POSITION: PRESCHOOL TEACHER

IMMEDIATE

SUPERVISOR: Education Manager

SUPERVISES: Teacher Aide

CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

GENERAL SUMMARY:

Work as the lead in a teaching team, with the Teacher and Family Health Services Aides, to establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment. Plan and implement learning experiences that advance the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development of children, including improving school readiness skills. Encourage the engagement of families and support the development of relationships between children and their families.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Must meet one of the qualifications below:

1. 
   An associate or baccalaureate degree in Early Childhood Education; or

1. 
   An associate or baccalaureate degree in a field related to early childhood education, and coursework equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children. (Equivalent coursework is defined by Absaroka, Inc. in their Teaching Staff Qualification Policy.)

Teachers with less than an associate degree in ECE or a degree in a related field, will be required to complete a Professional Development Plan and must be enrolled in an early childhood education program within their first year of teaching.

Head Start experience preferred (includes volunteering).

Bilingual: fluency in both English and Spanish preferred.

REQUIREMENTS:

Individuals must be able to successfully perform all essential duties. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable those with disabilities to perform job functions.

LICENSES OR CERTIFICATES:

• Current certification in Pediatric and Adult First Aid and CPR within 180 days of employment.
• Must have dependable, insured transportation, a valid Wyoming Drivers License, and acceptable driving record.
• Must pass an initial and periodic health screening, and TB clearance.
• Obtain current certifications in all Wyoming Department of Family Services childcare-required trainings.
• Must pass and maintain Teaching Strategies GOLD Interrater Reliability certification.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

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  Wyoming Department of Family Services child day care licensing requirements.
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  Head Start Performance Standards, Head Start Act, Absaroka, Inc. Policies and Procedures and Outcomes.
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  Developmentally appropriate practices for young children, as defined by the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
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  Head Start Early Learning Framework, Head Start Family Framework, and Creative Curriculum.
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  Principles of supervision and training based upon the Absaroka Inc. Personnel Policies and Procedures manual.

ABILITY TO:

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  Demonstrate strong leadership, organizational, and management skills.
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  Negotiate and resolve conflicts, observe, and record behavior objectively in writing, and possess good listening skills.

• Adjust standard operating procedures, as necessary, to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Assist in supervising, training, motivating, and mentoring aides.
• Clearly and concisely communicate, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Work effectively with adults and children from diverse backgrounds, cultures, languages, ethnicities, experiences, abilities, and temperaments.
• Conceptualize, develop, organize, and implement plans, reports, and budgets.
• Use a computer to collect, record, retrieve data, and prepare reports.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

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  Must be dedicated to the goals and philosophy of Absaroka, Inc.
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  Required to occasionally travel out-of-county and out-of-state.
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  Attend pre- and in-service trainings, and other trainings as required.
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  Must use reasonable precautions in the performance of ones duties and adhere to all applicable safety rules and practices. Must act in such a manner as to assure, at all times, maximum safety to oneself, fellow employees, clients, and children.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

LEADERSHIP:

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  Provide leadership and supervision for teacher aide in the daily operations of the classroom, in accordance with good management practice, and consistent with meeting the Performance Standards.
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  Serve as the Director of the center for DFS licensing.
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  Delegate appropriate tasks as needed for the teacher aide to accomplish objectives.
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  Model appropriate professional dress, appearance, personal hygiene, and professionalism per Personnel Policies and Procedures.
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  Maintain confidentiality of staff, parent, child, client, community, and agency information included in files, conversations, meetings, correspondence, or any other source.
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  Responsible for setting priorities and meeting deadlines.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Teachers must:

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  Engage in professional development through college coursework and trainings, as required, based upon the individuals credentials.
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  Be an active participant in the agency coaching program, in both the individual and group coaching settings, as directed.
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  Work with the Professional Development Specialists to plan goals and action steps, engage in focused observation, and reflect/share feedback on teaching practices.

TEACHING PRACTICES:

Teaching practices must:

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  Emphasize nurturing and responsive practices, interactions, and environments that foster trust and emotional security; are communication and language rich; promote critical thinking and problem-solving; social, emotional, behavioral, and language development; provide supportive feedback for learning; motivate continued effort; and support all childrens engagement in learning experiences and activities
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  Focus on promoting growth in the developmental progressions described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five by aligning with and using the Framework and the curricula to direct planning of organized activities, schedules, lesson plans, and the implementation of high-quality early learning experiences that are responsive to and build upon each childs individual pattern of development and learning
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  Integrate child assessment data in individual and group planning
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  Include developmentally appropriate learning experiences in language, literacy, social and emotional development, math, science, social studies, creative arts, and physical development, that are focused toward achieving progress outlined in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five.
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  Support the development of dual-language learners. Teachers must recognize bilingualism and biliteracy as strengths and implement research-based teaching practices that support their development.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS:

Teachers must:

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  Implement well-organized learning environments with developmentally appropriate schedules, lesson plans, and indoor and outdoor learning experiences that provide adequate opportunities for choice, play, exploration, and experimentation, among a variety of learning, sensory, and motor experiences
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  Provide for teacher-directed and child-initiated activities, active and quiet learning activities, and opportunities for individual, small group, and large group learning activities.

MATERIALS FOR SPACE AND LEARNING:

Teachers must:

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  Provide age-appropriate equipment, materials, supplies, and physical space for indoor and outdoor learning environments, including functional space. The equipment, materials and supplies must include any necessary accommodations, and the space must be accessible to children with disabilities. Programs must change materials intentionally and periodically to support childrens interests, development, and learning.

PROMOTING LEARNING THROUGH ROUTINE:

Teachers must:

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  Implement an intentional, age-appropriate approach to accommodate childrens needs to rest or nap. For preschool-age children in a program that operates for 6 hours or longer per day, teachers must provide a regular time each day at which children are encouraged to rest or nap. A program must provide alternative quiet learning activities for children who do not need or want to rest or nap. Ensure snack and mealtimes are structured and used as learning opportunities that support staff-child interactions and foster communication and conversation that contribute to a childs learning, development, and socialization through family-style meals.
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  Approach routines, such as hand washing and diapering, and transitions between activities, as opportunities for strengthening development, learning, and skill growth.
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  Integrate intentional movement and physical activity into curricular activities and daily routines in ways that support health and learning.

CHILD SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT:

Teachers must:

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  Ensure that a current developmental screening is obtained for every child.
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  Use assessment tool for each child, to provide ongoing information regarding the childs developmental level. Assess outcomes aligned to the goals described in the Head Start Early Learning Child Outcomes Framework.
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  Use the data collected from the assessment tool to provide usable information for parents, and for individualization used within the lesson plans for whole classroom, small group, and individual childrens strengths and needs.

LESSON PLANS/CURRICULUM:

Using the Creative Curriculum and the Absaroka Head Start Lesson Plan templates as a foundation for lesson planning, teachers are expected to:

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  Complete and post lesson plans weekly for review by the Education Services Manager.
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  Create and post for review by the Education Services Manager, weekly Individualized Learning Plans for each child in the classroom, utilizing information from screenings, assessments, and IEPs.

SCHOOL READINESS/TRANSITIONS:

Teachers must:

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  Establish working relationships with Early Head Start Home Visitors, if applicable, to create and implement an Absaroka Head Start Transition Plan to support transitions into Head Start.
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  Create and implement, in cooperation with local school districts, the Absaroka Head Start Transition Plan to support children transitioning to school.

DISABILITIES and MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES:

Teachers must:

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  Support mental health contracts to provide regularly scheduled on-site visits for children and parents.
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  Review the developmental and mental health screening results to ensure appropriate mental health referrals are made to the local child development agency, or to community mental health resources.
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  Establish and maintain working relationships with the local child development agency. This may include monthly or weekly meetings to discuss the development of children in the classroom, and progress on their IEP goals.
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  Establish and maintain documentation on all children with a current IEP for Absaroka Head Start records.
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  Review individual childrens IEP documentation weekly, and establish learning goals, as documented within each childs lesson plan.
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  Ensure individualized services, equipment, and/or materials are provided, as indicated on each childs Individual Education Plan.
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  Assist in maintaining resources for parents and staff, and refer to appropriate agencies or services, as needed.

PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:

Teachers must:

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  Establish positive and productive relationships with families, focusing on a relationship of trust and rapport with parents.
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  Work with the Family & Health Services Aide to complete Family Needs Assessments and set Family Goals on an Individualized Family Partnership Agreement.
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  Encourage family engagement and support the development of relationships between children and their families.

GENERAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, handle, feel, talk, hear, sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, climb, balance, taste, smell, use hands and fingers, and reach with hands and arms.

The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

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  Worker is subject to environmental conditions, as activities occur both inside and outside. Worker is also exposed to cold, heat, noise, chemicals, and typical playground activities.
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  This position works in a kitchen and office environment, and will be exposed to cooking fumes, dust, and other airborne particles. Worker will be expected to handle allergens such as milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, shellfish, corn, wheat, soybeans, fruits, and other foods in a varied diet. Worker will need to use a variety of cleaning products for dishwashing, mopping, sanitation, and appliance cleaning.
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  Worker may be exposed to bodily fluids and infectious diseases.