Teacher, Headstart

Location: Roxbury

Teacher - Head Start

You are a caring, dedicated, and dependable educator who thrives in a collaborative team environment and is committed to excellence in early childhood education. You bring experience working in a school or early learning setting and are confident engaging with young children, families, and colleagues while balancing classroom and administrative responsibilities.

The Dimock Center is a federally qualified community health center that heals and uplifts individuals, families, and communities. Our vision is to redefine the model of a healthy community by creating equitable access to comprehensive health care and education. We promote a culture of respect, excellence, equal opportunity, and commitment to our employees and the communities we serve.

Our Child and Family Services programs offer high-quality care, education, and support to young children and their families.

Summary/Objective:

This position provides safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environments, routines, and interactions that promote positive outcomes for children and families enrolled in Head Start. The Teacher plans and implements individualized, developmentally appropriate curriculum informed by child observation and assessment data, family input, and program goals, in alignment with Child & Family Division curriculum guidelines. The Teacher ensures children's safety and well-being at all times by adhering to all program policies and to all federal, state, and local standards and best practices.

Essential Functions

Creates and maintains a research-based, developmentally appropriate, and nurturing learning environment that supports children's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development and engages all learners, including children with diverse learning needs and children for whom English is a second language.

Incorporates the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children into daily routines, interactions, and learning experiences.

Interacts respectfully and professionally with children, families, and colleagues using strength-based, trauma-informed, and relationship-based practices.

Develops and implements weekly lesson plans, in collaboration with a co-teacher or assistant teacher, that include clear, developmentally appropriate learning objectives-both child- and teacher-led-aligned with the program curriculum, MA Early Learning Standards, and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.

Conducts screenings and regular observations of children in assigned classrooms to complete developmental assessments, individualize instruction, monitor progress toward learning goals, and initiate referrals for services as needed.

In partnership with colleagues, including co-teachers or assistant teachers, uses data such as child assessments, classroom observation tools, and program surveys to identify strengths and guide continuous improvement of teaching practices.

Practices positive discipline techniques, in compliance with all state licensing regulations and program policies, to promote positive behavior and prevent or reduce challenging behavior.

Ensures children's safety at all times, including providing active supervision indoors and outdoors and maintaining a clean, organized, and welcoming classroom environment.

Partners with families to support children's learning by acknowledging all families, practicing anti-bias education, valuing diversity, inviting family input, responding to concerns with respect and sensitivity, sharing strength-based observations of children's development, and conducting Parent-Teacher conferences and Home Visits in accordance with program schedules.

Communicates regularly with Family Support Specialists (FSS) and content area specialists to coordinate services and respond appropriately to child and family needs.

Actively participates in team meetings, trainings, coaching, reflective practice, and continuing education opportunities to support professional growth and team collaboration.

Supports children and families during transitions to and from classrooms and program settings.

Establishes and maintains cooperative, respectful relationships with colleagues and actively contributes to teaching team responsibilities through communication, collaboration, and curriculum planning.

Collaborates with, guides, and supports Teaching Assistants, per-diem staff, and volunteers in all aspects of classroom operations.

Maintains timely and accurate records, including attendance, CACFP meal counts, incident reports, child assessments, and all required documentation.

Works collaboratively with supervisor and the Director of Professional Development and Coaching to develop and implement an Individualized Professional Development Plan (IPDP) aligned with short- and long-term professional goals.

Maintains the highest standards of professionalism at all times, including adherence to dress code, NAEYC Code of Ethics, Child & Family Code of Conduct, and consistency of care through…