Lead Infant Teacher

JOB TITLE: Infant Teacher

OVERVIEW

The Lead Infant Teacher is responsible for the care, supervision, social-emotional growth and development of all infants in their care. She/he develops partnerships with parents/caregivers to engage and encourage parent participation in the program. The Infant Teacher primary duties include: conduct focused observation of infants, develop action plans, carry out developmentally appropriate curriculum to include outdoor activities.

The Infant Teacher is also responsible for assuring compliance with codes and regulations of all State and local governing and contracting agencies and ensuring that the development, nurturing, cleanliness, nutritional needs and safety of children in accordance such codes and regulations are met consistently. She/he works collegially with other staff members, assistant teachers to achieve program standards based on Title XXII and the goals and objectives for all children and families set by the agency.

The Infant Teacher will be respectful of children and parents and be mindful and attentive to their needs. She/he must ensure that equipment and facilities are clean, safe and well maintained. Failure to provide adequate services may place children at risk.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: Infant teachers typically do the following:

• Create an open, friendly, and cooperative atmosphere in which infants and families feel comfortable and secure.

• Ensure that child care routines are carried out in a manner that is prompt, hygienic, and consistent with good child children development principles. This includes routines related diapering, hand washing, eating, napping and transitioning between activities.

• Ensure the safety of children through constant supervision, effective arrangement of space, and proper maintenance of equipment.

• Provide experiences that promote individual expression through conversation, play and creativity.

• Provide a variety of language stimulations activities.

• Daily prepares materials and classrooms for class activities.

• Provides a developmentally appropriate classroom environment that reflects the children’s learning and growth.

• Develops, weekly plans, and implements age appropriate curriculum (lesson plan) to nurture and stimulate all domains of children’s development in their care.

• Provide a variety of materials and an environment rich in subject and experiences, cultural diversity, opportunity for exploration and manipulation both in learning activities and imaginative play.

• Perform on-going developmental evaluations of children as required by funding sources and develop lesson plans and follow curriculum implementation that addresses the individual needs of each child.

• Daily/weekly plan, evaluate, arrange and improve the physical environment in the classroom and outdoors to create opportunities for exploration, facilitate motor-skill activities and meet the changing needs of the developing child.

• Provide responsive care to all children by adapting daily care giving routines and plans to the interests and needs of the individual child and the group.

• Prepare developmental progress reports as needed.

• Demonstrate cultural competency and respect for the child's background by incorporating the cultural, linguistic and familial values and beliefs into the childcare program and lesson plans.

• Exchange information and serve as a member of a multi-disciplinary intervention/prevention team.

• Completes child transition and orientation of the classroom with parents.

• Maintain ongoing, open communication with parents/ caregivers.

• Promote and nurture parent-child bonding and relationships.

• Greet infants and their parents warmly and with enthusiasm each morning.

• Provide daily care individually to each infant, including but not limited to diapering every 2 hours and feeding on demand.

• Provide a classroom environment that encourages parent participation.

• Ensure that each family receives an opportunity to build strong relationships and experience clear communication with teaching staff.

• Prepare periodical parent conferences based on schedule to discuss children's developmental progress, needs and interests.

• Liaison with families to ensure smooth transition from home to child care setting and

transitions from classroom to classroom when needed.

• Assist families with children's transitions from infants to toddler.

• Maintain accurate, complete and timely client, agency records and attendance reports; Completes daily meal and attendance records.

• Maintains up-to-date emergency forms, curriculum plans, individual child development profile and other records as needed.

• Completes and reports any symptoms of child abuse to supervisor and/or child abuse hotline.

• Completes daily health checks regarding hygiene, safety, and overall well-being of the children.

• Assures a healthy, safe, clean and developmentally appropriate environment for children both indoors and outdoors.

• Assist with functioning and monitoring of nutrition and food service.

• Assist with the supervision of staff and volunteers for child care setting.

• Conducts supervision on a weekly basis with Assistant Teachers.

• Establish and reestablish procedures as necessary to enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order both inside and outside the classroom while maintaining developmental needs and safety of children and all other local/State and agency guidelines and standards for best practice.

• Become familiar with emergency procedures and protocol.

• Clean and sterilize equipment and toys regularly.

• Ensures that the Associate Teacher and Assistant Teachers are kept updated in all matters

concerning the classroom and program, i.e. Lead Teacher Meetings, lesson plans, policies &

procedures, training received.

• Provides functional training and guidance to staff, interns, substitutes and volunteers assigned to the classroom.

• Integrate special needs children in a respectful manner and be knowledgeable of how to prepare the environment and meet their developmental needs.

•Prepare and serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.

• Reports all staffing and classroom concerns to supervisor in a timely manner.

• Participate in on-going in-service and educational development opportunities provided by the Agency.

• Participate in all required school/agency staff development and in-service trainings.

• Plan, delegate and assign work accordingly to Assistant Teachers weekly.

• Have bi-monthly meetings with Assistant Teachers to address progress and developmental needs of children, curriculum/lesson plans, and preparation of the environment.

• In accordance with agency philosophy, teacher may occasionally be required to

carry out or assist with other tasks in addition to the duties listed on this job description

• Staff must believe in and act in accordance with the Agency's philosophy and guidelines and mission statements.

• Participate in fundraising for the school.

• Prepare annual inventory of classroom equipment, materials and supplies.

• Promote literacy, strong communication, discussion and interaction with children.

EDUCATION

• 24 units in Child Development or Early Childhood Education including core courses in

Child/Human Growth and Development; Child, Family and Community, Infant and Toddler Growth and Development and Program/Curriculum

• Child Development Permit (must keep valid and updated at all times).

• 5 years teaching experience minimum as a lead teacher supervising other adults in classroom.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Dedication and enthusiasm for working with young children in a child development setting a must.

• Leadership skills, energetic and positive attitude a plus.

• Early Child Development knowledge and experience.

• Good communication, problem solving, and priority setting skills as well as maintaining an overall positive and professional attitude /disposition.

• Ability to use the computer to input developmental data.

• Ability to effectively plan, organize and implement educational activities.

• Will be in charge of classroom and staff.

• Ability to make decisions on behalf of children and protect their well-being.

• Must be able to manage confidential information.

• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds and in case of emergency a 40-pound child.

• All employees, regardless of position, serve as role models for children served by our agency and other adults in the classroom environment. Therefore, each employee must at all times be mature, friendly, emotionally stable and able to function effectively with children and other teaching staff or adults in the environment. Candidates must have a team-building approach. The staff must be able to demonstrate appropriate daily behavior, appropriate expression of emotions, as well as appropriate role modeling. Hostility, aggression, ignorance, gossiping and immature behavior and/or substandard work expectations as well as inappropriate emotional expressions is not acceptable.

• ATTENDANCE IS AN ESSENTIAL FUNCTION OF THIS JOB. Our programs are on a yearly contract basis, open year-round (52 weeks).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to:

• Frequently walk, uses hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, and talks or hears.

• Often required to stand and sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, squat or crawl.

• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds and in case of emergency a 40-pound child.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

• May occasionally be required to drive a motor vehicle.

• Required to daily clean, prepare and maintain equipment, furniture, classroom, and facility indoors and outdoors in order to provide a clean and safe environment for children.

LOCATION: Pomona

REPORTS TO: Site supervisor

SCHEDULE: Year-round. Full-time & Part-time opportunities.

BENEFITS:

• Paid Holidays

• Paid vacation & sick leave

• Group health plan/Dental/Vision

• Life insurance coverage

• 401k

• Staff training and development opportunities