Head Start Teacher

Job Title: Head Start Teacher
Reports to: Center Manager
Status: Non-Exempt

Position Purpose
The Head Start (HS) Teacher has the primary responsibility to promote the social, emotional, intellectual,
language and physical development of each child in a safe and supervised educational environment. The HS
Teacher must involve parents in every aspect of the child’s educational experience and work with them to
establish both long- and short-term goals that will assure the necessary readiness outcomes needed for school
success. The HS Teacher assures that the classroom curriculum is implemented with fidelity (This is a 10-month
position August - June)
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Effective Practices
• Meets the needs of all children, including children who have special needs and/or are dual-language
learners.
• Integrates all Head Start components into classroom activities i.e. tooth brushing, nutritional, family
style meals etc.
• Individualize one-to-one and group activities to reflect the unique needs and strengths of all children in
the classroom, referring those with special needs to the appropriate content manager.
• Supervises children at all times.
• Responds to crisis or emergency situations that may arise; provides first aid or CPR; prevents the spread
of blood borne pathogens and accesses emergency services as needed.
Content Area Domains
• Plans and implements curricula that complies with Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework,
Head Start Performance Standards, NAEYC, and the Child Inc School Readiness Goals.
• Develops and implements classroom lesson plans that reflect Head Start Standards, parental input and
cultural relevance. Classroom lesson plans will promote social, emotional, intellectual, language and
physical development and meet the needs of each individual child.
• Provides engaging and interactive classroom activities that promote school readiness.
• Prepares classroom materials to support lesson plans and refreshes the learning environment and centers
on a regular basis.
• Prepares and implements classroom activities that are integrated and promote language, experimentation
and exploration, problem solving, cooperation, making choices, and growth of a positive self-esteem in
an environment that is orderly, clean, visually appealing, safe, and literacy-rich.
Learning Environments
• Provides an atmosphere that promotes positive teacher-child interactions, teacher sensitivity to
children’s needs and a smoothly-run, prepared classroom.
• Ensures the environment is language rich. Children engage in social conversations and use language to
express their thoughts and feelings. Children appear happy and are learning in a safe environment that is
orderly and free of hazards.
• Ensures the classroom environment provides engaging activities that promotes problem-solving, the
development of higher order thinking skills, and extended conversations with children.
• Ensures the classroom supports children with diverse needs and is representative of the different cultures
of the children’s families.

Collaborative Service Delivery
• Participates in staffings that address all the specific needs of a child and involves representatives from
various content areas.
• Conducts two home visits a year and three parent conferences to keep parents informed of their child’s
growth and development. Provides parents with referral information to support children who may need
additional help in a learning domain.
• Integrates the recommendations provided by different content specialists into the classroom.
Record-Keeping
• Maintains accurate written records. These records include child assessments (TSG, CLI, ASQs etc.),
documenting a child’s progress with his/her Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals, and preparing
transition folders for the transition to public school.
• Input home visits, parent conferences, attendance, and meal counts into Child Plus.
Communication
• Demonstrates respect for others by sharing information objectively and non-judgmentally and adjusting
verbal and written communication for different audiences.
• Speaks clearly to parents about their child’s developmental progress which includes additional
information from relevant support specialists.
• Ensures communication is easily understood by speaking and writing clearly and using standard
grammar and spelling.
Professionalism
• Ensure confidentiality of all program information i.e. be cognizant of confidential conversations with
families and other staff members.
• Maintain professional boundaries with staff and families.
• Complete all required paperwork and reports by assigned deadlines.
• Comply with Child Inc. Personnel Policies, Procedures and with Standards of Conduct outlined in the
Child Inc Employee Handbook, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS), and
Head Start Performance Standards.
• Cooperates with co-teacher, supervisors, support staff and community resource partners.
Professional Development
• Attend and participate in weekly team meetings, all pre-service, in-service, and any other training
deemed necessary by Child Inc.
• Fully participate in the Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) program that provides individual coaching to the
teaching staff designed to help them reflect on, and improve, their classroom practices.
• Attend yearly child abuse training to understand that any suspicion of child abuse or neglect is required
to be reported to the appropriate agency within 48 hours after the abuse or neglect is first suspected.1
• Completes yearly Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) and submits it to Human
Resources.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
General Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Implement curricula with fidelity.
• Knowledge of child development that results in age-appropriate activities in the classroom which
facilitates each child’s growth and development over time.
• Ability to be flexible with work assignments and work schedules.
• Excellent communication skills, especially good listening skills.
• Ability to follow regulations, policies and procedures.
• Must have the ability to work and maintain high standards of professional ethics with persons of
different racial, ethnic, economic and social backgrounds.
Staff Relationship
• Reports to the Center Manager.
• Work closely with, the Center Manager, content area specialists, PBC coaches, and other staff members
to implement a successful high-quality program.
• Cooperate with all Child Inc. staff in attaining overall agency goals.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Must meet Head Start minimum acceptable degree and experience requirements:
o An associate, baccalaureate or advanced degree in early childhood education; or
o An associate degree in a field related to early childhood education and 18 hours of coursework
equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age
children; or
o A baccalaureate or advanced degree in any field and coursework equivalent to a major relating to
early childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children,
• Baccalaureate or advanced degree in early childhood education preferred.
• Experience working with children 3 to 5 years.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.
• Must possess valid driver’s license and insured automobile.
• Must obtain a physical and TB skin test and must pass all criminal history background checks.
Working Conditions:
The demands described are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the
essential functions of this job.
• Ability to stand and sit several hours at a time, walk short distances, squat to sit on a small chair and
later return to a standing position, bend or stoop to place objects from standing position to a table
surface, and kneel on the floor/ground in an upright position to interact with children close to their eye
level, quickly transferring up and down from this position to standing.
• Ability to lift, push/pull objects or pick up children weighing up to 50 pounds.