Lead Teacher

The Lead Teacher for the Waddler Classroom (ages 1-2) creates a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment that supports each child's cognitive, social-emotional, language, and physical development. This role plans and implements developmentally appropriate learning experiences, builds positive relationships with children and families, maintains a structured and inclusive classroom, monitors and documents developmental progress, ensures compliance with licensing and program standards, and provides leadership and guidance to classroom staff to deliver high-quality early childhood education.

Responsibilities:

Through the use of Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies plan and provide activities and experiences supporting children’s health, education and social emotional development

• Establish a learning environment according to the Creative Curriculum and Early Achievers quality standards, and ECEAP if applicable.
• Implement the Second Steps Personal Safety Curriculum in preschool classrooms
• Provide activities and opportunities that encourage an individualized approach the developmental level and learning style of each child.
• Prepare daily activity plans and insure progress towards individual child goals
• Submit weekly lesson plans to the Early Learning Content Specialist
• Support ongoing assessment by observing, and documenting daily individual and group needs, interests, and skills based on Teaching Strategies assessment process.

Foster a positive emotional climate in the classroom based on licensing standards

• Provide guidance and support through positive interactions between children and adults
• Maintain an atmosphere that encourages open communication with children and adults through back and forth conversations, warm, nurturing tones, and being down at the child’s level.
• Provide opportunities and support for children to understand, acquire and use verbal and non-verbal means of communicating thoughts and feelings

Create a partnership with families that encourages engagement according to ECEAP and/or Early Achiever quality standards

• Complete quarterly parent/teacher conferences according to program timelines and content required by ECEAP and/or licensing regulations
• Document parent/teacher conferences according to program policy and procedure
• Communicate with parents through various platforms and methods (in person, phone calls, emails, class dojo, Teaching Strategies, parent newsletters)
• Communicate with parents regarding classroom to classroom transitions, as applicable

Record Keeping

• Complete and submit accurate Counts and Attendance reports
• Appropriately supervise and delegate duties to classroom staff, initiate training and encouraging teamwork among adults in the room and center
• Approve timesheets and time off requests for assigned classroom teacher assistants.
• Complete 6-month and annual performance evaluation for assigned classroom teacher assistants
• Meet regularly for supervision check-ins with assigned employees

Create and maintain a safe and healthy environment

• Maintain inventory and upkeep of classroom supplies and materials
• Report needed repairs and maintenance to the Early Learning Site Supervisor and Facilities Manager
• Provide a safe, developmentally appropriate indoors and outdoor learning environment through the use of the Safety and Sanitation Checklist
• Apply health standards and care for the children and classroom according to licensing and ECEAP standards

Professional Development

• Participate in required training according to ECEAP and/or licensing regulations
• Participate in scheduled supervision meetings, lead teacher meetings, teacher learning groups and other assigned meetings as required.
• Assist in orientating and training new employees
• Participate in Center activities and other duties as requested

Perform other duties as assigned