Preschool Classroom Teacher

Description

The Preschool Classroom Teacher at Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech is a qualified early childhood education specialist with familiarity of working with students ages three to five in a classroom setting. The classroom teacher is responsible for the development and implementation of classroom lesson plans with a focus on student’s auditory, speech, and language skills, while facilitating their development across all developmental domains.

Additionally, collaborative work with Clarke’s administrative staff, speech-language pathologists, educational audiologist, and LEA representatives is required to fulfill the requirements of student’s Individualized Education Plans. The Preschool Classroom Teacher position is a forty-hour a week, 215 days a year contracted position with daily hours of 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement daily lesson plans following Pennsylvania Early Standards and curriculum-based instruction that is developmentally appropriate for students in classroom.
• Create an environment with fosters independence, confidence, creativity, respect for materials and people in the environment, and is conducive to experiential learning.
• Facilitate student’s interactions with instruction that is child-centered, based on the basic principles of child development and provides children with problem-solving skills and a foundation for acquiring knowledge from preschool through their educational career.
• Provide a comfortable and supportive environment for parents in which they are respected, encouraged to observe their children, and supported in their efforts for parent their child with hearing loss.
• Observe students and record information related to all aspects of the child’s development to be used for developing appropriate goals and tracking student progress.
• Engage individual students and small groups of students, daily, in activities that contribute to the development of listening and spoken language skills.
• Collaborate with Clarke professionals to provide accurate information on the listening and spoken language outcomes for students to both parents and fellow professionals, and explain, model, and encourage techniques necessary to build age-appropriate skills.
• Collaborate with Clarke professionals to troubleshoot hearing assistive technology, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone-anchored hearing aids, and remote microphone systems.
• Collaborate with Clarke professionals to provide diagnostic information about auditory, speech, and language skills of students who are deaf or hard of hearing using formal testing, differentiated instruction, and observations.
• Maintain regular communication with families of students via written notes, emails, classroom blog posting and progress report meetings to discuss classroom activities, goals, student progress, and to address questions or concerns.
• Provide guidance and support to Classroom Teacher Assistant in maintaining the health, safety, and educational well-being of the students in classroom.
• To educate parents and provide them with follow-up activities which will enhance the development of their child’s communication skills.
• To communicate effectively with Clarke staff, families, related service-providers, and health care professions as it related to the care and success of students on their caseload.

Other Duties:

• Perform tasks as requested by Clarke’s administrative team deemed necessary to provide a quickly educational experience and meet the requirements of contracting agencies.
• Attend required staff meetings; including departmental meetings to plan classroom and school activities as dictated by the developmental needs and interests of the students.
• Provide input regarding the progress of students, curriculum issues, contribute to brainstorming and collaborating with colleagues.
• Collect and report on data for student’s individualized outcomes, as set by the IEP.
• Write and submit trimester progress reports for students.
• Participate in trimester progress report meetings.
• Serve as an active participant in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings by attending and collaborating with Clarke staff to report on IEP goals and classroom participation.
• Participate in professional learning opportunities as required by Clarke, state, and county specifications.
• Maintain communication with director, educational support specialist, and other Clarke staff as related to the development of students in classroom.
• Display professionalism in attire, interactions with students and family, and collaboration with staff and related professionals.
• Uphold HIPAA compliancy for the safety and protection of students and families.