Head Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

The 14th Street Y is a vibrant Jewish community center located in Downtown Manhattan. Each year, tens of thousands of New Yorkers of all ages, races, and ethnicities come to 14Y as members, visitors, or partners to experience our high quality and varied programs centered around arts and culture, early childhood education, summer camps, fitness and aquatics, Jewish life, and older adult services.

Working within inspired and dynamic teams, our teachers are helping to build a vision for progressive education in the East Village. Inspired by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, we believe that all children learn through inquiry, exploration, and play in the context of strong relationships and a sense of belonging.

Our teachers create responsive, safe, joyful, and nurturing learning environments for children that foster inquiry, exploration, learning & reflection; collaborate with co-teachers to plan an emergent curriculum based on observations of children’s interests and development; document children’s learning through photographs, written learning narratives, anecdotes, panels, and mini-stories; facilitate communication and collaboration between the family and the preschool.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning, Preparation + Curriculum Development

• Co-construct curriculum based on children’s interests, questions, and development
• Document, reflect, and plan from observations
• Lead and participate weekly planning meetings with the teaching team
• Meet the needs of all children

Classroom Environment

• Plan and create a classroom environment with inquiry, exploration, learning, and respect in mind
• Nurture children’s home languages through curated books, materials, and the physical environment
• Create a warm and inclusive environment where children and families feel welcome
• Organizing, clean and maintain physical space and selection of materials in a way that is inviting and accessible to children
• Create visual evidence of the narratives and curriculum occurring in your classroom
• Adhere to DOH regulation per Article 47

Relationships with Teaching Team

• Develop schedules and processes to ensure that work is complete in a timely fashion by teaching team.
• Lead regular documentation, reflection, and planning meetings with teaching team.
• Provide feedback, coaching, and support to Assistant Teachers as necessary.
• Support general areas of need to benefit the entire Preschool, which may include helping other classrooms and Admin.

Interactions with Children

• Speak and listen to children with respect and mindfulness
• Supervise the whole group, while giving individual attention
• Manage classroom procedures including transitions, routines, and small groups
• Engage students in exploration and ongoing project work
• Scaffold children through conflict and problem solving

Relationships with Families

• Build respectful and reciprocal relationships with families
• Communicate consistently with families

Professional Responsibilities

• Document children’s learning, development, and progress through mini-stories, written narratives, reflections, and observations. Maintain a documentation portfolio for each child and complete assessment checkpoints throughout the year.
• Maintain collaborative and professional relationships with colleagues
• Mentor Assistant teachers
• Participate in professional development meetings
• Show professionalism including integrity, ethical conduct, and decision making
• The candidate will be reflective, ask questions, be willing to take risks and make mistakes
• Arrive and depart according to daily schedule unless otherwise approved by the Director

QUALIFICATIONS

• MA in Early Childhood/ Elementary Education | New York State N-6 or PreK-6 certification or study plan
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to craft narrative observations and assessments, mini-stories, and written reflections, and communicate with families and colleagues regularly via email
• Ability to use Outlook, Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, and other online learning platforms as required
• Minimum 3 years of professional teaching experience in an early childhood setting preferred
• Strong oral communication with children, families, and colleagues

BENEFITS

• Generous PTO Policy
• Competitive Salary
• Medical, Dental & Vision
• Pension Plan
• 403(b) Retirement Plans
• Discount Perks for Movies, Broadway Shows, Amusement Parks, etc.
• Free Gym Membership to our MCC Fitness & 14th St Y Gym
• Discounts to programs at Educational Alliance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Referral Reward

Limitations and Disclaimer

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position.

EEO Info

Educational Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, marital status, disability status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. 

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