Toddler Teacher

Position Status: Regular, Full Time
FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt
Reports to: Site Supervisor/Director
Benefits: PTO Accrual, with Health, Life, Dental, and Vision employer-sponsored coverage. Also eligible for 401(k)

‍

Summary Description

Responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Toddler Center program ensuring that Federal, State, local and agency regulations, policies and procedures are followed. Teachers must demonstrate good leadership skills and the ability to effectively supervise, motivate, and monitor students under their supervision. Must be knowledgeable inimplementing and developing a play-based curriculum; focusing on developmentally appropriate practices and individualized education.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may beassigned.

TYPICAL DUTIES

Program:

Procedural / Personal

• Attend and participate in pre-service and in-service training sessions and regularstaff meetings as determined.
• Sign in/out daily on time clock for an accurate recollection and accuracy ofworking hours
• Prepare and submit complete and accurate reports as required by program needsand supervisor.
• Keep open communication with other teachers and the ProgramDirector
• Maintain confidentiality regarding staff, families and students
• Staff must always maintain a professional attitude when interacting with otherstaff members, students and families.
• Prepare documentation to support referrals for further evaluation and specializedservices for children with suspected special needs including mental healthreferrals and other mental health documentation for children with emotional andbehavioral challenges.
• Read, review and follow instructions in weekly and administrativememos.
• Ensure all necessary requirements are completed in a timely fashion.
• Continue education by enrolling in and successfully completingcollege-level courses in Early Childhood Development, Spanish orEnglish courses (as warranted), or general education in accordance with an individualized staff developmentplan developed with the supervisor.

Curriculum

• Plan and implement appropriate classroom lesson plans each week. Create andimplement developmentally appropriate lesson plans based on children’s strengths,interest and needs reflected in observations, screenings and the DRDP+Rassessment results.
• While interacting and providing instruction to children in the classroom,responsible for role-modeling the use of the Spanish language in order to assistchildren and families to acquire English/Spanish language skills and to expand thelanguage skills and vocabulary of English/Spanish speakers.
• Complete children’s virtual portfolios that individualized children’s progressthroughout the year with proper documentation tools, such as pictures, quotes,DRDPs measures and detail/descriptive explanations of each observation
• Work closely with children around free-play, specific planned activities and onan individual basis as assigned.
• Participate in center team planning sessions throughout the year.

Working with Children

Child Interaction:

• Perform developmentally appropriate practices in all interactions with children atall times by respecting and acknowledging children’s individual developmentallearning styles. Work closely with other teachers in developing and implementingactivities that are challenging, stimulating and growth-enhancing.
• Create an environment of cooperation, mutual respect, problem solving, toleranceand active listening.
• Create a balance of teacher-initiated and child-initiated activities thatpromote experimentation, exploration and inquiry.
• Promote/model healthy eating practices among the children.
• Promote children to become independent thinkers by posing open-ended questionsand extending their learning through follow-up comments and questions.
• Communicate concerns about a child’s development to the Program Director
• Follow policies and procedures in reporting suspected child abuse in accordancewith federal and state law.
• Assure that staff and parents are aware of safety practices and possible hazards inthe center and at home.

Child evaluation

• Observe children in all the developmental domains and document observations according to policy and procedures within the identified timelines.
• Conduct parent/teacher conferences for each child in accordance with programpolicies and procedures.
• Conduct developmental assessments, DRDP evaluation as needed, for eachchild.

Parent interaction

• Encourage and motivate parents to participate in all levels of the program(classroom, center committees, PAC, fundraising, and other parentcommittees).
• Be conscious and respectful to each family’s culture andsocio-economic background.
• View families as each child’s first teachers and create a relationship ofopen-communication to gain insight into each child’s needs, interest andabilities.
• Coordinate and follow through on kindergarten transition activities includingpreparation and distributing of child’s immunization and health records toparents.
• Emphasize that play and learning are integrated.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essentialduty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge,skill, and/or ability required.

Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; maintainsconfidentiality. Maintain healthy and professional relationships with families,co-workers and supervisors.

Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negativesituations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions; demonstrates grouppresentation skills; participates in meetings.

Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling andgrammar; varies writing style to meet needs; presents numerical data effectively; able toread and interpret written information.

Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity andopenness to other’s views; provides and welcomes feedback; contributes to building apositive team spirit; places success of team above own interests; able to build morale andgroup commitments to goals and objectives; supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.

Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; completes administrativetasks correctly and on time; supports organization’s goals and values; benefitsorganization through outside activities; supports affirmative action and respects diversity.

Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plansfor additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other peopleand their tasks; develops realistic action plans.

Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve andpromote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; monitors own work to ensurequality.

Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; takesresponsibility for own actions; keeps commitments; commits to long hours of work whennecessary to reach goals; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with analternate plan.

Initiative - Volunteers readily; undertakes self-development activities; seeks increasedresponsibilities; takes independent actions and calculated risks; looks for and takesadvantage of opportunities; asks for and offers help when needed.

Work Environment/Physical Demands: The physical demands described here arerepresentative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform theessential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enableindividuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing theduties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employeeis occasionally required to stand from a sitting position, walk, use hands to finger, handle,and feel; reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee mayneed to lift while bending at the knees and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific visionabilities required by this job include close vision. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Other Requirements

Bi-annual physical examination

CPR First Aid Training Certificate

Annual tuberculosis Test/Clearance

Child Abuse Index Clearance

FBI/Department of Justice Fingerprint Clearance

Education and/or Experience

Preferred: BA Degree, (With emphasis in Early Childhood Education), or degree inrelated field, with 12 core ECE Units, or at minimum 24 ECE Units. Bilingual,(English/Spanish). Must be Spanish fluent, able to read and comprehend instructions,short correspondence and memos. Ability to write correspondence, and to effectivelypresent information in one-on-one, small or large group situations to parents and to other employees of the organization.

Minimum: AA, with emphasis in Early Childhood Education, or degree in related field, with 12 core ECE Units with infant & toddler development component, plus 3 unitssupervised field experience in ECE, and Site Supervisor permit or eligible for one, plustwo years experience supervising staff in a toddler classroom. Bilingual, (English/Spanish). Must be fluent in Spanish, able to read and comprehend instructions,short correspondence and memos. Ability to write correspondence, and to effectivelypresent information in one-on-one, small or large group situations to clients and to otheremployees of the organization.

This agency has the right to change duties as business requires. This job description doesnot constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

A copy of this job description, with the original signature of the employee, is filed in the agency administrative files with other appropriate personnel records. Duplicate copy ofthe signed document is provided to the employee.