ECE Teacher (Chinese)

Job Title: ECE Teacher (Chinese)

Program: ECE Program

Reports to: ECE Director

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Summary

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teacher works in a Co-teaching relationship to provide an education for the whole child based on the Yew Chung Education Philosophy and Objectives. Through a developmentally appropriate practice and an inquiry-based approach, and in a bilingual and multicultural learning environment, the Co-teachers develop a curriculum that supports lifelong learning dispositions through play and in-depth explorations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Creating a welcoming, safe and nurturing learning environment

• Use a positive discipline and guidance approach to behavior management, encouraging children to develop confidence in personal and social skills.
• Design engaging, interactive, developmentally appropriate, and safe classroom environment.
• Alert to and understand health and safety matters, ensuring compliance with all state licensing requirements.
• Develop, maintain and help children to understand the daily schedule and routines.
• Provide first aid and complete all required reporting and documentation on accidents and injuries.
• Maintain a clean and sanitary classroom as well as help all staff in maintaining a clean and safe facility (bathrooms, staff lounge, gym, outdoors, etc).
• Daily communication with the afternoon teaching team to keep them informed of any child-related matters that need to be shared in-person with parents/caregivers

Planning and delivering a developmentally appropriate inquiry-based curriculum

• According to the Yew Chung ECE Approach and based on children’s interests, plan, implement, document, and evaluate developmentally appropriate daily learning opportunities and experiences both indoors and outdoors.
• Observe the strengths and concerns of individual children to inform the planning of appropriate opportunities for whole child development and learning.
• Prepare and organize appropriate, stimulating and relevant materials and resources for learning to support children’s interests and to encourage deeper understanding.
• Identify and respond to children’s interests through observing and interacting with them and helping them to formulate and extend their questions and inquiry.
• Use daily observation, teacher reflection, and response (figure-grounds, conversations, explorations, etc.) to guide and develop age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate emergent curriculum.
• Assist students to develop independent and self-help skills, providing appropriate modeling and guidance, and following the Yew Chung ECE Approach.

Documentation of Student Learning

• Use technology such as iPads, cameras, and computers to record and document student learning.
• Work with Co-Teacher to produce Student Portfolios (Learning Stories) documenting each child’s development and progress in the seven areas of learning. 
• Work with Co-Teacher to create bi-weekly newsletters documenting class learning interests and connecting the learning to the curriculum guidance.
• Ensure the classroom environment displays pedagogical documentation of the current learning, including children’s work, photos, charts, and so on.

Maintain On-going, Open Communication with Parents

• Use the school’s designated online platform to keep on-going and open communication with families daily.
• Three formal parent-teacher conferences annually.
• Write two progress reports for your class children annually. The Fall report will describe each student’s progress in settling into the program and any concerns that may need follow-up. The End-of-Year Report comprehensively documents each student’s annual progress in the seven areas of learning.
• Make appointments and meet with parents/caregivers who wish to discuss their child on an as-needed basis.
• Prepare materials and a presentation for Back-to-School Night to orient parents to classroom procedures and student learning expectations.
• Coordinate with Parent Organization Room Parents in the planning of class and/or school events and activities, reporting to the ECE Coordinator(s) as necessary.
• Maintain the confidentiality of staff, parent, child, client, community, and school information included in files, conversations, meetings, correspondence, or any other source.

Participate in On-going Professional Development and School Events

• Keep abreast of current practice and theories in early childhood education through ongoing professional development.
• Participate in all professional development and in-service opportunities provided by YCIS.
• Participate in and prepare for school events as required; for example, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Chinese New Year Event, and ECE Open House(s).
• Available for occasional weekend and evening events, including Mini Camp.

Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge Requirements:

• Advanced fluency in Chinese (reading, writing, and speaking) with a strong set of communication and interpersonal skills.
• Understanding of and adherence to the Yew Chung educational philosophies and approach to early childhood education, including the curriculum framework and guidance.
• A strong commitment to teamwork and to developing and maintaining a cooperative and collaborative working relationship with a co-teacher.
• Good communication, problem solving, and priority setting skills as well as maintaining an overall positive and professional attitude /disposition.
• A willingness to understand and work within the curriculum framework and guidelines utilized by YCIS.
• Previous experience of working with a diverse group of young children and implementation of an inquiry-based learning approach.
• Proven ability to observe the strengths, interests and concerns of individual children in order to plan appropriate opportunities for development as well as document student learning.
• Ability to create a welcoming and engaging classroom atmosphere in which children feel safe, comfortable and supported to explore and experience new skills.
• Proven ability to establish a positive and healthy relationship with parents and families.
• A warm and friendly personality; patient and respectful; sensitive to the feelings and needs of others; able to adapt and be flexible.
• Strong computer skills with proven ability to produce student assessment and learning documentation. Comfortable with using a variety of computer and tablet programs and applications such as: Google Suite (docs, slides, sheets, etc.), iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote etc.), Microsoft Office.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Preferred: Two years full-time teaching experience in a preschool and/or ECE environment.
• Preferred: BA or higher degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education (ECE) or related field. (Willing to consider AA in ECE or related field)
• Child Development Permit from the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is preferred.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to: 

• Frequently walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, and talk or hear
• Often required to stand and sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, squat or crawl
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds and in case of emergency a 40-pound child
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Certificates, Licenses, Clearances, Testing and/or Bonding Required:

• This organization requires a successful candidate to provide it with employment eligibility and verification of a legal right to work in the United States in compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act.
• Holds at least a Child Development Master Teacher Permit from the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing; Site Supervisor Permit preferred.
• Must complete all background requirements prior to employment: live scan, acknowledgment of child abuse reporting responsibility, criminal record statement, and receive satisfactory clearance from all licensing and investigative authorities.
• Must pass a health screening and have required immunizations to work in the classroom (MMR, TB test or chest x-ray, TDap, Influenza).
• A valid certificate in CPR and pediatric first aid is preferred.

Yew Chung International School is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to their race, color, national origin, creed, age, gender or disability or any other characteristic prohibited by state or local law.  We are dedicated to providing a work environment where employees are treated with respect and dignity