Teacher

Job Title: Teacher (Head Start 3-5)

Content Area: Education and Early Childhood Development

Supervision: Under the immediate supervision of the Education Manager, in absence of Education Manager under supervision of Head Teacher/Assistant Education Manager, with overall supervision of the Head Start Director.

Supervision Exercised: Provides in classroom supervision to teacher aide, volunteers and parents assisting in the classroom.

Standard Employment:

Duration Teaching Staff:

8 hour shifts - 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday

1480 hours per program year. Late August-early May Late August - June 30th 1768 hours

General Description: The teacher is responsible for providing a safe and healthy environment and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards, Subpart 3 1302.30, 1302.21, 1302.32, 1302.33, 1302.34, 1302.36 for young children entrusted to them. The teacher must consult and cooperate with the parent/family who has temporarily delegated the responsibility for the care and development of their child to the Head Start program. The Dakota language and culture is an integral part of the curriculum, therefore it is the responsibility of the teacher to plan cultural activities that will assist the child in developing a positive self-image and gaining knowledge of our heritage.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Safety and Sanitation:

1. Comply with safety and sanitation policies and other program policies and guidelines for serving children enrolled in the program and post required policies in classroom i.e. fire drill plan, incident reporting, emergency telephone numbers, etc.
2. Assure that safety and sanitation procedures and precautions are taken to limit the spread of infectious disease (hand washing, cleaning tables, toys etc.)
3. Assure children are dressed appropriately for the type of play they engage in and for the weather.
4. Model and encourage appropriate health and safety habits to support social competence in the child

1. Ensure children are supervised at all times. No child will ever be left alone or unattended.
2. Responsible to have a listing of the bus the children in the classroom ride and to make

sure the child boards the right bus. Must leave bus driver a note if child leaves early.

Physical Arrangement:

1. Set up and maintain a welcome and appropriate environment.
2. Create developmentally appropriate and well-defined activity areas in the classroom. The physical environment must be child-sized.
3. Assure sufficient and appropriate materials are displayed and accessible.
4. Ensure indoor/outdoor areas are safe, secure and provide a variety of opportunities for children to explore.

Schedules, Plans and Transitions:

1. Responsible to review daily lesson plan and activity schedule with the teacher aide and volunteers in the classroom.
2. Post and comply with daily routine to the greatest extend possible.
3. Written weekly lesson plan that includes meaningful culturally relevant activities, 1 health, 1 nutritional and 1 mental health activity. Lesson plans must be turned in to the Education Manager one week before implementation.
4. Plan and implement appropriate transition activities to assist the children with changes in the environment.
5. Assure time schedules are flexible and respect the special needs of the individual child.
6. Provide predictable consistent routines as a vital part of child's learning experience to help child gain sense of security.
7. Responsible to accurately record daily attendance.
8. Work closely with Head Teacher/Assistant Education Manager to plan meaningful field trips.
9. Responsible for planning and implementing activities for children and parents for monthly Family Fun Nights.

Communication:

1. 1. Provide environment that supports and encourages verbal interaction between and among children and adults that allows freedom of expression.
   2. Talk to children using descriptive language and behaviors especially during meals and other daily activities or when child is upset or in conflict with another child.
2. Encourage expression of feelings.
3. Interact with children at the child's level.
4. Will notify parents of all events for example dad, grandpa, uncle Day, Family Fun Night, special events, etc.
5. Will provide weekly newsletters to parents and Education Manager

Guidance:

1. Encourage age and developmentally appropriate problem solving techniques and skills. Help children learn how to think not what to think.
2. Provide children with opportunities to develop self-help skills. Family style feeding is required.

1. Promote interaction with other children, encouraging use of words.
2. Set reasonable and appropriate limits and rules for children's behavior and explain why to children.
3. Inform, remind and assist children in learning appropriate behavior.

Self-esteem:

1. Provide opportunities for children to solve problems on their own.
2. Use daily routines to help children master self-help skills and to feel competent.
3. Provide children with meaningful culturally relevant activities.
4. Support and encourage children's natural curiosity about people and objects in their environment.
5. Spend individual time each day with every child in your classroom.

