Infant/Toddler Teacher - Head Start

The Early Head Start Teacher works with infant/toddlers to promote children's growth in the areas of social-emotional, physical, cognitive and language development in an age appropriate manner. The teacher will be expected to provide continuity of care for children and build nurturing, protective, stable, and consistent relationships. Partners with families in every aspect of their child's growth and development through daily communication and regular home visits.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED)
  • Level I: An Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related degree with a minimum of 18 credit hours of Early Learning coursework.
  • Level II: A Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related degree with a minimum of 18 credit hours of Early Learning coursework.
• One year of experience working in early childhood programs.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Driver qualifications are required for this position. Valid driver license, insured vehicle available for use on the job, and a satisfactory drive record for the previous three years are required.
• Successful registration with the Central Background Registry of the Child Care Division.
• CPR/First Aid Certification or the ability to obtain within 60 days of hire.
• Food Handlers Card or the ability to obtain within 30 days of hire.
• Candidate must pass pre-employment physical examination, renewable every two years.
• Candidate must pass pre-employment and random drug/alcohol screenings.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrated proficiencies in Microsoft Office (including Outlook), videoconferencing platforms, and web tools.
• Effective interpersonal communication skills, in both oral and written form.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by immediate supervisor and other management as required.

Classroom

• Utilizes infant and toddler curriculum and lesson planning procedures to create and implement flexible learning opportunities based on children's needs, strengths, and interests.
• Develops close relationships with children through nurturing and responsive interactions, along with consistent routines to maintain a continuity of care.
• Supports the social-emotional growth of infants and toddlers by using individualized responses and approaches based on their temperaments and needs.
• Utilizes consistent responses to infants' and toddlers' actions and behaviors to support learning and provide positive redirection.
• Builds social-emotional growth and language development through engaging and connecting with children during large- and small-group time, meal times, diaper changing, and bottle-feeding.
• Integrates developmentally appropriate movement and physical activities and routines that support health and learning.
• Assesses and modifies the learning environment to support the changing ages, interests, and characteristics of infants and toddlers.
• Ensures safety in the classroom at all times, with appropriate supervision of children, utilizing the transition and counting form and procedure. Ensures children are released only to parent/guardians or authorized adults.
• Records children's daily attendance, working with site team to determine the cause of absences.
• Conducts developmental and social-emotional screenings for each child, with input from parents. Provides follow up to concerns, including the provision of resources, or referrals for children with identified developmental or social-emotional needs.

Office/Paperwork

• Effectively uses the ChildPlus and Teaching Strategies Gold databases to enter or obtain information.
• Completes Progress Checkpoints for child assessment, using information obtained from child observations. Shares information with program administration and parents.
• Writes an article for