Lead Teacher, Head Start

Lead Teacher, Head Start – The Dimock Center Job Description

Summary / Objective: The Lead Teacher provides instructional leadership within the classroom while maintaining a safe, nurturing, and high-quality learning environment that promotes positive outcomes for children and families. In addition to fulfilling all core classroom teacher responsibilities, the Lead Teacher serves as a model of best practice, mentor, and resource to Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Educator Trainees, per-diem staff, and volunteers.

While this position is not supervisory, the Lead Teacher actively supports the supervisor by mentoring and guiding teaching staff, promoting reflective practice, supporting regulatory and program compliance, and contributing to continuous quality improvement at the classroom and program level. They ensure the safety and supervision of children at all times by adhering to all program policies and in accordance with all Federal, State, and local requirements.

• In partnership with classroom staff, provides leadership and support in the design, implementation, and continuous refinement of a research-based, developmentally-appropriate, and nurturing learning environment that fosters children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development and effectively engages all learners, including children with disabilities/diverse learning needs and multilingual learners.
• Assists the supervisor in maintaining licensing, Head Start, and NAEYC compliance at the classroom level by:
  • Monitoring classroom practices
  • Supporting documentation accuracy
  • Identifying concerns proactively
  • Communicating needs and trends to leadership
• Models and embeds The Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence across daily routines, interactions, classroom management strategies, and learning experiences, supporting consistent implementation by classroom staff.
• Interacts respectfully with children, families, and colleagues using strength-based, trauma-informed, and relationship-based practices.
• Develops and implements weekly lesson plans, in collaboration with co-teacher or assistant teacher, that include specific developmentally appropriate learning objectives – both child and teacher-led - aligned with the program’s established curriculum, MA Early Learning Standards, and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.
• Conducts screenings and regular observations of children in assigned classes for the purposes of completing developmental assessments, individualizing instruction, assessing and reporting on children’s progress toward learning objectives, and providing timely referrals for services as needed.
• In partnership with colleagues, utilizes data such as child assessments, classroom observation rating scales, and program surveys/assessments, to identify strengths and to guide ongoing development of effective practices.
• In compliance with all State licensing regulations and program policies, models implementation of positive discipline techniques with children to promote positive behavior and prevent or reduce the likelihood of challenging behavior.
• Collaborates with education leadership, specialists, and educators to ensure timely referrals, follow-up, and implementation of individualized supports and IFSP/IEP accommodations.
• Ensures children’s safety by maintaining a clean, organized, and developmentally appropriate classroom environment, implementing active supervision indoors and outdoors, and supporting staff in maintaining consistent safety practices that meet federal and state health, safety, and licensing standards.
• Partners with families to support children’s learning. Expected practices include: acknowledging all families, practicing anti-bias education principles, valuing diversity, inviting input, responding to concerns with sensitivity and respect, sharing strength-based observations of child’s skills, interests, and abilities, and conducting Parent-Teacher conferences and Home Visits in accordance with program’s assigned schedule of frequency.
• Communicates regularly with Family Support Specialists (FSS) and content area specialists to coordinate efforts to respond appropriately…