Head Teacher

Positions start at $17/hr.

POSITION SUMMARY/PURPOSE:

Under the Supervision of the Child Development Director, the Head Teacher is responsible for the overall operations of the classroom and provide a high quality of education and care for children.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Head Teacher will supervise daily classroom activities, including outdoor play activities using positive discipline techniques to ensure a safe and healthy environment.
2. Serve our diverse communities equitably and act with an inclusive, anti-racist lens at all times; promote a brave, respectful culture at the Y.
3. Create and implement developmentally appropriate curriculums and submit timely forms and reports.
4. Head Teacher will be responsible for planning and documenting program according to state guidelines.
5. Maintain open lines of communication with families and work with other staff members to ensure that the needs of individual children are met.
6. Attend and actively participate in supervision, multi-component, and staff meetings.
7. Assists in the preparation of materials, equipment, and information for the daily program, taking daily attendance and lunch count including reports for CACFP or USDA.
8. Use appropriate food handling, sanitation, and OSHA procedures at all times.
9. Maintain an Anecdotal Log for each child enrolled (Early Childhood Only).
10. Conduct monthly fire drills, lockdown drills and other emergencies.
11. Maintain classroom and storage materials in neat, orderly, and safe manner.
12. Head Teacher displays and upholds YMCA core values of honesty, respect, responsibility, and caring. Consistently demonstrates caring for the community we serve, for one another, and for the organization they are part of, and contributes to building trust, pride, and camaraderie.
13. Maintain confidentiality of child and family information.
14. Supervising a group of children.
15. Head Teacher will assist in maintaining all center policies, OEC state regulations and NAEYC standards.
16. Perform other duties as required.

JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS REQUIREMENTS, AND DESIRED ATTRIBUTES:

• Early Childhood: Knowledge of preschool development. Knowledge of Early Childhood Education, School Readiness and Connecticut Early Learning and Development standards.
• Warm and nurturing personality.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) a plus.
• This position may be authorized to have access to protected Health Information (PHI) to perform specific job duties.
• Must be able to work in Pre-school or school-age classroom, possibly work with children with communicable diseases and disabilities.
• Outdoor playground (possibly without handicapped access).
• Personal qualifications as required in Part 407: Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers, emotional maturity, willingness to cooperate with the aims of the program, respect for children and adults, flexibility, patience, good personal hygiene, and physical and mental health which does not interfere with responsibilities.
• CPR, AED, and First Aid certifications within 30 days of hire.

EDUCATION:

OEC requirements:

• Twelve (12) credits in early childhood education or child development from a regionally accredited higher education institution and over not less than a nine (9) month span of time: At least one thousand and eighty (1,080) hours of documented supervised experience working with children in a program that serves children under the age of 6 years.

School Readiness Requirements for Early Childhood Only:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education related field required (a minimum of 12 early childhood credits). Connecticut Early Childhood Teacher credential is required by June 1, 2025.

EXPERIENCE:

• Early Childhood: Minimum of two years of early childhood experience required.
• School-Aged Childcare: Minimum of one year of early childhood experience required.

PHYSICAL JOB DEMANDS:

• Ability to walk, stand and sit (including on the floor) for long periods of time.
• Ability to supervise children by sight and sound at all times, provide verbal direction.
• Ability to move around a room and quickly react to safety issues (i.e. climbing, aggressive behavior).
• Ability to remain calm, objective and respectful in potentially stressful
  situations (i.e. crying upset child, upset parent, or upset staff).
• Ability to move around the room to assist children and supervise children with daily activities, social interaction, physical and emotional needs, including sitting on the floor, kneeling, bending, crouching.
• Ability to lift young children and objects up to 40 lbs.