Lead Educator

Job Purpose: 

Fosters the healthy development of children by supervising and coordinating daily classroom activities and providing a safe and nurturing environment for young children to learn and grow. Plans and coordinates daily activities in a hands-on learning environment based on NAEYC guidelines. The position may vary in specific classrooms for Early Head Start or Infants.

Essential Job Duties: 

·         Supervision of Children:  provide direct supervision of young children, knowing needs and whereabouts.

o   Move throughout classroom and around playground to effectively interact with children.

o   Interact with children in a group and on a one-on-one basis both verbally and physically to provide a safe and supportive environment.

o   Communicate with children by getting down on their level.

o   Provide effective and interactive supervision on field trips and in outdoor activities.

o   Establish and maintain a daily schedule of activities/care times.

·         Education:  provide teaching activities that facilitate the growth and learning of children.

o   Prepare effective monthly lesson plans and child planning forms and submit them to Director for review in a timely manner.

o   Plan, prepare, develop, and facilitate various hands-on activities in a manner that supports NAEYC’s mission by utilizing a variety of teaching methods and techniques such as hands-on discussions, small and larger group work, individualized teaching, and supervised role-playing.

o   Prepare lesson plans that are culturally sensitive and are based on the children’s interests and developmental assessment goals.

o   Provide activities that promote self-help and independence in children.

o   Observe and document daily. Document (at least monthly) individual developmental stages and growth.

o   Use mealtimes as an opportunity to teach self-help behaviors, including proper table manners, etc.

o   Create individual service plan goals based on the child’s developmental level, monitor and document progress.

·         Task Supervision of Early Childhood Educators/Volunteers:  communicate expectations; provide daily direction and role model effective teaching practices for teachers and volunteers.

o   Provide task supervision, as needed, to Early Childhood Educators and volunteers.

o   Communicate lesson plans and expectations to teachers and volunteers.

o   Demonstrate a team approach in leadership with teachers and volunteers.

o   Encourage input and suggestions from teachers and volunteers.

o   Role model effective teaching practices and supervision.

o   Assist Director in hiring and performance-management functions.

·         Parent Interaction:  effectively communicate with parents (in verbal and written form) information regarding the program that is critical to the care of their children.

o   Provide parents with daily written and verbal information about children.

o   Communicate issues of concern and strengths to parents. Discusses goals for skill development.

o   Encourage parents to discuss concerns and provide input regarding their child’s care.

o   Facilitate parent-teacher conferences.

o   Plan and facilitate infant play groups.

o   Serve as a resource for further intervention (e.g., referral sources).

o   Participate in home visitations as requested, this is a requirement for Specialist in the Infant classrooms

o   Communicate specific parent requests and special instructions to Program Coordinator and Director in a timely manner.

·         Professionalism:  act in a professional manner consistent with job description.

o   Report to shift, meetings, and training on time.

o   Represent the childcare program and the agency to the public in a positive manner at all times.

o   Promote self-growth by participating in at least 15 hours of childcare in-service per year.

o   Attend and constructively participates in agency-wide mandatory staff meetings, monthly Lead Teacher meetings, quarterly childcare meetings, and all other required meetings.

o   Promotes professional growth by being involved in professional organizations (i.e., NAEYC).

o   Maintain appropriate confidentiality and boundaries at all times.

o   Report child abuse and neglect according to policies and procedures.

o   Follow agency and NAEYC codes of conduct.

·         Community Awareness and Personal Capabilities:  Demonstrates direct care skills, including recognition of cultural and socioeconomic factors as well as appropriate standards for client care.

o   Empower others to solve their own problems.

o   Demonstrate the belief in a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person and that people have the capacity to grow and change.

o   Develop respectful relationships with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence.

o   Work collaboratively with coworkers and other professionals.

o   Serve on Multi-Disciplinary Team to support families and children in care.

o   Maintain a helping role and sets appropriate limits.

o   Demonstrate an understanding of the socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of the service population including factors such as race, gender, and ethnicity.

