Head Start Teacher

Overview

Originally as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of seven PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our rigorous academics, social‑emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom.

We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five‑year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across‑growing our and leveling the playing field for all children. The Head Start Teacher is responsible for a Head Start classroom of 3‑ to 5‑year‑old children and works collaboratively with an assistant teacher, family members, and other staff to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities.

• Classroom Community
• Create and foster a warm and inclusive classroom environment through following school‑wide practices for behavior management, encouraging child expression and autonomy, and setting and maintaining consistent routines and high expectations.
• Foster classroom productivity and maximize learning time, while engaging children with a variety of modalities and materials.
• Provide instructional support through concept development, fostering children’s analysis and reasoning, engaging in feedback loops, and modeling and supporting high‑quality language.
• Curriculum & Instruction
• Implement curriculum with fidelity through backward lesson planning, following school‑wide protocols for developing and documenting syllabi, lesson plans, assignments, and rubrics, and utilizing research‑based best practices to support all learners.
• Prepare or modify weekly lesson plans and prepare to implement small‑group activities, read‑alouds, circle time, and other curriculum components.
• Interact with children intentionally throughout the day to provide differentiated support.
• Supporting all Students
• Consistently track, monitor, and assume responsibility for the academic progress of all students, implementing developmentally appropriate strategies for each child in class.
• Complete developmental and social‑emotional screenings.
• Integrate Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or referral action plans for children with diagnosed or suspected special needs.
• Family Partnerships
• Establish and maintain strong relationships and regularly communicate students’ progress toward academic, social‑emotional, and behavioral goals with families.
• Collaborate with family services staff to support families in implementing family life practices, extending learning into the home, and meeting expectations for attendance.
• Professional Growth and Collaboration
• Participate in ongoing reflective coaching and self‑assessment.
• Work with assistant teacher, grade team, leadership team, and other staff to analyze data, revise practices, norm on team‑wide initiatives, share persistent information, and discuss individual students with a solutions‑oriented mindset.
• Health & Safety
• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment, including full supervision of children at all times, in accordance with Head Start and childcare licensing requirements.
• Conduct daily health/safety monitoring of the environment.
• Follow all health and hygiene practices, including hand‑washing, sanitizing, and universal precautions.
• Supervise mealtimes and “family style dining” with children.
• Maintain required documentation.
• Additional duties related to the running of the school as assigned.
• PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE POSITION
• Frequent movement, including standing, walking, sitting, and transitioning between floor and standing positions.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, pull or position items up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to engage in activities at child level, including bending, kneeling, crouching, and sitting on the floor.
• Ability to receive and respond to oral communication with students and adults in both quiet and active environments.
• Ability to reach with hands and arms and use hands and fingers to handle objects and operate tools, computers, and/or controls.

• Bachelor’s Degree…