Lead Teacher - Stepping Stones Academy

Job Description

Job Description

Join our team at Community Kids Learning Center in Beloit, Wisconsin and help create a nurturing, inspiring space where young learners can thrive!

In this role, you’ll work closely with the Site Supervisor to bring our thoughtfully selected curriculum to life, fostering a respectful and engaging early learning environment. We believe every child has incredible potential and a natural curiosity to learn, and you’ll play a key part in supporting that growth each day.

You’ll also help shape a positive educational and social experience by integrating program goals into daily activities, ensuring our mission, values, and policies are reflected in everything we do. A strong commitment to cultural responsiveness and inclusivity is essential as we serve and support a diverse community of children and families.

If you’re passionate about early childhood education and making a meaningful impact, we’d love to hear from you!

• Plan and carry out activities according to the Education Policy in accordance with state licensing and YoungStar.
• Establish and maintain goals and assessments for all children enrolled according to the Education Policy in accordance with state licensing and YoungStar.
• Establish and maintain a daily schedule that follows the Education Policy in accordance with state licensing and YoungStar.
• Oversee all lesson plans, goals, and assessments to ensure completion.
• Provide direct care and assistance to children with their basic needs including eating, dressing, and hand washing.
• Interact with children frequently while showing interest and modeling respect and affection regardless of race, gender, background, ability, culture, etc. of children or family members.
• Implement the positive guidance policy within the classroom.
• Encourage independence in children while teaching and modeling positive approaches to behaving constructively.
• Assist children in dealing with emotions, positive and negative, while expecting them to behave in developmentally appropriate ways.
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
• Plan and set up an organized environment to meet the Education Policy and Environmental Rating Scale requirements.
• Establish and maintain a pleasant and welcoming learning environment for children, families, and coworkers.
• Provide a healthy and safe environment that is conducive to positive learning, playing, and growing.
• Implementation of cultural awareness, diversity, and inclusion within the classroom.
• Oversee the environment to ensure it continues to meet the Environmental Rating Scales and curriculum requirements, including rotation of materials.
RELATIONSHIPS
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with children, families, coworkers, and supervisors.
• Establish and maintain effective communication with families, children, coworkers, and supervisors according to policies and the Environmental Rating Scales.
• Oversee communication in classroom to ensure policies and the Environmental Rating Scales requirements are being met.
• Guide and mentor new team members, assistant teachers, substitutes, volunteers, and students. to include completion of evaluations when necessary.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
• Establish and maintain a healthy and safe environment according to all safety and emergency standards, policies, and procedures.
• Understand and follow all Community Action, Community Kids, YoungStar, and State Licensing rules, policies, and procedures.
• Complete all required forms according to policies such as, but not limited to, USDA, attendance, Under Two Intakes and accident reports.
• Promote healthy snack times as pleasant and social learning experiences.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The above statements reflect the general details necessary to describe the major functions of this position and are not intended to be a detailed description of all the work/functions that may be required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Responsible for the supervision of the children under his/her care in the classroom.
• Responsible for the supervision of assistant teachers, volunteers, and student teachers within their designated classroom.
• Ensure all policies and procedures are being followed and stepping in when appropriate.
• Provide suggestions and feedback to new team members, assistant teachers, volunteers, and student teachers within their designated classroom.

QUALIFICATIONS: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
• Must be 18 years of age with a High School Diploma/GED.
• At minimum, meets teacher qualifications as approved by the Wisconsin Registry.
• Minimum one year experience in childcare.
• Must annually complete the required 15 hours of approved continuing education.
LANGUAGE SKILLS:
• Must have good communication skills, including the ability to effectively present information in onetoone and small group situations to children, families, and coworkers.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is highly desirable.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide with whole numbers, fractions, and percentages.
REASONING ABILITY:
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out written or oral instructions.
• Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Must be able to conduct smooth and unregimented transitions, be flexible, and handle routine tasks in a relaxed and individualized manner.
CERTIFICIATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
• Teaching staff authorized to drive the childcare van and/or bus must meet the driving standards in the Travel/Vehicle Usage Policy and maintain their passenger CDL.
• Within 3 months after beginning work with children, shall obtain and maintain a current certification for infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use from the agency approved by DCF.
• Certificate of DCF approved training in shaken baby syndrome and SIDS.
• Mandated Reporter training completed within the last two years or DCF approved equivalent.
• Must have YoungStar approved training in the following or complete the first suitable available training in:
• Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standard and/or Schoolage Curriculum Framework Training.
• Darkness to Light or YoungStar accepted equivalent.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
• Must be reliable and dependable.
• Ability to communicate appropriately and work with families, children, coworkers, managers, and directors.
• Demonstrate competency and knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices and environmental rating scales such as ECERS, ITERS and/or SACERS.
• Demonstrate commitment to cultural diversity.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear.
• Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Occasionally required to climb or balance and taste or smell.
• Frequently lift a minimum of 20 pounds, ranging up to 50 pounds, depending on age of children.
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to be mobile on a variety of surfaces such as tile, carpet, wood chips, pea gravel, cement, etc.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and occasionally loud.
• The duties are performed within a classroom environment with daily time (if appropriate) outside in varied weather conditions, including heat, wind, and cold.
• The employee may be exposed to childhood illnesses.

The job description does not constitute an employment contract between Community Action and the employee and is subject to change by Community Action as the needs of the department and the requirements of the job change.

Community Action, Inc. [CAI] is an equal opportunity employer. Community Action, Inc. does not discriminate on account of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, age, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service. I understand that neither the completion of this application nor any other part of my consideration for employment establishes any obligation for Community Action Inc., to hire me. If I am hired, I understand that either Community Action, Inc. or I can terminate my employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and without prior notice. I understand that no representative of Community Action, Inc., has the authority to make any assurance to the contrary. I attest by submitting my application that I have given Community Action, Inc. true and complete information on this application. No requested information has been concealed. If any information I have provided is untrue, or if I have concealed material information, I understand that this will constitute cause for the denial of employment or immediate dismissal.