CDC Teacher

Job Description Position Duties

Summary
Provides classroom instruction of pre-school aged children, educational exercises for parents, and leadership over other associate teachers and support staff in the performance of program requirements. Provides meaningful learning and recreational activities for pre-school school aged children and responsive routine care. Employs a range of instructional techniques and strategies to enhance student progress and establish a productive classroom environment.
Distinguishing Career Features:
The Child Development Center Teacher is trained to deliver age-appropriate education to pre-school aged children. Advancement to this position requires Associate's degree and Early Childhood Education Teacher permits with the demonstrated ability through coursework and experience, to deliver age-appropriate subject matter and learning style concepts that enhance student skill and development, and to educate parents, document, and hold parent conferences.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plans, designs, and provides meaningful learning and developmental activities for preschool classes, including a program of instruction specifically designed to enhance and develop cognitive, communicative, emotional, and physical capabilities of children.
• Plans, coordinates, and maintains a supportive learning environment by developing and applying current thought in learning aids and devices. Develops periodic lesson plans by facilitating input from co-workers.
• Coordinates and may complete parent education activities as they relate to program requirements and needs.
• Gives each child individual and special attention each day. Responds to each child's particular needs and characteristics. Ensures that all children receive equal attention.
• Prepares developmentally appropriate and practical individual education (IEP), development (IDP), or (IFSP) Individual Family Service Plans for each student. Applies social and emotional development screens.
• Ensures that attendance documents are completed by parents daily. Prepares attendance reports by summarizing sign-in documents. Initiates phone and/or personal contact with parents in connection with child's attendance and performance.
• Ensures that parents receive conferences. Coordinates, prepares for, and holds conferences with parents on the progress of children including topics such as motor development, speech, hygiene, and behavior. May make home visits.
• Encourages parent involvement in educational activities. Designs learning exercises that encourage the parents to volunteer and become involved.
• Schedules, organize events, field trips, and other activities that require integration of other District services.
• Oversees and prepares teaching aids, labels, charts, bulletin boards and displays as instructed.
• Delivers education by using effective and appropriate oral communications skills and providing students with clear and written communications and instructions.
• Receives information from specialists pertaining to the developmental, cognitive, and physical levels of children. Identifies special needs of students and cooperates and participates with other professional staff to assess student health, attitude, and learning challenges.
• Evaluates and documents achievement for each student, prepares periodic progress reports, and confers with parents.
• Supervises student activities that are out of the classroom, such as but not limited to, assemblies, field trips, and extra-curricular events.
• Implements the philosophies, goals, and policies of the District as adopted by the Board of Education. Complies with federal and state regulations applicable to the position.
• Works and interacts with peers, as individuals and/or in team/group settings, in a professional manner that contributes to the District's academic achievement goals.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of new techniques and developments in early childhood education by maintaining contact with others in the field (e.g., professional association and educational group members) and by reading outcome-based research materials.
• Coordinates and evaluates the work of instructional assistants when assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned that support the overall objective of the position.

Qualification

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:
The position requires specialized knowledge of child guidance principles and practices and an understanding of the goals and objectives of a program for pre-school aged children. Special knowledge is required in the emotional, physical, and mental variations and needs of preschool and elementary school aged children. Requires a working knowledge of curriculum development. Requires a working knowledge of assessment techniques that are age appropriate. Requires working knowledge of arithmetic, grammar, spelling, language and reading sufficient to direct students with learning exercises or projects. Requires a working knowledge of personal computer and multimedia equipment operations including common office productivity software, internet, and computer-aided teaching programs. Requires creative writing skills to prepare and/or adapt age-appropriate class materials and reports. Requires well-developed oral communications skills to convey concepts in classroom and community-based settings, and work cooperatively with a diverse population of children and parents.
Requires the skill sets to perform the responsibilities of the position including delivery of instruction in classroom and play settings. Requires the ability to understand the needs and differences of children and to reach and motivate them. Requires the ability to balance emotional support and discipline to deal with behavior problems. Requires the ability to observe, categorize, evaluate, and critique the performance of pre-school children. Requires the ability to learn, interpret, and apply District, State, and Federal requirements and objectives for academic achievement. Must be able to design and develop instructional objectives for curriculum and set up assignments, tests, and student projects. Requires the ability to develop and maintain a productive and safe classroom environment. Must be able to organize and prioritize work and manage time effectively. Must be able to communicate in a professional manner, in both formal and informal settings with students, fellow staff, and parents.
Physical abilities:
Requires the ability to function effectively in classroom and outside play environments, engaged in work of a moderately active nature. Requires sufficient physical ability to move to indoor and outdoor work locations and stand or move about for extended periods of time and lift heavy objects on an intermittent basis. Requires the ability to grasp, reach, push, and pull and move light weight teaching aids and supplies. Requires sufficient arm, hand, finger dexterity to use a personal computer keyboard, multimedia, and other office equipment. Requires sufficient hearing and speaking skills to project voice and communicate with staff and students in classroom settings and in one-on-one conversations. Requires visual acuity to read printed materials and computer screens, observe students perform assignments, and observe moving objects and events.
Education and experience:
Option 1
Completion of twenty-four semester units of course work in early childhood education/ child development including at least one course in each of the following core areas:

• child/human growth and development;
• child, family and community, or child and family relations;
• programs/curriculum

Completion of sixteen semester units in general education (i.e., at least one course in each of the following areas) Humanities and or Fine Arts, Social Sciences, Math and/or Science, and English/Language Arts.
Experience: 175 days of 3 + hours per day within 4 years
OR
Option 2
Completion of AA or higher in ECE or related field with 3 semester units supervised field experience in ECE setting.

Must be enrolled and maintain continued enrollment in coursework leading to a BA/BS degree in Child Development, other related field or a BA/BS in any other discipline and 36 units of Child Development or Early Childhood Education to meet the qualifications under the National Education for the Education of Young Children.
Licenses and certificates:
May require a valid driver's license. Requires a permit or credential issued by the California State Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing. Infant/toddler Teachers must have 3 units of early childhood curriculum for infant and toddler.
Working conditions:
Work is performed indoors and outdoors settings where some safety considerations exist from physical effort. Supplemental Information

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

1. Completed Online Application
2. Professional resume.
3. Unofficial transcripts verifying course work completed

*It is the candidate's responsibility to make sure that all required materials have been received. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.*

West Hills Community College District is an equal opportunity employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender status, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information or covered veteran's status consistent with applicable federal and state laws. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Background Check: All of our positions require the ability to pass a background and live scan.

Selection Process: Depending upon the number of applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, the examination process may include a qualifications screening by a committee. Those demonstrating the strongest backgrounds related to the position will be invited to interview.