Head Start Teacher

Job Summary/Objective: 

The Teacher plans, implements, and supervises all classroom activities. The Teacher makes social service referrals and shares responsibility for parent involvement in the program. The Teacher works in tandem with other Head Start team members to support the goals of the program. The position caseload, and/or center location may be reassigned as deemed necessary for program operations.  

Essential Functions:  

Program Development 

Attends all required training and workshops to include at least 15 hours of classroom- focused professional development and methods. 

Remains up to date on information that pertains to the needs of the children in the program including Head Start Performance Standards, childcare licensing regulations, and other applicable regulations and practices. 

Works as a team member with the other education staff, parents, and Center Committee members to implement a curriculum that is meaningful and meets the individual and program needs. 

Prepares daily lesson plans. Posts weekly objectives for parents, volunteers, and visitors in the classroom. 

Develops an individual plan for each child to include goal setting based on identified needs and prescriptions for objectives and activities to meet established goals. 

Schedules home visits and parent/teacher conferences with families as required and on an as-needed basis and documents these events. 

Prepares and maintains a safe, healthy learning environment for children that is positive, developmentally appropriate, and experientially based. 

Provides sufficient and appropriate outdoor time daily for children. 

Assist classroom staff in completion of short- and long-term goals. 

Preschool Program Implementation 

Plans and provides a developmentally and linguistically appropriate curriculum and experiences in a manner appropriate to the ages, languages and cultures of children served. 

Directs any problems to the appropriate manager/specialist/coordinator or supervisor. 

Plans and implements learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children. Improves the readiness of children for school by developing their literacy, and phonemic, print and numeracy awareness. Improves students, understanding of the use of language, their understanding and use of increasingly complex and varied vocabulary, their appreciation of books, their understanding of early math and early science, their problem-solving abilities, and their approaches to learning. 

Implements education lesson plans and daily programs for children in accordance with each child’s need, based on a method of observing and recording children’s interests and current levels of functioning. 

Supports social and emotional development and provides positive guidance and discipline. 

Maintains a commitment to professionalism and continues own professional development so that decisions are based on knowledge of early childhood theories and practices. 

Shares pertinent information with family services/case management staff to ensure coordinated services that meet the needs of individual children and families. 

Supervises and eats nutritionally prepared meals with the children as a curriculum activity, to model good nutrition and proper social skills. 

Provides a consistent classroom routine and environment. 

Screens and observes children. Documents student grades, progress, needs and information. 

Recordkeeping 

Assists in ordering supplies and takes inventory. 

Maintains child records in cooperation with the family services/case management staff. 

Gathers and maintains individual, family, and classroom data for documentation, on-going assessment, evaluation and recordkeeping for successful individual and program planning. 

Parent Involvement and Community Relations 

Assists to assure program’s needs for parent involvement in each classroom are met. 

Establishes positive, trustworthy, and productive relationships with families. 

Participates in the orientation of parents to Head Start throughout the year. 

Assists and supports monthly Center Committee meetings at the center. 

Schedules and arranges meetings and documents parent-teacher conferences and home visits as required. 

Participates in the training of parents as requested. 

Supervises children during all classroom activities, field trips and outdoor activities. 

Involves parents in the educational activities of the program: 

To emphasize their role as the principal influence on the child’s education and development; and 

To assist parents to increase their knowledge, understanding, skills and experience in basic child development. 

Assists with arranging for parents to participate as volunteers in the classroom and work as substitutes as well as other volunteer activities. 

Contributes to Center newsletter monthly and provides classroom news for program newsletters. 

Directly orients, trains, and supervises all classroom volunteers assigned in cooperation with the position with the responsibility for program volunteers. 

Works closely with local school system(s), as appropriate, for shared activities, registration and smooth transition. 

Encourages the involvement of the families of the children in a Head Start program and supports the development of relationships between children and their families. 

Child and Adult Care Food Program 

Contributes to the collection and edit processes of correct documentation for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).  

Is knowledgeable about CACFP requirements regarding portions and components of each meal service about CACFP requirements regarding portions and components of each meal service. 

Conducts point of service meal documentation or assign responsible staff to count meals when children are seated and have been offered a credible meal by USDA standards for portions and components. 

Enter point of service meal counts in appropriate forms or software. 

Edit check twice CACFP records for accuracy and integrity before submitting.  

Supervision 

Makes daily job assignments within the classroom, provides instruction in performing job duties and models appropriate classroom practices. 

Sets the standards of the classroom and goals for staff members supervised and other classroom staff, monitors progress toward goals, provides regular feedback and submits performance appraisals in a timely manner. 

