Lead Teacher

Description

The Lead Teacher in our high-quality Reggio-inspired, social constructivist program plays a pivotal role in upholding the practices of Growing Place (GP) by provide a nurturing, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for young children and families and supporting the teaching team. The candidate oversees the classroom operations and works in concert with the team and families to meet educational and program goals. The Lead Teacher must be a critical thinker, reflective, communicative, professional, and committed to inquiry-based teacher research and professional development. 

Lead Teaching & Learning Responsibilities (in addition to the Teacher responsibilities below)

• Collaborate with children, the teaching team, and the Educational Coordinating Team (ECT) to design, interpret, and research curriculum  
• Use research and documentation to inform teaching practices and curriculum decisions  
• Establish daily classroom routines and rhythms for adults and children 
• Lead daily small group work and meetings with children and teachers
• Differentiate for children with diverse learning styles, temperaments, and interests 
• Create a joyful learning environment and ensure a positive and safe atmosphere
• Design indoor and outdoor spaces that reflect GP principles and pedagogy 
• Foster partnerships with families and communicate regarding children’s development
• Communicate parent concerns or challenges to Cohort Lead or Campus Director
• Communicate observed developmental or behavioral concerns with Cohort Lead or Campus Director 
• Assume responsibility for materials; store appropriately
• Utilize technology for documenting and sharing learning experiences 
• Employ strategies for making adult’s and children’s learning visible in a variety of ways, including ParentSquare posts, documentation panels, and portfolios
• Prepare and facilitate Parent-Teacher Conferences for each child in the classroom with the teaching team
• Regularly communicate evidence of reflective practice with the teaching team in daily team meetings and Reflection and Inquiry Meetings
• Work at school events as required by supervisor
• Contribute to workshops, committees, and publications on behalf of GP when in collaboration with the Director of Pedagogy/Campus Director

Primary Teaching and Learning Responsibilities

• Engage, supervise, and support children at all times; ensure their health and safety
• Support daily routines and classroom rhythms throughout the day
• Promote autonomy in assisting children with care routines: toileting, hand washing, etc.
• Prepare, serve, and clean up lunch/snacks, facilitate conversation between children
• Assist with injuries/incidents, report to a Lead Teacher  
• Report parent concerns to a Lead Teacher and/or Director 
• Follow health and safety mandates; specifically maintaing ratios, going off-campus with children, sanitizing and emergency action plans
• Build trusting, respectful, and professional relationships with children and families 
• Use GP’s social constructivist, Reggio-inspired, and RIE approaches 
• Collaborate with others to design, research and implement curriculum 
• Assist in the preparation of the indoor and outdoor learning environments 
• Support Lead Teacher in gathering information pertinent to Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Support enrichment classes, ensuring children are always accompanied by GP staff
• Ensure daily classroom tasks, sucj as opening and closing, are completed
• Participate in school events when requested 
• Communicate directly with others to resolve issues in a promptly and professionally
• Support the school in welcoming new staff and families
• Adhere to center policies and regulatory agencies guidelines
• Use the systems and strategies to document, organize, and make learning visible, i.e., photographs, audio/video, and scanned work, as directed by the Lead Teacher
• Actively participate in meetings 
• Participate in professional development and continuous performance management 

This job description is not meant to state or imply that these are the only duties the employee performs. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.  

Benefits Information: 

• Paid staff synchronized vacation: 4 weeks Paid National/State Holidays: 10 Days
• Hours of Paid Sick Leave (PSL): 72 Hours (9 Days) at start of school year; Mid-year hires accrue PSL at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. At the end of each school year, any unused PSL will be rolled over to the next school year as Paid Time Off (PTO), capped at 108 hours.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits Covered at 100%
• 403(b) retirement plan with a 50% match up to 3% 
• Life Insurance with a fully paid premium and a $25,000 benefit.
• Eligible for Public Loan Forgiveness Program
• Professional Development includes paid coursework at Santa Monica College, six annual full-day professional development days, and opportunities to attend conferences, workshops, and study tours.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in ECE or CD; or 
• Bachelor’s Degree in another discipline and 12 ECE units; or
• 5 years in a teaching position at GP with demonstrated capacity to meet above responsibilities and duties
• 2 years of experience working with children ages 3 months-6 years old in a licensed child care program, a NAEYC-accredited child care center preferred
• Meet the requirements of the California Department of Social Services 
• Demonstrates professionalism in attire, attitude, punctuality, and attendance
• Ability to utilize technology to make learning visible (photos, video, audio; formatting documentation, etc.)

Competencies

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: ability to write and speak about children’s developmental domains, learning, and behavior; demonstrated communication skills to support professional relationships with parents and colleagues, establish professional boundaries, and convey accurate information about the classroom and school
• Organization and Planning: ability to keep all children’s files and records complete and up to date; can plan effectively to match the development of the children; is on-time for scheduled shifts, meetings, and events and reports relevant information 
• Classroom Management: can lead, transition, and engage children in playful ways and develop effective routines with children.
• Facilitation and Engagement: pays attention to the many ways that children make meaning of the world
• Assessment and Coaching: gathers evidence to support the development of curriculum to support children reaching their goals/developmental milestones, seeks resources to continually improve one’s practice, embraces reflection as a tool for learning
• Collaboration and Teamwork: skills in working effectively with a team, exhibits a positive team-player spirit
• Caring and Inclusiveness: values integrity for oneself and others, helps to sustain a school culture of belonging
• Flexibility and Adaptability: willingness to take on additional responsibilities support other areas of the school as needed for daily operations or long-term successes

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Standing and sitting in environments designed for children ages 3 months to 6 years
• Requires the ability to move rapidly from a sitting to a standing position and get down and up off the ground
• Ability to push, pull, or lift 50lbs
• Requires working in all weather conditions
• Requires the ability to respond quickly to auditory and visual cues