Teacher, Early Childhood Education

Position Overview

This position requires a strong foundation in ECE pedagogy and developmentally appropriate care and educational practices for young children in a group setting that utilizes low adult to child ratios. Under general supervision, the staff member is responsible for supporting a play-based, emergent curriculum including preparing and implementing lesson plans which best meet the individual needs of children within the context of a group setting.

The curriculum is emergent because it is derived from the children's interests and is teacher-facilitated rather than teacher-directed. Teachers develop and lead small and large group activities appropriate to the age and developmental level of children assigned. The program commonly follows the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) best practices and a care giving philosophy recommended by the Program for Infant and Toddler Care (PITC).

Teachers are responsible for child screening and ongoing assessment based on established child development milestones to better support the individual needs of each child and to determine whether any referrals are necessary for more formal screening and assessment. Teachers are also responsible for regular parent communication and interaction regarding their child’s progress and adherence to local, state and federal standards as well as all licensing regulations pertaining to children in group care settings.

Excellent communication and a commitment to teamwork is core to the success of this position.

Teaching Responsibilities

• Provides primary caregiving in a safe and developmentally appropriate manner aligned with CCL, CDSS and CDE requirements and ECEP's curriculum and philosophy practices.
• Maintains daily intake forms and ensures daily professional communication with parents. Escalates parent communication for injuries above the neck, injuries that break the skin, injuries requiring first-aid treatment and/or behavior/developmental concerns.
• Prepares materials and classroom opportunities that support the emerging interests of the children and support their individual needs.
• Plans and provides activities that stimulate children's curiosity and abilities and encourages their social emotional, fine and gross motor, language, pre-literacy, and other critical developmental foundational skills.
• Participates in intake for new students and parent/teacher conferences (fall and spring) or more frequently if needed.
• Collaborates with classroom team members to develop programs and summaries of findings related to DRDP findings and related ITERS/ECERS ratings which evaluate the classroom environment.
• Uses knowledge of CLASS to evaluate teacher/child interactions and engaging environments where appropriate.
• Performs and records focused child observations including DRDP assessments using the ECEP designated software system.
• Attends ECEP sponsored trainings and supports classroom and quality/teaching effectiveness tools and software used by the program.
• Includes all children regardless of developmental level or presenting temperament without bias, or exclusion from activities that separate children from the group.
• Supports and maintains NAEYC "best practices" and NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Commitment.
• Supports PITC philosophy in infant/toddler rooms and young preschool rooms, recognizing that some children may need to be moved to different teachers and/or classrooms based on the individual child’s developmental needs and updates to needs and services plans quarterly.

• Classroom Responsibilities
• Maintains a positive, safe and nurturing environment for young children and families.
• Develops trusting and professional relationships with children, parents, and colleagues.
• Performs daily health and safety checks on children and alerts families as appropriate.
• Conducts classroom equipment and playground safety inspections daily and notifies leadership for maintenance or replacement.
• Maintains an organized classroom suitable for young children.
• Establishes and updates needs and services plans, DRDP portfolio (electronic), and assessment of each child in primary care groups.
• Models ECEP…