Associate Teacher

Position Overview:

Manage general classroom operations in accordance with federal performance standards, state licensing rules and agency expectations in coordination with the classroom Teacher and other agency staff; ensure children’s safety at all times; provide for the physical, social, intellectual, emotional and cultural needs of each enrolled child, in partnership with parents; provide appropriate information and resources for families.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities may include but not limited to the following:

• Help to carry out a culturally-responsive, inclusive and developmentally appropriate curriculum that aligns with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework according to the individual needs of children as written in daily lesson plans
• Assists in the implementation of the designated curriculum, with strong fidelity, in alignment with the Agency’s School Readiness Goals
• Conduct agency screenings and assessments
• Must acquire and maintain reliability in current assessment tool
• Responsible for gathering and entering children’s assessment data and assigning preliminary levels in online assessment tool
• Responsible for entering documentation in our data management software, ChildPlus, as required by the Agency
• Ensure safety of the classroom and outdoor environment for children at all times, including such things as active supervision, appropriate hand washing for children and adults, and knowledge of emergency procedures
• Implement positive redirection and behavior guidance
• Carry out the required components of the daily routine
• Instruct children in practices of personal hygiene and other self-help skills
• Prepare and serve meals and snacks for children in a relaxed, family style dining experience
• Ensures that the classroom environment meets the Agency’s expectations in regard to CLASS scores
• Provide feedback to use for the on-going evaluation and training of staff and volunteers as necessary
• Empower parents by enhancing parenting skills and parent/child relationships
• Participate in family engagement events to actively support parent engagement in program implementation.
• Conduct a minimum of two Education Home Visits and two Family Conferences per program year per student
• Involve parents in decisions about individual goal setting and culturally-responsive practices
• In the absence of the Teacher, takes a leadership role in the classroom operations
• Assist in recruitment, enrollment and orientation of Head Start families
• Responsible for knowledge and use of current Agency processes, procedures and forms, upon completion of training
• Understand and implement the tiered support model to identify and follow up on family needs
• Display sensitivity in meeting the needs of a diverse population of children, families and staff

Required Education and Experience:

• Minimum of a valid preschool CDA credential; or
• Be enrolled in a program leading to an associate or baccalaureate degree in Early Childhood Education/Child Development to be completed within 4 years; or
• Be enrolled in a preschool CDA credential program to be completed within 2 years
• Must obtain CPR/First Aid within ninety days of hire

Where will I be working?

You will be assigned to a site within Kent County, to be discussed during your interview process.

Employee Perks

At Head Start for Kent County, we strive to care for our employees and their families as much as our employees care for the children and families in our community. We offer an excellent benefits package with health insurance that starts after just 30 days of employment--several benefits are at little-to-no-cost to the employee. We provide generous time-off and paid holiday policies that start on your very first day. Wear jeans on Mondays, work half-days on Fridays, and take advantage of our Employee Assistance Programs, which provide corporate discounts and wellness programs for physical and mental health (including free counseling sessions). We offer retention and attendance incentives (some of which are monetary), professional development opportunities, and tuition reimbursement including paid-in-full CDAs and assistance with Associates degrees and above. Find out more about how we invest in our employees at http://hs4kc.org/employee-perks!

DISCLAIMER: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the agency. Employees in this position must be able to perform the essential job functions of this position with reasonable

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $17.30 - $20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person