Toddler Teacher, Early Headstart

Toddler Teacher, Early Head Start

• Location: Roxbury, MA (Fully Onsite)
• Status: Full Time
• Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:45 AM to 3:15 PM
• Salary: $18/hr - $35/hr, in line with relevant education, training, licensure, and experience
• Classroom: Toddler

Summary/Objective

This position provides safe and nurturing learning environments, routines, and interactions that promote positive outcomes for children and families. The Teacher plans and implements individualized, developmentally appropriate curriculum based on child observation and assessment data, family input, and Child & Family Division established curriculum guidelines. The Teacher ensures the safety and supervision of children at all times by adhering to all program policies and applicable federal, state, and local standards and best practices.

Essential Functions

• Creates and maintains a research-based, developmentally appropriate, and nurturing learning environment designed to foster children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development and successfully engage all learners, including those with diverse learning needs and those for whom English is a second language.

• Incorporates the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children into routines, interactions, and activities.

• Interacts respectfully with children, families, and colleagues using strength-based, trauma-informed, and relationship-based practices.

• Develops and implements weekly lesson plans, in collaboration with the co-teacher or assistant teacher, that include specific developmentally appropriate learning objectives—both child- and teacher-led—aligned with the program’s established curriculum, Massachusetts Early Learning Standards, and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.

• Conducts screenings and regular observations of children in assigned classes for the purposes of completing developmental assessments, individualizing instruction, assessing and reporting on children’s progress toward learning objectives, and providing timely referrals for services as needed.

• In partnership with colleagues, including the co-teacher or assistant teacher, utilizes data such as child assessments, classroom observation rating scales, and program surveys and assessments to identify strengths and guide the ongoing development of effective practices.

• In compliance with all state licensing regulations and program policies, practices positive discipline techniques with children to promote positive behavior and prevent or reduce the likelihood of challenging behavior.

• Ensures children’s safety at all times, including providing appropriate active supervision both indoors and outdoors and maintaining a clean, well-organized classroom.

• Partners with families to support children’s learning by acknowledging all families, practicing anti-bias education principles, valuing diversity, inviting input, responding to concerns with sensitivity and respect, sharing strength-based observations of children’s skills, interests, and abilities, and conducting Parent-Teacher conferences and Home Visits in accordance with the program’s assigned schedule of frequency.

• Communicates regularly with Family Support Specialists (FSS) and content area specialists to coordinate efforts to appropriately respond to child and family needs.

• Actively participates in team meetings, training, coaching, reflective practice, continuing education, and other educational activities to promote team building and professional development.

• Supports children and families during transitions to and from classrooms.

• Establishes and maintains cooperative and respectful relationships with colleagues and participates actively in teaching team responsibilities through communication, collaboration, and curriculum planning.

• Collaborates with, guides, and supports Teaching Assistants, per-diem staff, and volunteers in all aspects of classroom functioning.

• Keeps timely and accurate records, including attendance, CACFP meal counts, incident reports, child observations and assessments, and all required documentation.

• Works collaboratively with the supervisor and Director of Professional Development and Coaching to develop and follow an Individualized Professional Development Plan (IPDP) to guide short- and long-term training, educational, and coaching goals and plans.

• Maintains the highest degree of professionalism at all times, including adherence to dress code, NAEYC Code of Ethics, Child & Family code of conduct, and consistency of care through regular attendance and punctuality.

• As a mandated reporter, recognizes and reports suspected abuse or negle