Teacher

JOB DESCRIPTION

TEACHER

Department:Head Start

Supervisory Responsibilities: Directly supervises employees in the Head Start classroom. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with OCCDA Assistant Teacher (if applicable), Class Aide, and Classroom Volunteer job duties. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees’; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Required Education and Experience: 

Purpose:  To support the educational opportunities for children by providing, coordinating, implementing and monitoring comprehensive early childhood education services for children served in Head Start in accordance with Head Start performance standards, best practices, and OCCDA’s service plans, policies and procedures.

Knowledge and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

1. Principles of child development and Early Childhood Curriculum planning.
2. Principles of effective supervision.
3. Current best practices in early childhood development and education.

Ability to:

1. Organize, prioritize, and manage time to ensure timelines are met.
2. Observe and assess children to set individualized goals.
3. Prepare classroom environment to meet physical, social-emotional, and educational needs of each child.
4. Track child’s progress and incorporate this information into curriculum to plan for child’s individual goals.
5. Work cooperatively with staff, children, and families from diverse cultural, socio-economic and educational backgrounds.
6. Maintain strict confidentiality of children, families, records and information.
7. Attend and participate in staff meetings and other trainings as needed.

Essential Functions:include the following, other duties may be assigned.

Timelines:

1. Complete developmental sensory and behavioral screenings within timelines.
2. Complete lesson plans 2 weeks in advance.
3. Ensure data is entered into COPA database, and family files according to requirements.
4. Ensure data is entered into DECA and ongoing child development assessment tools according to timelines and requirements.
5. Complete inventory of program supplies and equipment 2 times per year.
6. Ensure in-kind is completed and submitted according to OCCDA procedures.

Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation:Plan and implement curriculum that encourages the advancement of children’s physical, intellectual, and social-emotional competence that builds and strengthens positive self-concepts and individual goals for each child by:

1. Implement and plan classroom activities following developmentally appropriate practices established by lesson plans, and ILP’s, including IEP’s as needed
2. Observe, assess, and analyze children’s physical and cognitive development.
3. Make appropriate referrals for children with special needs and coordinate services with community partners.
4. Communicate openly with parents when concern is identified.
5. Ensure health plan for children with special needs is implemented and followed.
6. Compile portfolio to show developmental progress for each child.
7. Incorporate mental health activities into curriculum.

Classroom Operation and Services:  Establish and maintain a safe and health learning environment by:

1. Supervise and train classroom staff on principles of safe and healthy environments.
2. Assure classroom materials and equipment stimulate exploration, problem solving and reflect various cultures.
3. Include activities to promote good health, nutrition, mental health and personal safety.
4. Schedule field trips providing before and after activities and literacy experience for each child.
5. Participate in mealtime activities providing nutrition information to children during family style meals, while modeling and ensuring children follow proper hygiene and tooth brushing.

Provide positive guidance and discipline to support social-emotional development of children by:

1. Provide guidance and support on appropriate discipline to staff and parents.
2. Provide appropriate classroom routines.
3. Provide environment to stimulate children that encourages them to work cooperatively in small groups and fosters independence.
4. Model developmentally appropriate practices in classroom and ensure staff follows appropriate discipline techniques as defined by OCCDA Positive Guidance Policy and implementing recommendations from the Mental Health consultant.

Support family involvement in program and encourage parents to volunteer in parts of the program by:

1. Review screening results with parent and seek parent input in developing child’s individual education plan.
2. Conduct home visits/parent conferences on child’s progress prescribed by program service plan.
3. Meet regularly with Family Advocate to plan and implement parent center meetings and parent education work plans.

Communication:

1. Ensure timely, continuous flow of verbal and written information with staff, supervisor, program participants and community.
2. Conduct all communication in an effective, respectful, timely and support manner.
3. Meet regularly with Family Advocate to ensure all child/family information is current and service roles and responsibilities are understood.
4. Maintain organized and accessible record keeping and file system.

Professional Leadership:

1. Abides by the OCCDA Code of Conduct.
2. Represents organization in an ethical and professional manner
3. Maintains Confidentiality and shows discretion
4. Adheres to work schedule and is dependable

Certifications, Registrations, Licenses:

1. Current adult, child and infant CPR/First Aid Certification
2. Current Washington State Food Handler’s Card
3. Current Washington State Drivers License (CDL if required by position)

Computer Skills:

1. Microsoft Operating System 7
2. Microsoft Office: Word, Excel
3. E-mail

Physical Demands and Work Environment:The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to kneel, bend and sit on floor to attend to children’s needs; occasionally lift up to 40 pounds; frequently use fingers and hands to feel and grasp; frequently use arms and hand to reach or pull.  Occasional exposure to moderate and loud noises and frequent exposure to outside weather conditions (heat/cold).

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or disability.