S Childhood Lead Teacher

Position: SY25-26 Early Childhood Lead Teacher
Reports to:
Director of Early Childhood Education

School Mission

At the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School, a professional learning community of master teachers and teacher residents ensures that a diverse group of students achieve their potential as accomplished learners, thoughtful citizens, and imaginative and inquisitive problem solvers through a demanding, inquiry-based curriculum. With its clear mission and prominent location in Washington, DC, the school serves as a model of instruction for students and training for teachers, with the goal of becoming a leader in changing the way teachers are prepared and supported and students are educated nationwide.

Job Purpose

Early Childhood Teachers facilitate a play-based learning environment. In PreK classrooms students develop a love of learning along with the foundational social and academic skills they need for success in a school environment. Kindergarteners continue to thrive in a play-based environment while being introduced to standards for literacy and math. All early childhood classrooms are text, numeracy, and sensory rich environments in which art and physical movement are integrated to ensure a developmentally appropriate school experience.

Families are engaged as partners, and early childhood teachers engage in family communication and education events to establish consistency for students between the home and school environments while helping families to understand young children's developmental needs and the school's progressive approach.

Essential Functions

The Early Childhood Lead Teacher is responsible for the following:

Planning and Preparation

• Plan and document (using the school's selected lesson planning tool) high-quality instruction in line with:
• The school's mission and philosophy;
• The five core elements of teaching: joy; wide-ranging evidence of learning; purpose, persistence and action; student as expert; and mutual respect;
• Intentional, well-designed curricula approved by the school, whether purchased or teacher-designed;
• Nationally-normed standards (Common Core, NGSS, C3 Framework, etc).
• Work to actively understand students' needs and strengths, including actively striving to develop cultural competence, engaging in ongoing study of child development theory and brain research, and keeping current with student IEP's, 504's, and BIPs.
• Seek out and access high-quality resources and materials, including resources beyond the school campus.
• Demonstrate solid knowledge of the concepts in each of the disciplines taught.

Classroom Environment

• Draw from Responsive Classroom, Restorative Justice, and Relationship-based discipline to manage student behavior, in and out of the classroom, for the purpose of providing a safe and optimal learning environment.
• Monitor students in a variety of educational environments (e.g. classroom, cafeteria, playground, school grounds, hallways, restrooms, field trips, etc.).
• Build on the established Community Expectations (Everyone Learns, Everyone is Safe, Everyone Builds the Community, and Everyone is Welcome) to create a classroom community that reflects the mission and philosophy of the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School.
• Maintain a safe and orderly classroom, with responsible and child-friendly organization of supplies, material and technology, and use of practices consistent across the school.

Instruction

• Engage actively with and implement feedback from principals and coaches; assume a stance of teacher-as-learner when working with colleagues, special education staff and assistants/residents.
• Communicate to students and families clearly and in an age appropriate way the purpose of instruction.
• Engage students with different levels of questions and discussion prompts
• Facilitate student-centered, high-quality instruction in line with areas identified under Planning and Preparation above.
• Utilize a workshop model to teach reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Draw on multiple teaching strategies and approaches to engage students and provide differentiation.
• Conduct, review, analyze, and use a wide-range of student assessments to inform teaching practice and planning, and to ensure student growth.
• Integrate developmentally appropriate, culturally competent, research based strategies into teaching and assessment practices.
• Incorporate problem solving strategies and literacy strategies into daily instructional routine.
• Differentiate formative assessments (independent practice, homework, exit tickets, etc.)
• Collaborate with special education team members, MLL specialists, and teaching assistants (when applicable).

Professional Responsibilities

• Complete all professional responsibilities in a timely manner to meet deadlines and follow all school procedures and protocols; this includes submitting and revising lesson and unit plans; administering assessments, collecting data, and completing data entry; completing report cards; documenting discipline and student behavior as requested/required by law; following all personnel policies and…