Individualization:

1. Conduct two home visits per child and two parent teacher conferences per child at which parents will be informed and involved in planning, implementing and evaluating services and activities.
2. Promote parent/family education to reinforce learning and development at home.
3. Maintain and document communication with families about child's experiences at the center.
4. Responsible to complete required developmental and behavioral screens of child and ongoing observations and assessments with documentation to support child development gams.
5. Record observations and assessments three times per year to define areas in which the child may need additional assistance and write individual plan for each child that includes summaries of the child's progress and place in child's file.
6. Provide services which respect child's individual differences and special needs.
7. Promptly refer any child suspected of having special needs to the Special Needs Manager for further referral and/or evaluation.
8. Be willing to participate in the goal settings and observations in Practice Base Coaching model
9. Awareness of what CLASS observation tool is and how to implement into the classrooms.

Resource Development/Professionalism:

1. Participate in learning experiences for personal growth and professional development and implement appropriate practices in the classroom.
2. Actively participate in all aspects of planning regarding education and early childhood development training needs for the program.
3. Maintain accurate child records and update them as required. Submit all required forms

and reports to the appropriate Content Area Manager.

1. Knowledge of laws regarding the abuse and neglect of children and report suspected mistreatment in accordance with state law and Head Start policy.
2. Attend and actively participate in weekly teacher meetings to discuss concerns, other issues and make recommendations on correcting concerns or making improvements to the program.

Team Effectiveness:

1. Conduct self in a respectful, cooperative manner when interacting with children, co­ workers and others and represent Head Start in a good way.
2. Participate in all Head Start meetings as directed, including parent meetings and keep informed as needed to work effectively with others.
3. Knowledgeable about and comply with Head Start policies and other applicable laws and regulations.
4. Provide information in a timely manner as directed by your supervisor or the director.
5. Protect and comply with the confidentiality of information regarding the children, parents and other staff members as defined in the SWO Head Start policy and the Head Start Performance Standards. Any violation of this policy is grounds for termination.
6. Identify work that needs to be done and complete work in a timely manner.
7. Send home a Newsletter to parents weekly to inform parents of classroom and center activities ... remember. .. parents are partners in Head Start and should be involved and made to feel welcome.
8. Responsible for maintenance of inventory of the classroom. A list of damaged items to be discarded and missing items must be documented and given to the Head Start Director.
9. Serve as host to parents, extended family members and other visitors participating in program activities and other program sponsored events.
10. Provide support to new or substitute teachers or volunteers in the classroom.
11. Perform other duties as needed or assigned by the organization
12. Must have good work ethic, time and attendance

Qualifications:

1. Must have a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education
2. Good communication skills (written and oral) are required - must have ability to communicate effective with children, parents, staff and community members.
3. Flexible - ability to adapt to variety of situations.
4. Must be in good health and physically capable of participating in activities that requires lifting, running, skipping, jumping, crawling and all the other actions of children ages three to five.
5. Must exhibit sensitivity and appreciation for the healthy development of young children... must be nonjudgmental.
6. Work towards a CDA Preschool endorsement if needed and attend Monday evening classes with interactive technology.

Job Requirements:

1. Must be willing to learn, speak and promote Dakotah language and Dakotah culture in the classrooms.
2. Attend staff meetings, Dakotah language classes, in-service training and other career development activities both locally and out-of-area.
3. Must sign a background check permission form upon submission of application to permit background check at the state and federal level that indicates no convictions of child abuse/child neglect or any violent crimes.
4. Must complete CPR and First Aid training within 90-days of hire.
5. Must live and promote alcohol and drug free lifestyle.
6. Must have pre-employment drug test, physical and TB test.
7. Must submit to drug test.
8. Submit three letters of reference with application for employment.
9. Must sign a Confidentiality Statement upon hire and adhere to policy.
10. Indian preference applies.