Early Head Start Instructor; Continuous

Early Head Start Instructor

The City of Oakland's Human Services Department, Head Start Division, is seeking highly skilled individuals to join our team as an Early Head Start Instructor. Come join a dynamic team of enthusiastic professionals dedicated to providing important services to a community with a rich history. You'll work with great colleagues in the Head Start Division who are fiercely passionate about public service and community.

As an Early Head Start Instructor, in centers or conducting home visits, you may instruct children enrolled in Early Head Start Programs; facilitate learning activities for caregivers on early childhood development concepts; assist in developmental assessments; organize and set up education and play materials for classroom and/or make home visits; and perform related duties as assigned.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is a passionate educator who wants to make a positive difference in the lives of Oakland children and families
• Likes to plan developmentally age-appropriate activities for infants and toddlers
• Is a strong relationship builder with good communication skills. You will have the opportunity to interact in a culturally diverse workplace with infants, toddlers, caregivers, and community members.
• Has a genuine interest in learning and developing their career. Within Head Start, there are opportunities to grow professionally.
• Is open to working with infants and toddlers with varying emotional, physical and developmental levels and ways of learning.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Instructing children in infant/toddler education concepts, utilizing research-based curriculum.
• Organizing and setting up developmentally appropriate education and play materials for the classroom and/or the home.
• Conducting fire, disaster, and safety drills in the classroom; inspecting facility for safety standards and maintenance needs.
• Assisting in planning, organizing, and scheduling daily activities at the center classroom or in the home.
• Conducting developmental screenings, ongoing child observations, developmental assessments and creating Individual Development Plans (IDP) on all children enrolled in program; ensuring goals for children with special needs are met
• Conducting a minimum of 2 home visits and conducting parent conferences home visits; making additional and on-going home visits as needed.
• Collaborating with caregivers in providing an individualized educational program for their children in the home.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You will be a part of a dynamic Head Start team.
• You will have the opportunity to create innovative early education experiences for young children.
• You will have great colleagues. Head Start employees are fiercely passionate about public service and community, and proud to uplift Oakland as a dynamic, innovative, vibrant city.
• Ongoing training and professional development and coaching.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• Teachers need to find balance in their teaching style to ensure all children are learning as their skill levels may vary within the classroom.
• As a teacher, you will face a considerable amount of change, and you must remain flexible and adaptable.
• You will need to maintain composure, keeping emotions in control, in difficult situations.

Competencies

Required:

• Adaptability: Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires
• Building & Maintaining Relationships: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
• Decision Making: Choosing optimal courses of action
• Displaying Ownership and Accountability: Holding self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results
• General Physical Ability: Using strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, and coordination
• Handling & Resolving Conflict: Managing interpersonally strained situations
• Handling Stress: Maintaining emotional stability and self-control under pressure, challenge, or adversity.
• Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
• Reading Comprehension: Understanding and using written information
• Teamwork: Collaborating with others to achieve shared goals
• Using Technology: Working with electronic hardware and software applications
• Valuing Diversity: Appreciating the benefits of varied backgrounds and cultures in the workplace
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing

This recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time, permanent part-time, or part-time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process.

This is a public contact position. The City highly encourages all bilingual candidates to apply! Some positions may require bilingual skills in Spanish,…