Infant/Toddler Lead Teacher - Early Childhood Education

Department: Early Childhood Education

Supervisor: Kim Sucan

Location: Zaban Park

The Weinstein School’s teaching staff has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children’s learning and development and to support families’ diverse needs and interests. As Lead Teacher, you will develop, implement, and evaluate the preschool curriculum, and be responsible for providing a quality educational program that reflects the goals and values of The Weinstein Preschool.

As a Lead Teacher you will use your knowledge of child development, curriculum, Judaism, and/or the community to help your colleagues in their development. Lead Teachers are responsible for monitoring the development and learning of the children, and for communicating this information to parents and Director. Lead Teachers also supervise and provide guidance to classroom volunteers.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in a child-related field from an accredited college or university
• One year of programmatic experience in the group education of children
• Willingness to mentor colleagues
• Strong communication skills: oral, reading, writing
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to relate to young children and adults
• Working knowledge of the growth and development of young children and ability to utilize this information in the classroom
• Ability to act independently in the classroom setting
• Ability and willingness to work with a team
• Desire for continued development of teaching skills including collaboration with specialists
• Judaic knowledge or willingness to acquire
• Child CPR certification or willingness to acquire
• Ability to meet Georgia requirements for employment in a preschool setting
• Familiarity with NAEYC guidelines

Preferred:

• At least three years of experience in the group education of children
• Jewish education
• Familiarity with community resources
• Previous experience in a NAEYC accredited school

RESPONSIBILITIES

Teaching & Curriculum

• Plan and implement, with teaching team, a daily curriculum according to developmentally appropriate practices and school values
• Nurture physical, spiritual, emotional, social, and intellectual growth and development of each child
• Provide care, protection, and guidance to the children
• Ensure consistency of the daily curriculum with the school values statement
• Assist in the development, evaluation and revision of the Preschool curriculum
• Classroom setup and arrangement

Administrative & Classroom

• Maintain a cheerful, nurturing, healthy, safe and clean classroom environment
• Maintain attendance and injury records
• Maintain storage, organization, and cleanliness of classroom equipment and materials
• Ensure the maintenance of a clean classroom
• Assist in purchasing preschool supplies, according to individual classroom budgets

Communication & Community

• Communicate regularly with Director, including all concerns regarding a child’s progress
• Participate in regular staff meetings
• Participate in School social and family education programs
• Monitor growth and development of each child and communicate progress and/or concerns with parents and Director
• Communicate regularly with parents
• Hold parent conferences as needed/requested
• Protect the rights and privacy of children and families by maintaining strict confidentiality according to the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
• Maintain a continuing dialogue with the teaching team with regard to the children and classroom environment
• Attend school wide and class events such as picnics, parties, parent meetings, and other special events
• Work with the teaching team on problem solving classroom and school issues

Professional Development

• Work towards increasing knowledge and abilities in the field of early childhood education and Judaism and related topics through attendance at workshops and courses, reading books or periodicals, or other means.
• Team with other staff for professional development on the peer to peer level
• Strive for a good working relationship with fellow school and JCC staff

Leading Learning

• Mentor new teachers and other staff as assigned
• Help to create parent and teacher programs to grow their understanding child development and developmentally appropriate practice
• Give input and assist in curriculum and structural planning for the school

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to move from standing to crouching to sitting on the floor and back to standing. The employee must be able to use hands and fingers to reach, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and see, talk and hear. The employee must be able to lift children up to 50 lbs. The employee must be able to lift and carry children and equipment, spend time on the floor or child-sized furniture. They will be expected to clean and maintain equipment and facility and must be able to move throughout the community with children. The teacher will be working in a busy and occasionally noisy environment. There may be a number of activities and situations happening at once, and the preschool teacher will have to supervise all children at all times. The preschool teacher may come into contact with children who are ill and/or contagious, and must take precautions to ensure the health and safety of all children, parents, staff and themselves.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive, and incumbent will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by immediate supervisor and/or other management as required. The JCC reserves the right to revise or change job duties as the need arises. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.