Extended Day Preschool Teacher (Smithfield)

This Extended Day Preschool Teacher position is full time, 8 hours a day 12 months per year, and eligible for benefits. Rate of pay is $4248 monthly.

KEY FUNCTION:
Under the general direction of the PHS Center Based Coordinator, direct supervision may be assigned according to program needs. The PHS Teacher will provide high quality, individualized education to Head Start children in a developmentally appropriate environment. The Teacher will facilitate Head Start parents in helping their children develop social competency, positive self-esteem, and encourage peer involvement. The teacher will recruit families and children to Head Start for the current school year and the upcoming year.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

•  Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment to prevent injuries, minimize hazards, and provide adequate supervision.
• Promote good health and nutrition by planning activities that promote personal health and sound nutrition.
• Use the learning environment and routines as a resource to construct an interesting and secure environment that encourages play, exploration and learning.
• Provide opportunities for physical and intellectual development by using developmentally appropriate equipment, activities, and incorporating differences in learning styles.
• Actively communicate with children and provide opportunities and support for children to acquire and understand verbal and nonverbal communication of thoughts and feelings.
• Provide opportunities that encourage children to play with sound, rhythm, space, materials, and language in individual ways and express their creative abilities.
• Support social and emotional development and provide positive guidance in which children can learn and practice appropriate and acceptable behavior.
• Maintain an open, friendly, cooperative relationship with each child’s family. Encourage family involvement and support the child’s relationship with his/her family.
• Ensure program responsiveness to participants’ needs.
• Maintain a commitment to professionalism.
• Make decisions based on early childhood knowledge and best practices.
• Every effort must be made to refer and document disabilities
• Prepare weekly lesson plans and other paperwork requested by your supervisor.
• Able to meet or exceed federal regulations and performance standards.
• Able to meet paperwork deadlines.
• Paperwork needs to meet all regulations.
• Prepare, serve and clean-up meals and snacks as needed.
• Have an understanding of and an ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Every effort must be made and documented to include both parents or significant male/female role model to the child in all aspects of Head Start (including, but not to the exclusion of, home visits, parent involvement activities, meetings with teachers, etc.).
• Actively recruit Head Start families for the current school year and the upcoming school year in the area assigned by the supervisor.
• Hold daily reflective meetings with Teacher Assistant to give feedback, reflection, evaluation, classroom and program improvement suggestions and support.
• Monitor and evaluate Teacher Assistant.
• Ensure Teacher Assistant turns assigned paper work in on time.
• Other duties, as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:
PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Understand new early childhood research and implement it in the classroom.
• Be aware of multi-intelligences in children.
• Ability to understand the economically disadvantaged and basic philosophy of the Head Start program.
• Ability to work productively under stress.
• Desire to help people find ways to succeed.
• Proactive attitude.
• Integrity and strong ethical principals.
• Good organizational skills.
• Demonstrate ability to enjoy working with families of diverse backgrounds and a variety of cultures.
• Demonstrate ability to be compassionate and patient while setting boundaries.
• Demonstrate ability to be able to delegate and encourage leadership in others while facilitating teamwork.
• Demonstrate ability to be innovative and resourceful.
• Ability to get on child’s level and sit for long periods of time on small chairs and tables.
• Need to have a sense of humor.
• Must be able to lift 25-30 lbs.
• Must be able to sit, kneel, and get up from the floor and small chairs frequently.
• Must pass a background check.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• A BS/BA in Early Childhood Education is preferred. Must have AA in Early Childhood Education or equivalent. 
• Spanish speaking preferred.
• Must have experience teaching preschool aged children. 
• Able to become CPR (adult, child, and infant) and First Aid certified, TB tested, free of communicable disease, and obtain a Food Handler’s Permit.