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SalaryAs 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 direction of the Center Manager, the Pre-K Lead Teacher will successfully lead a team, plan, administer and evaluate Pre-K and Early Learning Services. This position is primarily responsible for the design and implementation of YMCA’s Early Learning Pre-K program and for the successful achievement related to four-year old children. This position will play a key role in planning, implementing and delivering age appropriate instruction for four-year-old children that will prepare them for kindergarten. With support from Pre-K, Education and other Early Learning Service Areas, this position provides quality instruction to Pre-kindergarten children that will enable them to learn and demonstrate mastery of Core Standards (GELDS) that will prepare them for kindergarten and school success.
Minimum Requirements:
- Must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or ECE related field and preferably three to five years of experience with children zero to five years of age.
- A Valid GA teaching certification (T4 or T5) in Early Childhood Education is preferred
- Must have some knowledge of project-based curriculum such as Creative Curriculum
- Must demonstrate enthusiasm for working with Pre-K students.
- Must have good verbal and written communication skills.
- Credentials must be verified in Georgia Professional Development System (PDS) prior to applying for this position.
Responsibilities:
- Demonstrates enthusiasm for working with Pre-K students.
- Behaves in a professional manner that is always open, cordial, family and child-centered, and in the best interest of the YMCA Early Learning program.
- Communicates responsibly with students, parents, colleagues and leadership.
- Avoids behavior which detracts from staff morale.
- Maintains regular attendance and punctuality.
- Model appropriate use of grammar (verbal and written) when communicating with students, parents, colleagues and leadership.
- Provides a classroom environment that promotes active learning.
- Exhibits knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices for four and five year olds.
- Accounts for students’ attendance, punctuality and records accurately in the roll book daily.
- Follows the Operating Guidelines required by Bright from the Start.
- Attends all required training for Pre-K teachers.
- Assesses student performance and records in WSO database weekly.
- Follows professional ethics in all work-related activities.
- Provides content-related and appropriate instruction based on Y Early Learning Curriculum and Signature Programs.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the developmental stages and needs of young children and support them in a gentle and nurturing manner.
- Administers and records regularly scheduled developmental assessments as required by program guidelines.
- Committed to doing whatever it takes to expand opportunities for students, often with a perspective informed by experiences in low-income communities and an understanding of the systemic challenges of poverty.
- Participate as a member of our community and teaching team in which collaboration, dialogue, and exchange are practiced values.
- Possess the knowledge, understanding, and successful execution of learning strategies which support all students in all developmental domains.
- Learn the technology required to document the experiences of children and adults as well as support the documentation of student/classroom experiences.
- Value parents as important partners in the work of the school by maintaining frequent contact and can work with them in the classroom.
- Bring a willingness to learn and grow with other members of the school community by participating in staff development opportunities.
- Provides appropriate instruction based on the YMCA Early Learning adopted curriculum and Signature Programs.
- Ability to mentor and coach assistant teacher.
- Serve on committees and engage in project work outside of classroom time.
- 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; i.e. cognitive (reasoning), social, emotional, and physical.
- Meets all job-related federal, state, local and program regulations and timelines for compliance, implementation and documentation. In particular meets performance standards, monitoring guidelines, licensure regulations, disabilities service requirements, and the completion of developmental assessments, parent conferences, and home visits.
- Actively participates in teaching activities by consistently moving around the learning environment both indoors and outdoors; sitting or stooping to communicate at the child’s eye level; actively engaging in imaginative play, creative movement and songs; facilitating family style dining, and engaging the child in conversations that are interactive, supportive and stimulating.
- Provides constant supervision of children during all activities (indoors & outdoors) as well as during all times when children are under their direct care.
- Re-directs inappropriate behaviors in a positive manner that is supportive and non-punitive; utilizes discipline methods that do not include hitting, shoving, pinching, pushing, complete isolation, or language that is harmful and hurtful to the child.
- Responds quickly to a child in distress or a crying child by immediately calming them in a nurturing and appropriate manner.
- Utilizes developmentally appropriate feeding, toileting, cleaning, and health care practices for children with special health care needs.
- Collaborates with other agencies, resources, and service delivery components to best meet the needs of families and children.
- Recognizes and respects the variety of cultures, developmental needs, and ethnic backgrounds of children and families being served by the program.
- Creates a language rich environment that includes daily story reading, as well as regular writing activities and environmental (basic) print.
- Plans, prepares, and implements 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.
- Prepares in advance lesson plans and materials, ensures that the classroom environment is organized, interactive, appropriate, clean, safe, and hands on.
- Plans and implements a balance of open and structured child-initiated and teacher-directed activities.
- Prepares, plans and implements transition strategies for daily activities.
- Organizes classroom space into functional areas (i.e. interest centers) that are easily recognizable and clutter free.
- Conducts and records ongoing observations that are descriptive of the whole child and his/her developmental milestones rather than just exclusive reports of problem behaviors.
- Conducts all home visits in the home and in a timely manner as required by the program guidelines.
- Conducts all scheduled parent conferences and any additional conferences, in a timely manner and ensures that a 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.
- Consistently utilizes 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.
- Plans and provides activities that ensure parent and volunteer participation in the classroom as well as in the home.
- Submits the accurate attendance for ChildPlus and other applicable reports. Submits a copy of the page from the roll book with tabulated attendance for the month prior to the third day of the following month.
- Counts, records and submits accurate meal count reports daily after each meal for the number of children eating to the food service staff.
- Serves as bus monitor, attends required trainings and meetings and assists in other program areas as deemed necessary by the Center Manager.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Ergonomics: Sitting, bending, stooping, standing, running, 15% repetitive keyboard work, seeing, verbal communications, lifts up to 25 pounds.
Employment Requirement:
- Ability to pass a pre-employment background check including Criminal Record check, Drug Screening and motor vehicle record (MVR) 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 a diverse mix of 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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