Position Summary:

To support Catholic Charities in realizing a common mission by providing and implementing a developmentally appropriate early childhood classroom experience for children enrolled in the Early ECEAP program.

Responsibilities:

Create and maintain a safe and healthy environment

• Maintain inventory and upkeep of both center, classroom supplies and materials
• Report needed repairs and maintenance to appropriate personnel
• Provide a safe, developmentally appropriate indoor and outdoor learning environment
• Apply health standards and care for the children and classroom

Plan & provide curriculum through normal care giving routines

• Establish a learning environment to build and enhance each childs self-esteem and positive self-concept.
• Provide activities and opportunities that encourage curiosity, creativity, exploration and problem solving appropriate to the developmental level and learning style of each child.
• Prepare monthly, weekly and daily activity plans and insure progress towards completion.
• Implement positive guidance practices that teach and meet the individual temperaments of each child.
• Observe, document and assess individual and group needs, interests, and skills

Provide family support to parents of the children

• Plan, promote and implement family involvement
• Maintain open, friendly and cooperative verbal and written communication with each childs family.
• Provide parents with information, resources and referrals as needed
• Meet regularly with Family Advocates to assure Child and Family information is current and service role and responsibilities are understood

Foster positive discipline and communication in the classroom

• Guide and sustain positive interactions between children and adults
• Maintain an atmosphere that encourages open communication with children and adults
• Provide opportunities and support for children to understand, acquire and provide use verbal and non-verbal means of communicating thoughts and feelings

Create and maintain a professional team environment

• Submit attendance records and required paperwork in a timely manner
• Appropriately supervise and delegate duties to classroom staff, initiate training and encouraging teamwork among adults in the room and center
• Evaluate teaching assistants performance

Continue professional development

• Participate in required training and share information with other staff as requested
• Participate in scheduled supervision, required meetings and retreats
• Assist in recruiting, interviewing, selecting, orientation and training employees
• Complete performance appraisals as required

Participate in Center activities and other duties as requested

Job Requirements:

The following requirements are those that are normally required for performance of this position. Any disabled applicant or incumbent who does not meet one or more of the requirements, but who can perform the essential function of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations) shall be deemed to meet these requirements.

Physical Requirements:

This position normally requires the physical demands of standing, walking, bending, lifting or performing other work requiring medium physical exertion, talking and hearing and adequate vision on a regular basis to perform the job requirements. These physical demands are required up to 95% of the time.

Non-Physical Requirements:

Education

• Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Development or Early Childhood Education, Preferred
• Associates degree in Early Childhood Development required or Professional Development Plan

Experience

• 3 or more years experience in teaching birth to 3 years of age in Early Childhood program

Special Skills

• Demonstrate professional and effective verbal and written communication
• Use of good judgment
• Basic computer skills
• Supervision of adults, classroom planning and management skills
• Maintain confidentiality of children, families, and staff
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred, but not required

Licensure, Registration, Certification

• Valid First Aid and CPR
• Valid Food Handlers Card
• Valid Washington State drivers license and agency required liability insurance

Employment is conditional upon:

• Being cleared by criminal background check and fingerprinting when required