Early Childhood

The Substitute Teacher will be responsible for effectively assisting with the day-to-day operational activities in the classroom. S/he will have an understand of children’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development in order to ensure a safe and stimulating classroom environment where children are actively engaged and encouraged to succeed. S/he will assist with the incorporation of Conscious Discipline within the daily routines. S/he will assist the teaching team in providing a safe and secure environment where children feel comfortable and a sense of belonging that aligns with Olive Tree Values, Policies Procedures and DHS regulations. S/he must be skilled in communicating with both children and adults in order to meet the needs of the children and to effectively work with the teaching teams. S/he will perform teachers duties during teachers absences. S/he will participate in the professional development plan to maintain continuing education as required for Olive Tree and The State of Tennessee.

This position reports to Olive Tree Early Learning Academy’s Director of Curriculum and Learning.

Duties

• Effectively work with infants, toddlers, and/or preschoolers.
• Effectively collaborate with other staff members daily
• Document and verify that each child has been signed in/out for the day
• Utilize positive communication methods with parents during pick-up and drop-off.
• Assist teaching teams with the implementation of the Creative Curriculum TS-GOLD Assessment into classroom activities and lesson plans with training support.
• Incorporate Conscious Discipline as an effective classroom management strategy within daily classroom procedures with training support
• Maintain classroom interest centers that align with the Creative Curriculum and TS-GOLD Assessment and promote children’s curiosity and age-appropriate development
• Clean up classroom before and after breakfast, snacks, lunches, class parties, and other activities
• Delivering the food to the classrooms from kitchen
• Prepare and distribute disinfectant solution every morning and discard it every afternoon
• Tend to children’s personal hygiene needs, including but not limited to changing diapers, assisting with toilet training, assisting hand washing, etc.
• Respond quickly to the needs of children who display distress or discomfort
• Assist with the integration of children with special needs in a positive supporting and respectful manner
• Maintain a positive, calm attitude and a calm tone of voice, and model this attitude and voice to parents and others working at Olive Tree
• Attend professional development and staff meetings as required by Olive Tree
• Attend annual Open House parent/teacher conferences and provide parents of each child with results from student assessments/evaluations, overall development, and classwork samples

• Dedication and commitment to the mission and values of Olive Tree Early Learning Academy and The Restoration House.

• Experience working in a childcare or other educational setting
• Have a flexible schedule

• Able to observe, see, hear, and respond to children’s and staff’s needs, emergencies, and conflicts that might occur in a classroom on the playground, in the restroom, and in common areas.
• Able to lift 30-40 lbs from the floor to a waist high table 10-15 times a day.
• Able to crouch, bend or stoop to a child’s height, maintain eye contact at a child’s level, sit on the floor, and stand tall enough to reach children on the highest piece of equipment.
• Able to effectively handle the stress, tension, and exasperation that contact with children/parents from diverse backgrounds may bring.
• Able to work physically at Olive Tree

• CPR
• ECE Associate or CDA
• Infant Mental Health Endorsement
• Experience working with low income families
• Be comfortable with the use of technology

• Participation in Staff Growth and Development
• Participation in Family Engagement Activities

The Restoration House helps restore single mothers and their children back to God’s good intent for their lives. Through supportive transitional housing, ally teams, family advocacy, and youth development, TRH walks alongside low-income, single-parent families, helping them break harmful cycles and regain hope and a future.

In September 2023, The Restoration House launched the Olive Tree Early Learning Academy. Olive Tree partners families together with exceptional educators in a whole child approach to high-quality early education to provide a creative, safe, and inclusive environment where children grow to love learning. Olive Tree is licensed for 83 children, ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

Olive Tree Early Learning Academy follows a trauma-responsive approach with high-quality early learning environments that will promote children’s social-emotional, physical, language and brain development. Olive Tree will utilize Conscious Discipline® along with Teaching Strategies Creative Curriculum® and its suite of tools, including Tadpoles®, and ReadyRosie®.