Position Summary

Ensures, supports, and promotes each child’s learning, well being, and development in cooperation with their parents and other early childhood professionals in a manner consistent with the Head Start Performance Standards, USDA, and day care licensing regulations. Based on parent goals, classroom observations and individual child assessments the teacher plans a developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum which meets the needs of all children and their families.

Level placements are based on individual skills and performance as well as education and job requirements.  Placement and promotions are done through the recruitment process.  Demotions are done through the disciplinary process or at the request of the employee.

Essential Functions

Regular and consistent attendance is an essential function of this position.

1.  Classroom Operation
a.	Provides positive feedback and support to classroom staff.
b.	Establishes a well managed, child oriented learning curriculum and environment.
c.	Implements and complies with the program work plan.
d.	Implements and complies with Head Start Performance Standards, OCDC policies and procedures, Child Care Division (CCD) licensing requirements, Child Outcomes Framework, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and USDA.
e.	Meets with appropriate staff, parents, and professionals to share curriculum, progress, and needs
f.	Assists in the planning and conducting of classroom meetings and team building strategies.
g.	Participates in regular classroom meetings with classroom staff and supervisor.
h.	Develops work assignments for classroom team and volunteers.
i.	Contributes to team effort.
j.	Completes required program paperwork.
k.	Provides direction to classroom staff through training and models of the teaching program, thereby ensuring effective program positive guidance model.
l.	Develops classroom community by providing a well designed, safe environment that engages children in activities.
m.	Assists in parent involvement activities and encouraging parents and other family members to share skills and talents.
n.	Plans and delivers classroom part of parent meetings.

2.  Curriculum Development and Instruction
a.	Ensures overall curriculum development and instruction including individualization, building concepts, literacy enrichment, and language development.
b.	Develops curriculum that builds on observations of children and utilizes a variety of approaches to learning.
c.	Assists in developing and implementing comprehensive and individualized family services plans (IFSP) for each child with special needs in collaboration with parents, co-workers, and consultants.

3.  Observations, Assessments, and Outcomes
a.	Ensures child outcomes through Creative Curriculum process.
b.	Reviews PEDS and ASQ/ASQ-SE results for all children.
c.	Completes developmental screening and follow-up in collaboration with the mental health/disabilities staff.
d.	Maintains children’s work sample portfolios.

4.  Parent Communication
a.	Promotes parents as the primary educators of their children.
b.	Ensures that information and services are provided to the parents in their primary language.
c.	Shares information frequently with parents about their child’s experience in the center.
d.	Respects parents’ point of view and follows through on parents goals for their child.
e.	Cooperates with other program staff to help parents obtain clear and understandable information about their child’s needs.
f.	Maintains an open, friendly, and cooperative relationship with each child’s family.
g.	Promotes parent involvement by planning and scheduling home visits and parent/teacher conferences to discuss child progress.
 
5.  Health and Nutrition
a.	Provides an environment that promotes good health and nutrition.
b.	Follows OCDC procedures for maintaining health records, first aid, and cooperating with health and nutrition staff.
c.	Helps children develop basic health habits and plans health and educational activities.
d.	Promotes and supports the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of children.

6.  Overall Communication
a.	Receives feedback from supervisor.
b.	Maintains confidence and protects program operations by observing strict confidentiality.
c.	Participates in staff, parent, and advisory meetings and county committees.  
d.	Provides clear directions, demonstrating patience, offering calm and consistent responses and responding quickly to children’s needs.
e.	Completes attendance, health checks, home correspondence, home visit forms, accident/incident reports, referrals, safety inspections, etc. 
f.	Works to resolve issues and problems among co-workers cooperatively and respectively.
g.	Identifies, implements, and documents in-kind generated from classroom activities.
 

7.  Professional Development
a.	Fosters an understanding of Head Start, its mission, goals, objectives, and program services.
b.	Promotes quality educational services for the benefit of children and families.
c.	Demonstrates understanding of the philosophy and current best practices of the early childhood education and describing its goals and objectives to others.
d.	Evaluates own performance to identify needs for professional growth.
e.	Maintains professional and technical knowledge and takes advantage of training or educational experience that will help him/her grow more competent.

8.  Safety
a.	Applies safety practices in all facets of the performance of duties.
b.	Reports immediately any unsafe or hazardous working conditions and/or injuries.
c.	Collaborates with management staff for the prompt completion of injury investigation, corrective actions, and inspections as required.

9.  Other 
a.	Performs other work related or assigned duties.

10.  Leadership, Training and Mentoring (Preschool Teacher 2 only)
a.	Provides ongoing coaching and mentoring to teaching staff and other assigned personnel, apprentices and volunteers as directed or indicated in review of classroom observations such as CLASS or Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS).
b.	Develops and delivers training at pre-service and teacher meetings.
c.	Participates and strategizes in Case Management Team Meeting for guidance of children, planning program activities.
d.	Teachers at this level may have additional responsibilities related to leadership, staff development and supervision.


Education and Job Requirements

Preschool Teacher 1 – Minimum requirements
?	AA/AS degree or higher in early childhood education; OR
?	AA/AS degree in child development, human development, education, elementary education, human ecology, child and family studies, special education, home economics, or family and consumer studies that includes coursework equivalent to a major relating to early child hood education AND 6 months actual work experience working with preschool age children: OR
?	BA/BS degree or higher in any field and coursework equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education AND 6 months actual work experience working with preschool age children

Preschool Teacher 2 - Minimum requirements:
?	BA/BS degree or higher in early childhood education; OR
?	BA/BS degree or higher in any field and coursework equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education AND 6 months actual work experience working with preschool age children

See Staff Development’s Early Education Related Degrees and Coursework Guidance for more information on coursework related equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education.

Director of Human Resources may consider and approve any variances in Education Requirements using the Job Description Qualification Exception process.


Other Job Requirements

1.	Demonstrated knowledge of Head Start system.
2.	Possess current First Aid and CPR cards with infant/child CPR.
3.	Must posses and maintain food handler’s card.
4.	Ability to travel occasionally.
5.	Ability to pass agency sponsored physical examination.
6.	This position is an authorized driver and must possess current driver’s license, good driving record, and auto insurance coverage as defined by OCDC Policy.
7.	Ability to relate positively to children and adults.
8.	Must be enrolled in Oregon Central Background Registry.
9.	Must maintain any current education licensing.


Other Skill Requirements

1.	Bilingual English/Spanish or Monolingual English preferred. Bilingual fluency may be required at some sites.
2.	Must have ability to operate computers and possess basic knowledge of MS Windows, Microsoft Word and other software.
3.	Excellent supervision and organizational skills.
4.	Excellent communication skills.
5.	Effective training/development skills.
6.	Must perform duties with moderate direction given, operating from established directions and instructions.  Decisions are made with general agency policy constraints, but requires independent decision making.

Physical Requirements of the Job

Please see attached Physical Job Analyses.  Submit one or both as job demands.

Job Conditions

May work outdoors intermittently with exposure to typical Oregon weather.  There may be frequent interruptions, evening or weekend work, working long hours during peak periods.  May work in a confined and small classroom space with minimal room for maneuverability. 

Mental Requirements of the Job

Continual interaction with co-workers, parents, and children to provide information.  Must relate positively to children and adults.  Frequently faces deadlines with attention to detail and must complete tasks and required documentation in a timely manner. Considerable amount of variable levels of concentration with frequent or constant interruptions.  Must be able to handle multi-faceted tasks on a frequent basis.