JCHS Job Description for: LEAD TEACHER

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Jefferson County Head Start / CESA 2

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position: LEAD TEACHER

Report to: EDUCATION SPECIALIST

Job Description: The Lead Teacher position develops plans and implements a series of educational experiences appropriate to the growth and development of each of the three to five year old children assigned to his/her care in a classroom setting, working toward the overall goal of social competency. Working collaboratively with agency staff and community representatives to meet individual and family needs, the lead teacher integrates the educational aspects of all Head Start service areas into the child’s daily program.

Responsibilities:

Health, Safety and Nutrition Education:

  1. Mandated to report child abuse and neglect.
  2. Follows Wisconsin Licensing Rules for Group Daycare Centers, Federal Head Start Performance Standards, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Regulations.
  3. Maintains Confidentiality.
  4. Eat lunch with the children, modeling appropriate table manners, nutrition, hygiene practices, and social interactions. Integrate nutritional learning goals into the children’s daily curriculum.
  5. Provide an orderly, safe, healthy environment that nurtures self confidence and independence and stimulates children’s curiosity and hands on discovery learning through sensory rich elements.
  6. Integrate the educational aspects of all Head Start services areas into the children’s education program, including health, dental health, safety, nutrition, and child abuse and neglect prevention.
  7. Follow and comply with all safety and work rules and regulations. Maintain departmental housekeeping standards.

Positive Family Interaction:

  1. Provide a Head Start orientation program to parents, and if necessary participate in the training of community volunteers.
  2. Recruit and provide assistance to parent volunteers for the center. Maintain parent bulletin board with pertinent information. Advise parents of classroom and Head Start activities, events and opportunities.
  3. Make a minimum of two (2) required home visits to each child’s home and two (2) parent/teacher conferences each program year.
  4. Support effective transitions to the next appropriate educational setting.
  5. Encourage parental input for their child’s curriculum (individualizing goal setting).
  6. Work with parents, individually in homes, through parent meetings, through written contacts in child’s notebooks, with phone conversations, and individually in the classroom discussing child. Involve them in their child’s education.
  7. Provides necessary information to the Assistant Teacher to prepare weekly newsletter.

Provide Appropriate Children’s Activities and Environment:

  1. Assumes responsibility for accuracy by discussing their child’s progress and suggesting activities that can be continued at home.
  2. Provide a consistent and developmentally appropriate daily schedule, with an appropriate balance of teacher-led and child-initiated experiences in large and small groups, indoors and out, quiet and active, variety of art and sensory media, books and language arts materials, science math and social studies materials, manipulative, music, fine and gross motor equipment, props for imaginary play, and computer technology.
  3. Encourage and develop creativity, social play skills, emergent literacy skills, language skills, problem-solving skills, exploration and manipulation of the environment.
  4. Use the environments, materials, self-modeling, and activities to encourage respect for diversity among the children.
  5. Use the Positive Guidance Policy consistently with the children; provide behavior management for individual children, including consulting with appropriate program specialist. When necessary, completes an Initial Request for Help form.
  6. Maintain a complete record keeping system on each child’s educational program, including individualized goals and progress towards their attainment.
  7. Develop strategies using the Creative Curriculum Assessment Instrument and maintain weekly observations as well as portfolios for the purpose of ongoing assessment.
  8. Ensure that children’s Individualization Educational Plan (IEP) is implemented.
  9. Maintain documentation of all information pertinent to the child’s health, safety, well being and educational progress.
  10. Work collaboratively with agency staff assigned to the classroom, prepare and conduct daily programming for children and families according to lesson plans based on developmentally appropriate practices.
  11. Participate in staffing, if necessary, and work with parents, contracted consultants, public school officials, health providers, agency support staff, and other appropriate community service providers regarding children’s individual strengths, needs and abilities.

Follow Agency Policies and Procedures:

  1. Participate in annual self assessment, outcomes measurement analysis of data and program planning.
  2. Uphold all agency policies and procedures and exhibit the appropriate cooperative attitude toward agency staff, enrolled children and their families, and all volunteers and community partners.
  3. Make progress in completing formalized Professional Development Plan.
  4. Ensure that all required paperwork is completed and submitted according to the determined schedule.
  5. Provides input to the assistant teacher evaluation.
  6. Maintains “Substitute Teacher” folder.
  7. Ensures that assistant teacher is kept updated on information that directly relates to the positive growth and development of children participating in the program.
  8. Attend regularly scheduled staff meetings and in-services.
  9. Other responsibilities and duties as required.

Qualifications:

  1. Bachelor degree, or an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood.
  2. Meet the Wisconsin Day Care Licensing requirements by providing a copy of the Certificate of Registry.
  3. Able to move quickly in response to an emergency, sit on the floor and child size furniture.
  4. For bilingual classrooms, appropriate knowledge base, experience, and appreciation of the language and culture of the specific population being served.
  5. Must be able to participate in children’s physical activities as well as model interactions that guide children’s safe, active, indoor and outdoor play.
  6. Physical and TB test within thirty (30) days of hire.
  7. First Aid/CPR certification within three (3) months of hire.
  8. Position contingent upon Wisconsin Background information disclosure check.
  9. Valid driver’s license.

Job description is subject to change based upon receipt of new Federal regulations and/or additional program requirements.

Employee’s Signature: ______Date: _____/_____/_____

Supervisor’s Signature: ______Date: _____/_____/_____