Child Care Teacher

Job Overview

Job Summary: Utilizing the Reggio education approach, the Child Care Teacher plans, develops and implements child creative and adaptive lesson plans and provides a safe, secure and engaging environment for children six weeks to six years age. As part of a teaching team, the Child Care Teacher ensures that interactions with children support their self-esteem and promote their growth and development.

The Child Care Teacher makes learning a fun process that allows and encourages children to explode their full potential.

• Plan, develop and implement lesson plans for assigned classroom.
• Document children’s daily progress and activities and prepare reports to parents.
• Ensure that the classroom is clean and neat and free of health hazards or infection control risks.
• Supervise teacher aides and volunteers assigned to their classroom or within their scope of practice throughout the center.
• Provide support for program goals designed to promote autonomy, respect for children’s abilities, parental involvement and enriched experiences to maximize the potential of the developing child and family.
• Demonstrate understanding of how Reggio concepts are implemented in both indoor and outdoor classrooms.
• Adhere to Licensing and/or Accrediting Body Requirements and Standards.
• Develop Lesson Plans/Goals to nurture and promote cognitive, social and motor development.
• Plan for and promote gross and fine motor development, language skills and independence.
• Focus on enhancing self-concepts and self-esteem through positive interactions with children and families.
• Document and provide feedback/observations.
• Prepare, review and maintain written reports and records for each child.
• Follow established policies, procedures and regulatory guidelines to support best practice for children and families.
• Participate in Continuing Education, staff meetings, special sessions and mandatory CE events.
• Maintain collaborative team relationships with other teachers/staff.
• Meet with other teachers, team leader, Site Supervisor or Director to communicate needs of the children and staff.
• Review data provided on each child and facilitate a smooth transition into and out of the area for both parents and children.
• Infection Control & Environmental Health/Safety:
  Utilize infection control procedures and demonstrate safe consciousness in assessing environmental needs.
• Ensure that classroom tables, chairs, cabinets, cubbies, cots, toys and bookshelves are cleaned routinely to minimize infection control risks.
• Clean/sweep floors to remove materials that may pose a safety hazard (food, water, paper, etc.).
• Remove broken toys and report unsafe wood surfaces or running surfaces.
• Ensure staff are stationed on the playground to allow for adequate supervision and response time for the children’s needs and coverage for stations.
• Ensure that bleach and cleaning solutions are prepared correctly, labeled with date and time and stored in a locked area.
• Assist in coordinating environmental needs with the team to ensure a safe, clean, well-stocked area and an area which meets the children and family’s needs.
• Performs other duties as assigned and/or participates in special projects to support the mission of the client and department.
• Accept alternate assignments, as required.

Required

Education:

• Two (2) year degree in early childhood education, child psychology, psychology or closely related field.
• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum of 40 hours of coursework in early childhood education or related field (i.e. Child Psychology, Children’s Literature).
• OR Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Education:

• Bachelors or Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education.

• Preferred Certifications & Licensure:
• Child Development Associate (CDA) Certificate.

• Required
  
  Skills & Experience:
  
  Previous experience working with children ages six (6) weeks to six (6) years of age (paid or unpaid).
• Two (2) years of formal experience.
• Frequent bending. Climbing (steps, ladder, other).
• Reasoning abilities.
• Problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to hear effectively.
• Ability to speak clearly.
• Ability to write legibly.
• Reading and comprehension abilities.
• Logical thinking abilities.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to manage frequent and intense customer interactions.
• Ability to adapt to frequent change.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities.
• Frequent and intense customer interaction.
• Ability to work in Noisy Environment.

Preferred

Skills & Experience:

• Experience specifically working with children six (6) weeks to two (2) years old.
• Familiarity with the Reggio philosophical approach to education for children.