TEACHER - Mt. Village Head Start

Job Summary

This position is 40 hours per week/37 weeks per year with summer layoff. Provides planning and implementation of Head Start classroom activities, integrates all Head Start components into the educational curriculum and for home visits.

• Ensures compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations, Child & Adult Care Food Program guidelines, Head Start Performance Standards, agency policies, and the Head Start Work Plan.
• Establishes partnerships with parents that are respectful, culturally sensitive, and non‑judgmental.
• Conducts parent‑teacher conferences and home visits with parents and ensures families’ strengths and needs are addressed.
• Establishes a safe, healthy, nurturing environment for children, including using the principles of Active Supervision at all times.
• Responsible for curriculum and lesson planning that respects the needs of individual children. The materials provided will:
  • Consider the children’s interests, disabilities, special talents, and individual style of learning.
  • Consider the individual in relationship to their cultural and socioeconomic background.
  • Help children to become aware of their roles as integral members of the group.
  • Assure children are treated with dignity and respect.
• Ensures appropriate documentation of program operations, including conducting and entering ongoing observations of children, assessing developmental levels, and utilizing results in planning through the designated assessment system.
• Supports community partnerships for the support of families and children.
• Assists volunteers in learning and abiding by program philosophy while working with children.
• Participates in weekly staff meetings, regular supervisory meetings and all required training.
• Assists kitchen and janitorial staff as requested and performs other duties as assigned.
• Provides the primary leadership role for planning and implementation of age‑ and culturally appropriate activities and supervision of an assigned group of children that promotes their social and emotional development.
• Provides guidance and support to lower‑range staff to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines, and proper procedures.
• Participates in active supervision strategies: positioning oneself to observe all children; watching, counting, and listening at all times, and using knowledge of each child’s development and abilities to anticipate actions and provide appropriate redirection when necessary.
• Maintains classroom in accordance with all applicable health and safety regulations and standards.
• Identifies the educational needs of children through observation and develops individual education plans (IEPs) as required.
• Uses computers and computer programs effectively to enter data, create lesson plans, process information, and develop documents and program materials.

• Provides full attention to what other people are saying, takes time to understand the points being made and asks questions as appropriate.
• Ability to respond quickly to children’s needs and emergency situations.
• Speaks clearly and communicates information and ideas effectively so others will understand.
• Ability to monitor and assess performance of oneself and others to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Ability to negotiate to bring others together to try to reconcile differences.
• Ability to read, comprehend, and follow established policies and procedures.
• Ability to manage work time well, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing, and to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Possesses sound judgment and decision‑making abilities to evaluate the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Ability to establish good rapport with people of diverse cultures and belief systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Must demonstrate sound judgment, professional boundaries,…