Toddler Teacher

Position: Associate Toddler Teacher, 1-2 year old classroom

Starting Hourly Pay Range: $23.75-$25.75

Benefits Include:

• Complete medical, dental and vision package, employer paid premium
• Annual one week paid Winter Break (Typally around 12/24-1/1)
• Annual paid Summer Break (Typically 1-3 days around the 7/4)
• Vacation and Sick Pay
• Holiday pay
• Annual Retirement Plan Contribution
• Longevity Incentive Bonus every 3 years of employment
• Paid training and professional development
• Low teacher to child ratios
• Weekly Planning Time

Join our team of dedicated and experienced faculty.

WCCC has served the Wallingford and surrounding community since 1968!

Summary:

Associate Teachers at Wallingford Childcare Center are creative, dependable, organized and enthusiastic individuals, responsible for planning and implementing a quality early learning program that focuses on social and emotional development. Associate Teachers recognize and affirm the importance the first 5 years of a child’s life is- as this is when crucial brain development occurs. Associate Teachers acknowledge that learning through play and Emergent Curriculum prepares children for Kindergarten and their continued academic journey.

Associate Teachers have excellent communication skills with children, faculty and families.

Associate Teachers are dedicated to supporting the Lead Teacher in creating a learning experience for children rooted in the principals of Emergent Curriculum and social justice, promoting inclusive classrooms.

Associate Teacher’s regular schedule is 40 hours a week, Monday - Friday

Associate Teachers understand that their typical daily schedule may change to support the needs of the Center. This may be a temporary change, where the Executive Director will work to inform the Lead teacher of the temporary schedule change 24-48 hours in advance. Or, this may be a long term change where the Executive Director will work to give 2 weeks advance notice of change.

Immediate Supervisor:

Lead Teacher

Qualifications:

Education:

● Minimum: High School Diploma or equivalent. 30 hour STARS Basic training or equivalent as approved by MERIT or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire, and willingness to work towards at least a short certificate in ECE or MERIT-approved equivalent

● Preferred: 20 or more college credits in Early Childhood Education or CDA or WA state short certificate

Experience:

Minimum: At least 6 months-1 year experience teaching in a classroom with the age group of the children who you will be the Associate Teacher in

● Preferred: 3 years experience teaching in a classroom with the age group of the children who you will be the Associate Teacher in

Other Qualifications:

● Complies with all requirements for child care providers from DCYF, including, but not limited to, Infant, Child & Adult CPR/First Aid training, a clear MERIT portable background check, and continuing education hours (see WAC 110-300-0105 and 110-300-0106)

● Dependable, able to arrive on time each day. Regular, predictable attendance, and not be frequently absent without approval

● Friendly, collaborative, and enthusiastic about being in the classroom

● Self-directed

● Committed to sustaining a culturally diverse work environment, not condoning racism and bias

● Able to communicate effectively and relate sensitively to adults and children from diverse ethnic and socio-economic groups, both verbally and in writing

● Able to be aware of surroundings, see, and hear the children

● Able to prevent or instantly respond to unsafe or harmful events

Essential Functions:

In the classroom:

• Follow the coordination of the instructional team, which may consist of Lead Teachers Associate Teachers, Float Teachers, On-Call Substitutes, Volunteers and all other personnel involved in the classroom
• Receive ongoing training from the classroom’s Lead Teacher as they will be mentoring and coaching on classroom procedures and center philosophy through modeling, communication notebooks (paper or on the Drive) and meetings, when needed.
• Strive for collective collaboration with all Faculty members
• Will practice active listing and solution focused conversations should co-worker dynamics and communication become challenging
• Maintain a safe and enriching environment for children
• Supervise children by sight and sound anywhere in the Center, playground, or on a field trip, and supervision by at least sound for children using the restroom
• Support the Lead Teacher in implementing and facilitating activities and curriculum that teach children to actively not condone racism and bias
• Use language consistent with WCCC’s anti racist and social justice goals
• Are aware of and follow minimum licensing requirements (WAC) from the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF)
• Support the Lead Teacher in preparing and implementing weekly lesson plans using an emergent curriculum
• Assist the Lead Teacher to ensure the completion of bi-annual ASQ developmental assessments of children- both the Developmental and Social-Emotional ASQs
• Support the Lead Teacher in documenting child and classroom activities in photos, writing, and other mediums
• Support the Lead Teacher and administration in developing individualized care plans for children with disabilities, and/or diagnosis that require accommodations
• Support the Lead Teacher in keeping up with ongoing documentation that keeps an individualized care plan up to date such as ABC notes from classroom observations.
• Complete all necessary documentation in a neat and timely fashion including (but not limited to), weekly photo posting, daily family communications, classroom monthly newsletters and injury/illness reports
• Support the Lead Teacher in preparing, facilitating and attending family-teacher conferences a minimum of two times each year, once between the months of October and December and once between the months of May and August, for each child- Each conference must have conference notes for each child as well as the ASQ scores ready for the family to review. (Associate Teachers may attend conferences as scheduling and the needs of the Center allows)
• Support the Lead Teacher’s process that documents each individual child’s learning journey
• Support the Lead Teacher in Communicating, verbally and in writing, with families about their children and classroom activities on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
• Check email account and Center App each day for updates from families and administration
• Support the Lead Teacher in planning for Summer Session each April/May, Summer Session should include field trips and visits from community members such as the fire department or the Reptile Man.
• Aid individual children who experience difficulty in the group or who temporarily lose their physical or emotional control and may need co-regulation supports or other accommodations and modifications to be successful in the classroom.
• Support the Lead Teacher in Implementing WCCC’s inclusive education policy by gathering and utilizing resources that support children with disabilities and needs for classroom accommodations
• Support the Lead Teacher in accurately maintaining classroom budget
• Maintain and organize classroom supplies
• Keep the classroom clean and sanitized as outlined in the WAC and align with WCCC health polices
• The usual methods of performing this job role’s daily functions require: lifting up to 50 lbs., carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, frequent stooping, sitting and rising from the floor, kneeling and/or crouching, and significant finger dexterity, and the ability to spend approximately 80-90% of the day walking or standing
• At hire, or within 90 days of hire, an Associate Teacher will demonstrate proficiency such that they will be able to support the Lead Teacher in training new faculty on:● Positive Discipline

● Enterprise Talk

● Emotion Coaching

● Problem Solving with Children

● Emergent Curriculum

Other duties:

● Greet parents/families daily

● Wear suitable and neat clothing for working with children

● Attend monthly All Faculty meetings that are typically after hours and paid time

● Attend all Faculty Inservice days, and meetings as required

● Attend all family and Center community functions and events as required

● In an emergency disaster, all Center employees are required to stay at work until released by the Executive Director or Person deemed In Charge.

● Other duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Director or Person deemed In Charge

Pay: $23.75 - $25.75 per hour

Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Are you registered in MERIT?
• Have you completed the 30 hour MERIT approved Childcare Basics Course?

Work Location: In person