VPK Lead Teacher

Base Pay $18.00 / Hour Job Category Early Education, Childcare, VPK Industry Nonprofit, Early Learning, Education Relocation Expense Covered No Employee Type Non-Exempt Required Degree 2 Year Degree Manage Others No Contact information Description About Jack & Jill Center Since 1942, Jack & Jill Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has served more than 30,000 children and families through comprehensive early education and family strengthening programs. We are wholeheartedly committed to our mission of strengthening children and families through innovative education, supportive programming, and community engagement. Each day, we strive to ensure that every child and family reaches their full potential. We live out our core values by treating others with respect and the highest degree of integrity, and by practicing effective communication to foster clarity and understanding in every interaction. We embrace innovation by encouraging creative solutions and continuous improvement. Through teamwork, we cultivate a dedicated and unified staff passionately working toward one common mission. At Jack & Jill Center, we take great pride in serving not only children, but also their parents, guardians, and members of our broader community. As we enter our next chapter, we remain committed to adapting to the evolving needs of those we serve—and to continuing to make a meaningful, lasting impact on their lives. Position Summary Jack & Jill Center’s Early Education Program provides quality, year-round early childhood education focusing on enabling children to grow emotionally, physically, and socially in a safe, caring environment using age-appropriate methods for cognitive growth. The Center is open year-round, Monday through Friday, and serves children who are six weeks to five years old. The VPK Lead Teacher plays a crucial role in overseeing and facilitating the educational development of Preschool and VPK students. They design and implement age-appropriate curriculum, create engaging learning activities, manage classroom dynamics, assess children’s progress and more. As a teaching professional within a NAEYC-accredited early learning program, the VPK Lead Teacher is responsible for maintaining classroom practices, learning environments, documentation, and professional conduct that support the Center’s accreditation standards, program-quality expectations, and continuous-improvement efforts. The classroom is also observed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). The VPK Lead Teacher is expected to consistently demonstrate high-quality educator-child interactions, effective classroom organization, and instructional practices that support children’s social-emotional, language, cognitive, and academic development. The teacher participates in observation, feedback, coaching, professional development, and continuous-improvement activities related to CLASS and other program-quality measures. Primary Responsibilities Plan, align, implement, evaluate, and individualize effective instruction and assessment across a variety of developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Develop and implement weekly lesson plans that support established curriculum expectations, learning standards, and student developmental needs. Use appropriate instructional strategies, books, materials, and learning experiences that reflect students’ cultures, learning styles, individual needs, and backgrounds. Utilize instructional techniques and materials that promote critical, creative, and evaluative thinking. Differentiate instruction based on student readiness, developmental level, learning needs, and assessment information. Use an understanding of child development and learning to create educational experiences that support students’ intellectual, personal, social, and emotional growth. Integrate appropriate technology into teaching and learning experiences when developmentally appropriate. Maintain student portfolios and other instructional documentation required to demonstrate student learning and progress. Use intentional, developmentally appropriate teaching practices that support the Center’s NAEYC accreditation and program-quality expectations. Curriculum Development and Activity Planning Implement developmentally appropriate Preschool and VPK curriculum aligned with established program expectations, standards, and learning objectives. Develop engaging classroom activities and learning experiences that promote school readiness and whole-child development. Select and prepare books, instructional materials, manipulatives, learning centers, and other resources that support curriculum goals and student engagement. Provide learning experiences that encourage exploration, problem-solving, creativity, communication, cooperation, and independent thinking. Adjust activities and instructional approaches based on individual student needs, developmental readiness, assessment results, and classroom observations. Use assessment information and classroom data to inform instructional planning and strengthen student outcomes. Provide an appropriate balance of teacher-directed, small-group, individualized, and child-initiated learning experiences. Create opportunities for children to exercise appropriate choice, independence, leadership, curiosity, and initiative throughout the instructional day. Learning Environment and Classroom Management Create and maintain a developmentally appropriate classroom environment that is safe #J-18808-Ljbffr Jack & Jill Children's Center, Inc