Early Head Start Teacher

Early Head Start Certified Teacher

Employer: Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Location: Red Cliff Early Childhood Center, Red Cliff, Wisconsin

Salary: $21.00/per hour - negotiable depending on qualifications

Supervisor: Center Director

This is a regular full-time non-exempt position

Job Summary: Serve as one of two qualified primary teachers for an assigned group of eight infants or toddlers in a center-based environment. Early Head Start child/teacher ratio is 4:1. Responsible for co-planning and implementing educational programs with co-teacher for children ages zero to 3-year-old which reflect best practices and integration of Ojibwe language and culture.

EHS teachers are required to share all responsibilities within their classroom and create an environment of nurturance and sharing with all children. Each teacher must be able to have open communication with co-teacher regarding daily operation of classroom and child/parent needs.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities include:

• Maintain confidentiality of all child and family information and records.
• Cultural sensitivity required.
• Demonstrate competency to provide effective and nurturing teacher-child interactions.
• Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with staff, parents, community members, and other support systems in the best interest of the child.
• Plan and implement group and individual learning experiences that ensure effective curriculum implementation and use of assessment to promote children's progress across the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: ages Birth to Five and any state applicable early learning and development standards for all students.
• Integrate child assessment data in individual and group planning.
• Promotion of a safe, attractive and stimulating physical environment for infants and toddlers and establish and maintain consistency.
• Reinforce positive self-image, pride, and cultural identity with infants and toddlers during all activities.
• Collaborate with each child's parent/guardian and with parental consent, must complete or obtain a current developmental screening to identify concerns regarding a child's developmental behavioral, motor, language, social, cognitive, and emotional skills within 45 days of child's enrollment and then when needed.
• Mealtimes with children are in a family setting with teachers sitting at the table and engaging in conversation with the infants and toddlers. Infants and toddlers are encouraged, but not forced to eat or taste. Encourage toddlers with self-help and independence skills by involving them in set up and cleanup activities.
• Maintain accurate daily records on attendance, daily intake, medical log, infant and toddler eating/sleeping/toileting information for distribution in child file and to parents as well as other required forms.
• Maintain weekly online documentation of your assigned children's' developmental progress in Teaching Strategies Gold and Child Plus as required.
• Assist the family, child, and other relevant staff in developing an Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP) for special needs children.
• Conduct two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences annually per family as stated in the Federal Performance Standards.
• Maintain and document all contacts with parents. Develop and maintain a professional relationship with parents of children enrolled in program.
• Collaborate with other staff, parents, and community resources to incorporate Ojibwe language and culture into daily activities and curriculum.
• Work with county, tribal and community service providers in order to provide necessary services to the Early Head Start child and their parents.
• Mandatory attendance at all ECC Coordinated Service Team and Mental Health Consult meetings for children in your care or must work with Education Manager and Center Director in advance.
• Must attend and participate in EHS meetings, all staff meetings and any other meetings as requested.
• Notify supervisor in advance of any known absences you will have. Center based teachers are responsible for arranging their own qualified substitute in your absence.
• Must participate in coordinated coaching strategies to identify strengths and areas of need and support of professional development and quality improvement, including job related training as required.
• EHS program equipment must remain within the ECC and cannot be used outside of the ECC unless you have prior permission by your supervisor to use outside of the center. Violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action.
• Adhere to all ECC policies and procedures and insure that Head Start Performance Standards are being met.
• The above duties and responsibilities are not an all-inclusive list but rather a general representation of the duties and responsibilities associated with this position. The duties and responsibilities will be subject to change based on organizational needs and/or deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Knowledge of Ojibwe culture and language.

Typical Qualifications

Qualifications include:

• Be at least 21 years old.
• CDA, A.A or bachelor's in early childhood or child development required.
• Have at least 240 hours of experience as an assistant childcare teacher in a licensed group childcare center or other approved early childhood setting (must provide proof of hours)
• Completion of the following courses: Introduction to Child Care Profession, Skills and Strategies for Child Care Teacher, and Fundamentals of Infant and Toddler Care or the state approved equivalent of these courses. OR complete required courses within first 3 months of employment.
• If an associate degree is not completed, must be willing to enroll in A.A ECE program within the first 6 months. You must still have a CDA to be considered for this position.
• Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with staff, parents, community members and other support systems in the best interest of the child is required.
• Cultural sensitivity is required.

Special requirements include: FBI Fingerprinted at a Field Print Office, health exam, immunizations including Hepatitis B (or sign waiver) Mumps vaccine (or sign or proof of immunity). Complete required trainings such as Confidentiality, CPR, Abusive Head Trauma, SIDS, etc.

Supervisory authority: None

Supplemental Information

Personal contacts: Collaboration with local, state, and national collaborating partners, with emphasis on networking with parents, extended families, and the Red Cliff community

Physical requirements: Must be physically able to work with young children and must be able to regularly lift and/or move up to forty pounds; twenty pounds overhead and forty pounds from waist to shoulder; occasional lifting of fifty pounds is required and must be able to push/pull up to fifty pounds horizontally.

Required to stand, walk, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl when working with small children. Required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, keyboards, tools or controls, reach with hands and arms, speak and hear, and ability to operate keyboard (computer).

Work environment: Primary work environment is in a 0-3-year-old Early Head Start center-based classroom in the Red Cliff Early Childhood Center. All Tribal Buildings are smoke free.

Travel requirements: The ability to travel and attend meetings and trainings; overnight and out of town, both locally & nationally.

Behavior and attitude: The vision, goals and objectives of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa requires that the employee performs in both a professional and personable manner. The manner in which the employee relates to fellow employees, customers and visitors is considered parallel in importance to technical knowledge and ability. Respect and consideration given to the dignity of each customer, visitor and fellow employee is a requisite of successful job performance. Any behavior or attitude that tarnishes the name or image of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will be subject to immediate disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Indian preference will be applied in the case of equally qualified applicants, but all qualified applicants will be considered.

This job description is subject to change at employer's discretion, after consultation with the employee.

Application submittal requirements: The following items are required for this position:

1. Completed Tribal Application, to include work history and references, available on the Tribal website.
2. Tribal Background Investigation Disclosure; available on the Tribal website.
3. Consent to Release Liability and Reference Information Form; available on the Tribal website.
4. Resume, required; cover letter, optional.
5. Post-secondary transcripts or certifications; if applicable.

For further information contact:

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Human Resources