Infant / Toddler Teacher - Wilcox, AZ

Location: Wilcox, AZ

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS
The Infant Toddler Teacher is responsible to promote school readiness by preparing children and their families for school success as well as life success as it relates to this position. To provide high quality developmentally appropriate care and education for children age 0-3 in a center based classroom for CPLC ECD Program. Work as part of a center based inter-disciplinary team to support the children in all areas of development while providing education, health and social service support to families. Abide by all state and federal regulations that apply to care and education of young children including the revised Head Start Program Performance Standards, Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Child Care Licensing, Office of Head Start Initiatives and ECD Content Area Plans and Procedures. Actively supervise children by sight and sound at all times and in all environments. Maintain all health and safety regulations to create an optimum learning environment. Facilitate health practices to keep children safe in the school bus, outdoor and indoor environments.

SPECIALIZATIONS
Initial employment physical and TB test or Chest x-ray, Tdap and a valid Arizona Driver's License and vehicle insurance are required. Must pass a criminal background check to include a Child Abuse and Neglect register check, sex offender registry check, and obtain a Level One Fingerprint Clearance card. According to the new Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) an applicant must be First Aid and CPR certified or must obtain certification within the first 6 months of employment. Applicant must obtain Food Handlers card upon hire. Obtain certification as inter-rater reliable in My Teaching Strategies assessment tool within 4 months.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum qualifications for the Infant Toddler Teacher position are as follows:

Applicant must have basic keyboard skills, be able to use computer, computer software programs (e.g. Microsoft Office, Adobe) and web based systems.

Minimum education qualifications (one of the listed below):
A. Infant Toddler Child Development Associates (CDA)

B. CDA comparable credential from an accredited institution and have been trained or have equivalent coursework in early childhood development with a focus on infant toddler development.

C. Applicants who have a Preschool CDA with training or coursework in Early Childhood Development and training or coursework in Infant/Toddler Development with 6 months experience working with infant and toddlers (as required by the Head Start Act) may also be considered.

D. (Migrant Infant toddler teachers only) High School diploma and Education plan to obtain option A or B above within 18months of hire and can demonstrate competencies to care for and nurture infants and toddlers identified in HSPPS.

NOTE: Education obtained outside of USA from another country must be evaluated from an accredited organization to determine equivalency to USA education status.

Preferred Experience:
1. Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) screening, implementing Program for Infant Toddler Caregivers (PITC), Center on Social & Emotional Foundation Early Learning Center (CSEFEL), Positive Behavior Support Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scales (ITERS), and Toddler Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)

2. Bilingual English/Spanish

3. Experience working with culturally diverse and low-income families

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND COMPETEANCIES
Center-based teachers, teacher assistants and family child care providers are expected to demonstrate competency to provide effective nurturing teacher-child interactions, plan and implement learning experiences which ensure effective curriculum implementation and use of assessment and promote childrens progress across the standard described in the Head Start Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five and applicable state early learning and development standard, including for children with disabilities and dual language learners.

Program Management: Demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to cultural issues and community practices of low income and at risk families, including dual language speakers. Implement Office of Head Start initiatives. Provide task-based training and mentoring/modeling to new co-teachers, substitutes and volunteers. Attend designated center meetings. Assist and participate in parent involvement services. Perform other duties as requested by immediate supervisor necessary to carry out the administrative/programmatic activities necessary to fulfill the goals and objectives of CPLC ECD. Maintain and keep current all necessary and required certifications.

Safety: Supervise children by sight and sound at all times and in all environments. Maintain all health and safety regulations to create an optimum learning environment. Facilitate health practices in all indoor and outdoor learning environments. Establish and maintain a safe, supportive environment in the classroom, outside in playground, while engaged in walking children to and from various site locations. Create a safety plan for classroom and outside play area, to include and not limited to; zoning, verbal hand off, counting children at every classroom transition, before and after leaving classroom or bus. Incorporate Office of Head Start safety guidance and protocols; refer to Office of Head Start health and safety screening guidance and ITERS into classroom arrangement and daily practices.

Assess Development & Learning: Using designated research based assessment tools, administer, record, analyze and assess child development information in accordance with assessment guidance directions provided assessment authors. Implement assessment system such as My Teaching Strategies (MTS). Maintain daily documentation and data input and recordkeeping. Conduct Parent /Teacher conferences and Home Visits. Administer developmental screening children using selected developmental screening assessment tools.

Ongoing Social, Emotional, and Physical Care: Develop trust based partnership relationships with parents & children. Respond quickly in a soothing and tender manner to infants cries or calls of distress. Immediately care for childrens personal hygiene needs during routines such as toilet support, cleaning, feeding, and changing soiled or wet clothes/diapers. Engage children in conversation during routine care. Assist in Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) duties such as: implement CACFP Family Style Meal service during daily meals. Eat CACFP meals with children & engage in conversation with children. Handling food when assisting in classroom, log temperatures, document Point Meal of Service and Daily Meal Production Record for Infants. Develop and implement classroom nutrition. Implement I am Moving, I am Learning (IMIL) activities in the classroom daily.

School Readiness Development: Engage in high quality teacher child interactions selected curriculum within a dual language environment. Implement Teaching Strategies curricula as outlined in curriculum manuals, engage in weekly intentional planning for creation of weekly lesson plans, engage in multiple daily learning interactions and conversations with children to build vocabulary and concept knowledge, develop and implement daily/weekly educational plans, Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)/Individual Education Plan (IEP), weekly calendar breakdown activities as outlined in the curricula manual and Education Content Area Plan and Procedure. Develop transition plans with parents and annually conduct school readiness transition home visit.

Home School Connections: Develop and implement Weekly Home School Connection activities. Provide parents with information and resources to assist them in supporting program school readiness goals, child development goals and that reinforce curricula learning experiences for the child and parent.

Ongoing Monitoring: Engage in ongoing monitoring per program procedures. Ongoing monitoring is inclusive of all aspects of program service delivery. Analyze all data from program systems to support high quality delivery of program services. Engage in program case Management: communicate, plan and participate in center based Case Management. Monitor child development and school readiness progress, communicate concerns to program staff. Ensure quality of data is secure and entered on applicable forms and/or computer databases (spreadsheets, etc.) for tracking/monitoring data.

Professional Development: attend designated trainings and conferences. Engage in and apply Practice Based Coaching experiences individually or in small groups facilitated by designated site staff, Education Specialists or contracted coach. Implement suggestions, guidance and assignments received from coaches. Engage in use of technology to support coaching dialogue: video and photos are used to support staff professional developments.

JOB DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands along with fingers, to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, bending at the waist crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Must have dependable transportation and able to travel (in state/out of state). Applicant must have the ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.