UPK Teacher

Benefits:

• Free food & snacks
• Health insurance
• Opportunity for advancement
• Paid time off
• Training & development
• Vision insurance
• Wellness resources
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Company parties
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Employee discounts
• Tuition assistance

Join the fastest-growing Academy of Early Education in the nation, where “Happy Happens Here!”

At The Learning Experience, our Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Teachers are ambassadors of happiness who create meaningful moments that reflect our mission—to make a positive difference in the lives of children, their families, and the communities we serve.

As a UPK Teacher, you will prepare children for kindergarten by building strong academic, social-emotional, communication, and independence skills while inspiring joy, curiosity, creativity, and confidence.

Compensation: $25.00–$30.00 per hour, based on education, certification, and experience. This is competitive with current Long Island UPK postings, which commonly fall around $22–$30 per hour.

Core Attributes

Educational Leader: Demonstrates enthusiasm for early childhood education and the expertise to guide classroom staff while maintaining a high-quality UPK learning environment.
Innate Educator: Possesses a passion for teaching and a commitment to meeting the developmental and academic needs of four-year-old children.
Passion for Impact: Is dedicated to supporting each child’s development, happiness, confidence, and kindergarten readiness.
Growth Mindset: Believes in the potential of every child and strives to instill a lifelong love of learning.
Collaborative Professional: Works effectively with families, colleagues, center leadership, and school district representatives.

Role Responsibilities

Classroom Leadership: Plan, prepare, and maintain a stimulating, welcoming, and organized UPK classroom where children can learn, play, explore, and grow.
Curriculum Implementation: Bring The Learning Experience’s proprietary L.E.A.P. Curriculum® and UPK learning standards to life through engaging, developmentally appropriate instruction.
Kindergarten Readiness: Support children’s growth in early literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, creative arts, physical development, and social-emotional learning.
Lesson Planning: Develop and implement purposeful lesson plans, learning centers, small-group instruction, and individualized learning experiences.
Child Assessment: Observe, assess, and document each child’s progress using approved assessment tools, portfolios, work samples, and developmental data.
Individualized Support: Adapt instruction and classroom strategies to accommodate the individual strengths, needs, learning styles, and abilities of each child.
Classroom Management: Establish consistent routines, expectations, and positive guidance strategies that encourage independence, cooperation, and conflict resolution.
Safety First: Maintain a safe, nurturing, and properly supervised environment in which children are safeguarded and able to thrive.
Family Communication: Regularly communicate with families regarding their child’s progress, classroom experiences, developmental milestones, and kindergarten readiness.
UPK Compliance: Maintain accurate attendance, assessment, lesson-planning, and classroom records in accordance with center, school district, OCFS, and New York State requirements.
Center Collaboration: Partner with center staff and leadership to support program quality, family engagement, retention, enrollment, and center-wide goals.
Relationship Building: Cultivate warm, professional relationships with children, families, colleagues, administrators, and community partners.

Qualifications

Must be at least 18 years of age.
High school diploma or GED required.
Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Childhood Education, or a related field strongly preferred.
New York State teacher certification in Early Childhood Education, Birth–Grade 2, N–6, or another certification accepted by the partnering school district is preferred or required based on UPK contract guidelines.
Previous experience teaching preschool or UPK-aged children is required.
Demonstrated experience with classroom leadership, lesson planning,…