Head Start Lead Teacher; Supply

As a thought-leader and best-in-class provider in education, wellness, youth development, and community-building, The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is one of the oldest and most essential non-profits serving in Atlanta. Today, we’re looking for you to join us as we carry out our mission to positively impact lives and communities across the state.

At the Y, we’re an association of like-minded people (staff, volunteers, and members), on the forefront of a movement to ensure that everyone -- especially children -- experience an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. In the course of a year, we provide more than 3,000 children, ages 6 weeks through Pre‑K with high-quality literacy and STEAM‑infused learning; give 58,000 youth and teens access to sports, aquatics, day and resident camps, teen leadership development programs, and employment opportunities;

provide over 200,000 members with programs, services, and facilities to enjoy connection and maintain wellness regardless of age; and engage over 25,000 volunteers and donors from across Atlanta to share in the gift of supporting their communities.

Under the supervision of the Center Manager/Director, the Head Start Lead Teacher is ultimately responsible for the implementation of the day‑to‑day operation of services for children ages 3‑5.

Internal teacher assistants may apply for the Acting Head Start Lead and will remain in the lead position until a fully qualified lead is hired and the acting lead will then return to the assistant teacher position.

Internal or external candidates may apply for Supply Head Start Lead teacher and with satisfactory performance will remain in the lead position until the end of the current academic school calendar year. This position will be a project, part‑time position working full academic day hours with an end date.

• Responsible for directly supervising and developing the classroom associates and managing the day‑to‑day operations in the classroom.
• Plan and implement learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children.
• Improve the readiness of children for school by developing their literacy, phonemic, and print awareness.
• Enhance understanding and use of language, understanding and use of increasingly complex and varied vocabulary, and an appreciation of books.
• Begin the foundation of early math and early science, problem‑solving abilities, and approaches to learning.
• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment.
• Support the social and emotional development of children.
• Encourage the involvement of the families of the children in a Head Start program and support the development of relationships between children and their families.
• Consistently implements developmentally appropriate practices that are individualized, inclusive of children with disabilities, and age appropriate and integrated across all areas of a child’s development.
• Meet all job‑related federal, state, local and program regulations and timelines for compliance, implementation, and documentation.
• Meet performance standards, monitoring guidelines, licensure regulations, disabilities service requirements, and the completion of developmental assessments, parent conferences, and home visits.
• Actively participate in teaching activities by consistently moving around the learning environment both indoors and outdoors.
• Constant supervision of children during all activities (indoors & outdoors) as well as during all times when children are under their direct care.
• Re‑direct inappropriate behaviors in a positive manner that is supportive and non‑punitive.
• Respond quickly to a child in distress or a crying child by immediately calming them in a nurturing and appropriate manner.
• Utilize developmentally appropriate feeding, toileting, cleaning, and health care practices for children with special health care needs.
• Model appropriate language behaviors for children including grammatically correct verbal and written language usage.
• Plan, prepare, and implement age‑appropriate activities that are integrated…