Monitors employee performance and classroom activities and reports to Center Lead, Management Staff or Head Start/ECS Supervisor. 

Other Duties 

Attends all workshops and meetings as deemed necessary by the immediate supervisor. 

Attends all required staff and parent meetings and activities. 

Responsible for understanding Head Start Performance Standards and local childcare licensing regulations. 

Expected to be knowledgeable of the regulations associated with prevention of occupational disease and injury, including the exercise of universal precautions and the prevention of contamination. 

Positively promotes Head Start in the community. 

Becomes thoroughly familiar with Human Resources Policies and Procedures. 

Plans and directs the work of the staff. Observes and gives feedback to staff or volunteers where applicable and other staff as assigned on at least a weekly basis. 

Ensures compliance with the content area work plans. 

Develops and implements a plan and system of continuous ongoing monitoring and evaluation of activities within the program. 

Perform cleaning responsibilities daily. 

Other Duties: This position description does not express, nor does it imply that the above duties are the only duties to be performed by the incumbent(s) in this position.  Additional duties may be assigned by the Administrator of the department, as needed, to adapt to the changing needs of the organization.  

Work Environment:  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this 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. 

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. 

While performing the duties of this job, the contractor may be required to lift and carry a child weighing forty-five pounds in an emergency. The contractor must be physically capable of performing CPR (with appropriate training). The contractor must also be able to bend, sit on the floor or in a child’s chair and/or squat when working with children. 

 
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. Flexible schedules will be developed to meet family’s needs/schedules. 

Travel: This position will require a moderate level of travel.  

Education and Experience:  

One of the following is required: 

Option 1: An associate degree in a field related to Early Childhood Education and coursework* equivalent to a major relating to Early Childhood Education with at least five hundred clock hours of experience in an early childhood setting teaching preschool-age children required. 
 

Option 2: A baccalaureate or advanced degree in any field and coursework* equivalent to a major relating to Early Childhood Education with at least five hundred clock hours of experience in an early childhood setting teaching preschool-age children required; OR 
 

Option 3: A baccalaureate degree in any field and has been admitted into the Teach for America program, passed a rigorous early childhood content exam, such as the Praxis II, participated in a Teach For America summer training institute that includes teaching preschool children, and is receiving ongoing professional development and support from Teach For America’s professional staff; 
 

Option 4: Be enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program in early childhood education (or related degree as defined in #1 or #2 above) and be able to obtain the degree within a reasonable timeframe after the initial date of hire into the Teacher position and have an approved waiver in effect.  This option requires approval of a waiver submitted to the Office of Head Start. 

Under Option 4, it must be noted that the classroom in which this individual is being placed must have at least one staff member with a CDA or State-Awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the training required for the CDA during the time this Teacher position is earning an associates or bachelors’ degree. 

*Coursework equivalent to a major related to Early Childhood Education includes but is not limited to the following: 

Teaching Credentials: licensure or certification by the state for Pre-K teachers recognized by the local school district or state education agency as qualifying teachers to teach pre-school children in that school district or state if the individual has at least five hundred clock hours of experience in an early childhood setting teaching pre-school aged children. This typically requires a bachelor’s degree plus licensure or certification. 

OR 

*Coursework:  No less than 15 semester credits for the associates degree or thirty semester credits for the bachelor’s degree in courses that focus specifically on child development, early childhood education and curriculum, early childhood teaching and assessment, psychology, family development, health and physical development, mathematics, science, and children’s literature. Such courses may have been taken in various departments, such as Education, Home Economics, Music, Art, Library Sciences, Physical Education and Recreation, Psychology, Family Studies, and others and must specifically address young children. 

It is up to each employee to provide to their immediate supervisor, and/or the staff person responsible for human resources, information on the college credit courses taken (e.g. transcripts) and to demonstrate that the courses not specifically in the areas of early childhood education or child development address early childhood education or child development with a focus on children ages three to five (may require a copy of the course syllabus). 

If applicable federal, state, or local Head Start or childcare regulations, now or as amended in the future, contain additional requirements or qualifications for this position which are not specifically stated in this Job Description, the requirements and qualifications will apply, even if not specifically set forth in this Job Description. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish or English and other languages present in the local area).  

Work Authorization/Security Clearance (if applicable):  Citizenship or work authorization to work in the United States required.  

EEO/AA/VEVRAA Employer:  The Bucks IU is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. Bucks IU does not discriminate on the basis of disability, veteran status or any other basis protected under federal, state, or local laws.