·         Environment/Structure implements schedules and structured activities for the safety of children and effective management of care.

o   Administer and record medication on a timely basis as authorized by parents.

o   Maintain a daily schedule that supports the children’s interests and individual needs.

o   Organize classroom for effective teaching.

o   Conduct housekeeping/sanitization activities consistent with agency expectations/schedules.

o   Assist with a variety of maintenance activities.

·         Early Head Start Position Requirements in conjunction with Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative (NECC): 

o   Implement the Head Start Program Performance Standards for Early Head Start.

o   Work with Site Director, Program Director, and/or finance team to track data for EHS grant.

o   Review and complete compliance requests following periodic compliance reviews.

o   Collaborate with NECC Coaching Staff for support of classroom.

o   Collaborate with EHS Family Engagement Specialist (FES) during weekly center visits.

o   Report weekly attendance of EHS children on Child Plus software.

o   Complete parent-teacher conferences with EHS families twice annually (spring/fall).

o   Complete home visits with EHS families at enrollment and opposite parent-teacher conferences (summer/winter).

Other Duties:

·         Complete other responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.

·         Complete training necessary to perform position and necessary for professional growth.

·         Facilitate a team atmosphere by working in partnership with other agency staff and promote a positive working environment.

Job Requirements:

·         Associate degree or higher in early childhood education preferred, or a related field (early childhood special education, elementary education, social work, nursing, psychology, human development and the family, family and consumer sciences, child/youth development or mental health/counseling)

OR

·         Bachelor’s degree or higher in an alternative field with at least 36 credits in early childhood education, early childhood special education, elementary education and/or child development

OR

·         State public school certification to practice as a teacher for children age birth to 8 years

·         A minimum of 6 months early childhood education experience.

·         Must be at least 19 years of age.

·         Must possess knowledge of the following:

o   Developmental stages,

o   Effective childcare discipline management,

o   Appropriate parent and child communication,

o   Effective classroom environments specific to ages/stages,

o   Standards for high quality care and licensing and accreditation requirements, and,

o   Basic first aid and CPR or ability to attain certificates in those areas.

·         Demonstrate the following personal characteristics:

o   Patience,

o   Affection for children supervised,

o   Ability to provide continuity of care for children,

o   Energy,

o   Ability to nurture children,

o   Flexibility,

o   Ability to communicate verbally and in writing,

o   Ability to multi-task, and

o   Strong organizational skills.

·         Demonstrate strong direct service skills including:

o   Ability to interact with clients with sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural and socioeconomic characteristics in the service population,

o   A commitment to empowering others to solve their own problems,

o   A belief in a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person,

o   A conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change,

o   The ability to establish a respectful relationship with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence,

o   The ability to collaborate with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals, and

o   The capacity to maintain a helping role and to intervene appropriately to meet service goals and set appropriate limits.

·         Ability to observe skill levels and translate this to goals and development.

·         Ability to observe a group as a whole, while also interacting with an individual.

·         Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules and safety and program manuals.

·         Ability to write daily reports and lesson plans.

·         Ability to speak effectively with parents and other employees of the agency.

·         Ability to establish effective relationships with children, parents, and coworkers.

·         Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

·         Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

Vehicle Requirements:

·         Own transportation that meets agency vehicle inspection requirements.

·         Valid driver’s license with no more than 6 points.

·         Proof of insurance that meets agency requirements.

Environment:

·         While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works in outside weather conditions.

·         The noise level in the center is usually noisy due to the number of children.

·          Employee may be required to change diapers, etc. and may encounter body fluids and must practice Universal Precautions.

·          Position often involves running after children, reaching, bending, stooping, etc.

Physical Requirements:

·         Ability to:  sit, stand, and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and talk or hear within normal limits and close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

·         Ability to run after children, reach with hands and arms, bend, stoop, kneel crouch or crawl.

·         Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.

·         Ability to work extensively with children.

Child Saving Institute (CSI) is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals and takes steps to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations.