Child Care Teacher

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, 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.
-Provides support for the program goals designed to promote autonomy, significant respect for the abilities of children, involvement of parents and enriched experience which aid in maximizing the potential of the developing child and family.
-Demonstrates understanding of how Reggio concepts are implemented in both the indoor and outdoor classrooms.
-Licensing and /or Accrediting Body Requirements and Standard.
-Performs in adherence to licensing and /or Accrediting Body Requirements and Standard.
-Develops Lesson Plans/Goals designed to nurture and promote cognitive, social and motor development.
-Plans for and promote gross and fine motor development, language skills and independence.
-Focuses on enhancing self-concepts and self-esteem through positive interactions with children and families.
-Documents & Provides Feedback/Observations.
-Prepares, review and maintains assigned written reports and records for each child.
-Follows established policies, procedures and regulatory guidelines in an effort to support best practice for children and families.
-Continuing Education/Required Meeting Actively participates in staff meetings, special sessions and mandatory CE events.
-Maintains collaborative team relationships with other teachers/staff.
-Meets with other teachers, team leader, Site Supervisor or Director to communicate need of the children, staff and area.
-Review data provided on each child and provide for a smooth transition into and out of the area for both parents and children.
-Infection Control & Environmental Health/Safety Utilize infection control procedure and demonstrate safe consciousness in assessing environmental needs.
-Ensure that classroom tables, chairs, cabinets, cubbies, cots, toys and bookshelves are cleaned routinely to ensure that infection control risks are minimized
-Clean/sweeps floors to remove materials that may pose a safety hazard (food, water, paper etc.).
-Removes broken toys, reports unsafe wood surfaces or running surfaces.
-Ensure that staff are stationed on the playground to allow for adequate supervision and response time for the children’s needs and coverage for station are consistently maintained.
-Ensures that bleach and cleaning solutions are prepared correctly, are labeled with date and time and are in a locked area.
-Assist in coordinating environmental needs with team to ensure a safe, clean, well-stocked area and an area which meets the children and family’s needs.
-Performs other duties are assigned and/or participates in special projects in order to support the mission of VCUHS and department.
-Accept alternate assignments, as required.
Skills
-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.
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.
Required Certifications & Licensure:
-N/A
Preferred Certifications & Licensure:
-Child Development Associate (CDA) Certificate.