Head Start Teacher

Responsive recruiter

The individual selected for the position must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, either with or without reasonable accommodation.

General Responsibilities: All EOAC employees are responsible for supporting EOAC's mission and goals, respecting the confidentiality of all who come to us for information or assistance, and personally maintaining the dignity and integrity of one placed in a position of public trust. We all are responsible for improving the organization, communicating openly, and empowering each other to excel at our work. Maintain client/agency information confidentiality as required by State and Federal laws, appropriate regulations, and professional practice.

Summary: The Head Start preschool teacher is responsible for providing a safe, developmentally appropriate environment for 15- 20 children who are 3 - 4 years of age. Actively supervises children and uses positive guidance strategies. Implements the program curriculum and plans weekly lesson plans with school-readiness activities that support children's growth in social-emotional, cognitive, language/literacy, perceptual motor, and physical development. S/he works with parents to complete their child's developmental & social-emotional screening and maintains continuous anecdotes to asses children's growth/development throughout the year. Conducts two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences annually. Encourages parent involvement. The teacher is supported by a teacher aide and together create a welcoming, engaging learning environment. This position works 200 days August-June.



Requirements:

1. An associate, bachelor, or advanced degree in Child Development (CD) or Early Childhood Education (ECE), or

2. An associate, bachelor, or advanced degree in a related field with 18 credit hours of coursework equivalent to a major relating to CD or ECE and experience teaching preschool children or

3. A bachelor's or advanced degree and:

1. Is (or was) admitted into the Teach for America Program
2. Passed a rigorous Early Childhood content exam, such as the Praxis II
3. Participated in a Teach for America summer training institute that includes (or included):

i. Teaching preschool children and is receiving (or received) ongoing professional development

ii. Support from Teach for America’s professional staff

4. 1-3 years of classroom experience, preferred

5. Enjoys daily interactions with children, including but not limited to reading, singing, comforting, setting age-appropriate limits, problem-solving, and re-directing.

6. Able to follow the designated curriculum and create lesson plans, incorporating creativity with learning experiences.

7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including expressive and receptive language abilities.

8. Able to consistently interact professionally with adults.

9. Computer proficient.

10. Must pass a pre-employment and periodic background check, physical examination, and drug test.

Competencies:

1. Provide effective and nurturing teacher-child interactions,
2. Plan and implement learning experiences that ensure effective curriculum implementation and use of assessment
3. Promote children's progress across the Head Start standards described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five and applicable Texas early learning and development standards, including for children with disabilities and dual language learners, as appropriate.
4. Plan and implement learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children, including:

• Improving the readiness of children for school by developing their literacy, phonemic, and print awareness,
• Their understanding and use of language,
• Their understanding and use of increasingly complex and varied vocabulary,
• Their appreciation of books, their understanding of early math and early science,
• Their problem-solving abilities and their approaches to learning;

5. Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment;
6. Support the social and emotional development of children;
7. Encourage the involvement of the families of the children in the Head Start program and support the development of relationships between children and their families.

Responsibilities:

1. Plan and implement daily learning experiences that advance children's intellectual and physical growth and development to improve readiness for school.
2. Create and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment
3. Include activities that support the social and emotional development of children
4. Utilize a predetermined curriculum and incorporate the Head Start content areas of health, nutrition, and parent involvement
5. Continuously observe children and maintain child assessment records
6. Develop activities and use technology to promote creative expression
7. Implement indoor & outdoor activities that encourage and promote physical development
8. Provide learning experiences that promote cognitive development. Incorporate activities that promote language and communication development
9. Establish and maintain positive ongoing communications with each child and their family through home visits and parent conferences as required
10. Contribute to the development and maintenance of IDP and resource materials
11. Supervise and guide children during mealtime, hand washing, toileting, rest periods, and play activities
12. Instruct, direct, and observe teacher aides and volunteers in classroom activities
13. Conduct all responsibilities as required under Head Start Performance Standards and Child Care Licensing Minimum standards
14. Participate in staff development activities, in-service training, and workshops to meet training requirements and to achieve mastery of core competencies
15. Ensure that children's work/play areas are maintained in a safe, sanitary, and orderly condition
16. Other related duties as assigned

Work Environment

1. This job primarily operates in a daycare environment with ambient lighting and climate control.

2. This job operates secondarily outside, in a playground environment with exposure to temperature, humidity extremes, and weather conditions.

3. This role uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.

Physical Demands

1. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.

2. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, squat, sit and get up from the floor, bend, stoop, kneel, use hands to handle or feel, and reach with hands and arms.

3. Prolonged periods of standing and frequent bending.

4. Lift and carry up to 30 pounds.

5. Maintain emotional control under stress.

6. It may be required under specific circumstances to provide appropriate physical restraint for students in danger of causing harm to themselves or others.

7. Exposure to temperature extremes (hot and cold), humidity extremes, noise, low or intense illumination. Occasional exposure to biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, etc.).

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Other Duties:

· Perform all other duties as deemed necessary.

Employee understands that employment will not begin until they receive clearance to hire from the Executive Director or their designee.

Compensation: $34,256.99 - $40,323.03 per year

Economic Opportunities Advancement Corporation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

At Economic Opportunities Advancement Corporation, we are committed to fostering a workplace that values individual talent, professional excellence, and opportunity for all. We recognize that a variety of skills and experiences contribute to success in this role. If you believe your abilities align with the responsibilities of this position and our mission, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to investing in the growth of our employees and welcome applicants who are eager to contribute to our work serving the community.

I hereby affirm that all information provided in this application is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge, and understand that any deliberate falsification, misrepresentations, or omissions of fact may be grounds for rejection of my application or dismissal from subsequent employment.

I authorize the references listed on the previous page to give you any and all information concerning my previous employment and any pertinent information they may have, personal or otherwise, and release all such parties from liability for any damage that may result from furnishing same to you.

I understand as part of the hiring process, EOAC may obtain criminal history record information on individuals it intends to employ, as required by applicable federal, state, and local laws. This includes compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.), and Texas Labor Code Chapter 411 (governing access to criminal history records from the Texas Department of Public Safety). By applying for this position, I consent to a background check, which may include criminal history information, as part of the employment process. EOAC does not discriminate against applicants based on criminal history unless such information is directly related to the job, as permitted by law.

The Economic Opportunities Advancement Corporation is a private non-profit organization, chartered by the State of Texas on April 25, 1966. The purpose for which the agency was created is to implement and carry out the provisions of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. This act recognizes that the United States can achieve its economic and social potential as a nation only if every individual has the opportunity to contribute to the full elimination of poverty in McLennan, Bosque, Freestone, Limestone, Hill, Falls, Johnson, Ellis, and Navarro Counties. This is done by opening to everyone the opportunity to work, live in decency and dignity; and to strengthen, supplement and coordinate other efforts in the nine counties.

Currently EOAC administers three major services that include: Community Programming, Weatherization, and Head Start/Early Head Start.