Head Start Teacher

Head Start Teacher

The Head Start Teacher (HS Teacher) provides an educational program for pre-school children that is consistent with the Head Start program's philosophy and goals. Develops and maintains an educational environment conducive to effective learning within the limits of resources provided by the Head Start program.

Supervisory Responsibilities: HS Associate Teachers

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plans and implements high quality, developmentally appropriate center-based learning experiences to promote children's progress across the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and School Readiness Plan.
• Develops daily lesson plans, inclusive of individualization of children's needs and in partnership with parents, utilizing the Creative Curriculum.
• Reinforces and guides routine activities such as eating, sleeping, dressing, changing of diapers/toileting, and other functions, including dispensing of medication and/or support of health or disabilities needs and plans.
• Conducts two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences to share screening and assessment results and plan individualized supports in collaboration with parents/guardians.
• Ensures consistent responsive care and visual supervision of all children.
• Ensures clean, healthy, and safe learning environments, indoors and outdoors.
• Gathers information for assessment regarding a child's developmental progress two times per year.
• Conducts all developmental assessments within timeframes, and completes referral and/or individualized plan, inclusive of follow-up, to address identified needs.
• Promotes daily child attendance and parent participation in the classroom, meetings, special events, and/or trainings to ensure the full benefits of the program.
• Builds rapport with children and families, and promotes respectful, culturally responsive, and trusting relationships.
• Builds parents' knowledge and ability to support their child's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, including promotion of emergent literacy and dual language supports, and involves parents in activities to encourage parents as their child's first teachers.
• Recommends and/or completes request orders for necessary classroom and playground equipment, supplies and materials as needed for effective service delivery.
• Plans and facilitates Parent Committee meetings to engage parents/guardians in information and services that support their children.
• Aids recruitment of families eligible for participation in HS, as well as provides center-based orientation to new families.
• Effectively communicates and plans with other service professionals (internal and external) and/or external agencies for timely coordination of services.
• Participates, calls, and invites parents to Multidisciplinary Team Mtgs, as needed.
• Completes and maintains child attendance, meal counts and temperature, non-federal match, health and safety checks, behavioral screening, and assessment records and data entry per required timeframes.
• Follows, posts, and implements all required information on Individualized Health Plans (IHP) and Individualized Nutrition Health Plans (INHP).
• Maintains and/or posts required Community Care Licensing records.
• Adheres to established Standard of Conduct, and ensures confidentiality and mandated reporter requirements.
• Continues with data-driven professional growth, inclusive of action planning, coaching, and completion of at least 15 hours of professional development annually.
• Attends all meetings and trainings as required and directed.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Child Development, Education or closely related field.
• California Child Development Teacher Permit or higher level; or a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.
• Two (2) years' experience in a classroom or group setting in a licensed childcare center serving children under five years of age.
• Knowledge of the theories and principles of preschool age children's growth and development, responsive care, early childhood education, and family support.
• Capacity to use screening and assessment data to plan individualization in lessons, as well as share results and plan supports in collaboration with parents/guardians.
• Experience in federal and/or state programs for early childhood development and its related regulations preferred.
• Experience with Creative Curriculum, Desired Results Developmental Profile, Ages and Stages Questionnaires, and/or Early Learning Outcomes Framework preferred.
• Experience with ChildPlus and/or Microsoft Office Suite.

Desired:

• At least one year of experience working in a State Preschool or Head Start Program.
• Experience working with children with disabilities and cognitive delays.
• Previous working experience with families in planning family goals and child educational goals.
• Experience with effective communication, working with parents in a multiethnic setting.
• Bilingual in Spanish

Requirements:

• First Aid Pediatric CPR Certification
• Water Safety Certification
• Must be able to conduct home visits
• Must possess and maintain criminal background clearance.
• Must meet immunization requirements including pertussis, measles, and flu, Covid-19 vaccination, clear health exam, and proof of TB clearance.
• Understanding of and ability to use technology and other agency required programs.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job and are not meant to be all inclusive. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job. Unless reasonable accommodations can be made, while performing this job, the staff member shall:

• Use strength to lift items needed to perform the functions of the job; lift 30 pounds from the floor to a waist-high table when necessary.
• Sit, stand and walk for required periods of time.
• Observe, see, hear, and respond to children's needs, emergencies, and conflicts that may occur in the early education center or on the playground.
• Crouch to a child's height, maintain eye contact the child's level, sit on the floor and stand tall enough to reach children on the highest piece of equipment.
• Use close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception along with the ability to focus vision.
• Communicate effectively in English, using proper grammar and vocabulary.
• Reach with hands and arms and use hands and fingers to handle objects and operate tools, computers, and/or controls.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Blind Children's Center is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.