Work Days: Monday-Friday
Supervisor: Site Supervisor
Job Summary:
The Early Head Start Lead Teacher is responsible for providing a developmentally appropriate educational atmosphere where infants and toddlers have the opportunity to fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, and psychological growth. The Early Head Start Lead Teacher will plan activities, develop appropriate lesson plans for the children, assess student progress and will work with the families to ensure compliance with the Head Start Performance Standards and Ohio Licensing regulations in all divisions of the program.
Specific Responsibilities/Essential Functions:
1. Adheres to and follows:
• All state child care licensing requirements including reporting child abuse, and following child health and safety procedures.
• All CAA of CC, Inc. & Head Start Program’s Policies & Procedures, including the Active Supervision Policy.
• Head Start Code of Conduct.
2. Classroom Expectations:
• Maintains an environment in which children are safe, feel emotionally secure, and have a sense of belonging.
• Maintain staff-child ratio at all times.
• Post the completed group lesson plan before the first child enters the classroom at the beginning of the week and have the individual child lesson plans complete.
• Follow the Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos, using effective strategies to guide learning.
1) Complete the ongoing Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment on every child four times per year. Due dates for TSG are located on the staff calendar.
2) Maintain an Evidence Binder, including one piece of evidence for each TSG indicator.
• Establish and maintain nurturing relationships with children.
• Individualize schedules, routines, and experiences to meet each child’s needs.
• Prepare the classroom environment and materials to support developmentally appropriate curriculum plans and learning experiences.
• Set limits and guide learning in ways that reflect realistic expectations for children’s behavior.
• Maintain education files by following and updating the EHS Portfolio Tracker.
• Read, review, and implement strategies to meet the goals of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).
• Complete two home visits and three parent conferences throughout the school year.
1) An initial In-Home Visit must be completed on all children entering the program and documented on the Initial Home-Visit form.
CAA Job Description Revised August 2020
2) Dates for the second home visit and parent conferences are located on the staff calendar.
• Work with all classroom staff to generate In-kind.
• Maintain accurate classroom attendance and meal counts.
1) Meal counts taken at Point of Service.
• Ensure all bottle-fed infants are held during feeding times to support socialization and children are fed on demand.
• Assumes kitchen and janitorial duties, as needed.
3. Developmental and Behavioral Screening Requirements:
• A BRIGANCE screening must be completed on each child enrolled in the program within the first 30 calendar days of attendance.
• A DECA must be completed on each child enrolled in the program within the first 45 calendar days of attendance.
4. Supporting Families in Their Child’s Education:
• Support the role of families as the first and primary teachers of their children.
• Actively promotes parent involvement in the child’s education process, health care, and the program.
• Follow all transition procedures for children entering and exiting the program at least six months prior to the child’s third birthday.
• Assists with the recruitment process.
• Ability to handle situations in a non-threatening and professional manner.
• Ability to set and maintain professional boundaries with families.
5. Maintains professionalism at all times.
• Adheres to the agency dress code, daily.
• Represents the agency in a positive manner.
• Maintains a positive attitude about their work and others during the work day.
• Assumes responsibility for meeting his/her individual professional development goals.
Education/Skills Qualifications:
1. Have a minimum of a CDA credential.
2. Must be CLASS informed for Infants and Toddlers (will be trained).
3. Must be ITERS informed (will be trained).
4. Good written and oral communication skills.
5. Strong Computer skills.
6. Valid driver’s license/reliable transportation/automobile insurance coverage, and driving from site to site or trainings, etc.
Physical Requirements:
1. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; run; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
2. The employee must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
Working Conditions:
1. Work directly with children including the various noises and behaviors associated with children from birth to 5 years old.
2. Ability to work in a fast-paced and often high-stress environment making quick, sound decisions while maintaining calm in potential emergency situations.
3. Working with children, staff, and families who at times will require patience and support.
4. Exposure to cleaning supplies utilized in the site.
Additional Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
1. Pass all background checks to acquire an ODJFS Background Clearance for childcare.
2. Physical exam and drug testing (updated when requested by CAA of CC. Inc.).
3. Training in First Aid/CPR, Child Abuse, and Communicable Disease provided by program.
4. Continuing Education credits or units.
5. Initial 90 day job evaluation followed by annual job evaluations.