Teacher, Penn Children's Center

University of Pennsylvania

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Teacher is a key member of the Penn Children’s Center (PCC) team and is responsible for supporting the Center’s educational philosophy of learning through play. This role fosters a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment that supports the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of young children.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Family Studies, Early Childhood Special Education, or Elementary Education plus 3–5 years of experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Bachelor’s degree outside the early childhood field must include: At least 3 years of experience in a NAEYC-accredited program, or At least 3 years of experience in a non-accredited program plus 30 hours of relevant training within the past 3 years.
Strong knowledge of early childhood development and education standards.
Demonstrated ability to supervise, lead, and develop classroom staff.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
Experience working with a diverse population of children and families.
Commitment to professional growth and continuous learning.
Flexibility to work during Center operating hours (typically between 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) to meet licensing ratios.
Successful completion of a comprehensive background check is required.

Nice To Haves

Skills in language, art, music, and drama are highly valued.

Responsibilities

Plan and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum and daily classroom activities.
Foster each child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.
Prepare monthly classroom newsletters and maintain consistent parent communication.
Conduct parent-teacher conferences at least twice per year using the Center’s designated assessment tools.
Maintain accurate daily logs, student records, and required documentation.
Arrange, maintain, and rotate educational materials and classroom equipment.
Respond promptly and professionally to parent questions or concerns.
Train and supervise part-time classroom support staff.
Coordinate classroom staffing to ensure licensing ratios and high-quality care.
Maintain a Professional Development Record and complete all required training mandates.
Promote an inclusive, respectful environment that values diversity and collaboration.
Model professionalism grounded in positivity, respect, and teamwork.

Benefits

Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.