Adapt curriculum to children’s individualized education plan goals and address individual and group needs, strengths, interests, and concerns.
Work with parents and the Comprehensive Staffing Team to assess children’s developmental needs and write goals and objectives twice per year.
Communicate regularly and respectfully with parents about children’s progress and promote parental involvement in classroom and program activities.
Conduct required parent-teacher conferences and home visits, including developing individualized plans with parents for home visits.
Help plan and conduct parent meetings; encourage parent participation in education, community involvement, curriculum planning, and program development.
Coordinate with community agencies and staff on specialized planning and referrals for children and families.
Document significant classroom issues, parent contacts, and home visits in Child Plus and/or child files, and support Family Service staff with documentation.
Monitor behaviors, records, and data for compliance with standards and meet state and school deadlines.
Fulfill mandated reporter duties, maintain confidentiality, and comply with Head Start, DELC, TCLC, and center policies and certification rules.
Attend assigned meetings, training, professional development, monthly parent meetings, and center activities; complete 20 hours of professional development yearly.
Attend open house, winter festival, and at least one parent night, subject to changes based on school needs.
Maintain regular attendance, professional standards, accurate records, respectful working relationships, and positive communication with parents, staff, children, and community members.
Respond appropriately to emergencies, help maintain an orderly, safe, attractive, and secure center, and assist with facility maintenance and inventory.
Delegate and assign tasks, train support staff on classroom procedures, and perform other work-related duties as requested by the supervisor.