Head Start Lead Teacher

As a thought-leader and best-in-class provider in education, wellness, youth development, and community-building, The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is one of the oldest and most essential non-profits serving in Atlanta. Today, we’re looking for you to join us as we carry out our mission to positively impact lives and communities across the state. 

At the Y, we’re an association of like-minded people (staff, volunteers, and members), on the forefront of a movement to ensure that everyone -- especially children -- experience an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. In the course of a year, we provide more than 3,000 children, ages 6 weeks through Pre-K with high-quality literacy and STEAM-infused learning; give 58,000 youth and teens access to sports, aquatics, day and resident camps, teen leadership development programs, and employment opportunities; provide over 200,000 members with programs, services, and facilities to enjoy connection and maintain wellness regardless of age; and engage over 25,000 volunteers and donors from across Atlanta to share in the gift of supporting their communities.

 

NATURE AND SCOPE:

Under the supervision of the Center Manager/Director, the Head Start Lead Teacher is ultimately responsible for the implementation of the day-to-day operation of services for children ages 3-5.

RESPONSIBILITIES (including, but not limited to):

• Responsible for directly supervising and developing the classroom associates and managing the day-to-day operations in the classroom.
• Plan and implement learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children.
• Improve the readiness of children for school by developing their literacy, phonemic, and print awareness.
• Enhance understanding and use of language, understanding and use of increasingly complex and varied vocabulary, and an appreciation of books.
• Begin the foundation of early math and early science, problem-solving abilities, and approaches to learning.
• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment.
• Support the social and emotional development of children.
• Encourage the involvement of the families of the children in a Head Start program and support the development of relationships between children and their families.
• Consistently implements developmentally appropriate practices that are individualized, inclusive of children with disabilities, and age appropriate and integrated across all areas of a child’s development.
• Meet all job-related federal, state, local and program regulations and timelines for compliance, implementation, and documentation. 
• Meet performance standards, monitoring guidelines, licensure regulations, disabilities service requirements, and the completion of developmental assessments, parent conferences, and home visits.
• Actively participate in teaching activities by consistently moving around the learning environment both indoors and outdoors.
• Constant supervision of children during all activities (indoors & outdoors) as well as during all times when children are under their direct care.
• Re-direct inappropriate behaviors in a positive manner that is supportive and non-punitive.
• Respond quickly to a child in distress or a crying child by immediately calming them in a nurturing and appropriate manner.
• Utilize developmentally appropriate feeding, toileting, cleaning, and health care practices for children with special health care needs.
• Model appropriate language behaviors for children including grammatically correct verbal and written language usage.
• Plan, prepare, and implement age-appropriate activities that are integrated across the curriculum; thematic; real, concrete, and relevant; stimulating and challenging; and based on the child’s individual needs and interests.
• Prepare in advance lesson plans, materials and environment that are organized, interactive, appropriate, clean, safe, and hands on.
• Plan and implement a balance of open and structured child-initiated and teacher-directed activities.
• Implement large group, small group, and individualized instruction.
• Prepare, plan, and implement transition strategies for daily activities.
• Organizes classroom space into functional areas (i.e. interest centers) that are easily recognizable and clutter free.
• Conduct and record ongoing observations that are descriptive of the whole child and his/her developmental milestones rather than just exclusive reports of problem behaviors.
• Conduct all home visits in the home and in a timely manner as required by the program guidelines.
• Conduct all scheduled parent conferences and any additional conferences, in a time, manner, and location that is most convenient for parents.  These conferences shall predominantly contain positive and developmental information rather than reports of behavior related incidents and child’s areas of concern.
• Administer and record regularly scheduled developmental assessments as required by program guidelines.
• Consistently utilize information from developmental assessments in the planning, teaching and individualization of classroom activities.
• Based on assessments, observations, developmental milestones, and/or typical behavior immediately refer all suspected disabilities and abuse to the appropriate authority.
• Plan and provide activities that ensure parent and volunteer participation in the classroom as well as in the home.
• Record and total attendance accurately in the roll book daily.
• Submit the accurate attendance and other applicable reports.
• Submit a copy of the page from the roll book with tabulated attendance for the month prior to the third day of the following month.
• Count, record, and submit accurate meal count reports daily after each meal for the number of children eating to the food service staff.
• Attend and participate in team, site, and agency required meetings, trainings, professional development, and continuing education.
• Follow and enforce site-appropriate health, safety, classroom organization, classroom aesthetic and sanitation guidelines.
• Follow all mandatory reporting of suspected abuse, unsafe conditions, repair needs, complaints, accidents, and injuries.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills
• PDS documentation, transcripts, and proff of credentials
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to perform physical requirements, including, but not limited to, kneel, bend, squat, lift, push, pull, and carry objects or children up to 50 lbs

Employment and Benefits package for this job posting is offered through the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc.

Employment Requirement: 

• Ability to pass a pre-employment background check including Criminal Record check, Drug Screening, motor vehicle record (MVR) and reference check according to company policy.

• Must be legally eligible to work in the US without current or future sponsorship.

This job posting is subject to change at any time.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta offers excellent benefits and career opportunities as part of our culture of excellence. The opportunities to serve are vast, and we’re looking for like minded people, who share our values of CARING, HONESTY, RESPECT, and RESPONSIBILITY to join us and do their best work.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law.

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