Co-Lead Teacher - Early childhood

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Co-Lead Teacher is responsible for all aspects of the care and education for the children enrolled in his/her class. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to the following: physical caregiving, developmental assessments, following an age appropriate curricular plan, and facilitation of supportive relationships with director, co-workers, parents, and students.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Graduation from high school or GED
• One year of experience in an early childhood program serving infants and toddlers in a developmentally appropriate environment
• Must have a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential for Infant and Toddler Caregivers or an equivalent credential that addresses comparable competencies; or must obtain the credential within one year of employment as an Infant and Toddler (I/T) teacher
• Certified in CPR/First Aid

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsibilities of this position will include but are not necessarily limited to the following:

Early Childhood Programming:

• Ensure the safety of each child enrolled in the class whether in the classroom, on the playground, or in common areas
• Maintain regular observation and evaluation of children's development and progress as directed by administration
• Accept and maintain responsibility on a daily basis for the ordered arrangement, appearance, décor, and cleanliness of the learning environment of the classroom
• Plan and implement age and developmentally appropriate classroom practices that will include the areas of physical, emotional, social and cognitive needs of young children.

Interaction with Children:

• Serve as a role model for the children in the areas of attitude, speech and actions on a daily basis;
• Treat each child with dignity and respect for his/her cultural background
• Encourage children's development in the areas of building self-confidence, problem solving, and taking responsibility for their actions
• Interact with each child on a daily basis through circle time, centers, snacks, lunchtime, playground, free play, etc.
• Be consistent

Relationships with Parents:

• Respect the cultural differences and socioeconomic diversity of all parents
• Communicate with parents daily through the reports and weekly newsletters
• Greet parents daily as they drop off and pick up with a warm smile and positive comment about their child

Other Responsibilities:

• Be familiar with and adhere to the State of Michigan Licensing Rules for Child Care Centers
• Be flexible, as scheduling often changes due to ratio needs
• Attend monthly staff meetings

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to communicate with others and clearly understand normal conversations in person and on the telephone. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations; and the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-50 pounds. Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard. The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear. Requires regular attendance and/or physical presence at the job.