The mission of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) is to provide for the socio-economic betterment of the greater Latino community of California, while preserving the pride, values and heritage of the Mexican American culture.
MEXICAN AMERICAN OPPORTUNITY FOUNDATION
HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
POSITION TITLE: EHS Teacher I
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, hourly
REPORTS TO: Site Supervisor, EHS Program Manager and Program Director
DEFINITION: A staff person who provides planned opportunities for children in activities designed to promote social, physical and cognitive growth and development. Responsible to plan individual and group activities that are designed to promote each child’s individual strengths as a result of ongoing assessments and observations. Incorporates parent’s goals for their child into the daily activities.
I. COMPONENT MISSION
The objectives of the Education Services Component are to:
• Provide children with a learning environment and developmentally appropriate opportunities that will foster each child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth.
• Integrate the aspects of the various Early Head Start component areas into the schedule of educational activities.
• Encourage parents to provide continuity from center to home activities and to reinforce their role as the primary influence on their child’s education and development.
• Assist parents in identifying educational activities for their children in the home.
• Support parents to increase their knowledge, understanding and experiences of their child’s growth and development.
II. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND SPECIFIC DUTIES (not limited to)
Environmental
• Develop plans to ensure that daily activities provide for the safety of each child when using indoor and outdoor facilities.
• Conducts daily inspection of indoor and outdoor facilities using the agency daily check list; removing hazardous debris, unsafe equipment and materials and ensures that the classroom and center facility is free of garbage.
• Provides continuous supervision of all children’s activities to ensure their safety.
• Establishes safety rules in the daily routines of children that are understandable and predictable by children and adults.
• Develops and posts an emergency exit plan and conducts monthly emergency exit drills.
• Plans and implements classroom activities that encourage healthy habits appropriate to the age of the children in the classroom.
• Conducts a daily health check for each child, recognizing and reporting illnesses of children to appropriate health personnel.
• Selects and incorporates materials and equipment that are age appropriate and invite children to practice their emerging skills.
• Maintains an age appropriate environment that is orderly and inviting to children
• Includes children’s culture(s) in materials available in the classroom that are age appropriate
• Assists children during meal and snack time demonstrating appropriate dental and personal hygiene. Uses these opportunities to foster language development.
Developmental and Educational
• Based on assessment and observation, plan and implement activities to meet the individual needs of the children including those children that have special needs.
• Plan and implement a positive and comfortable routine within the classroom environment through realistic limits for the children, providing for active and quite opportunities and establishing consistent and appropriate transitions from one activity to another.
• Develops and implements weekly lesson plan.
• Maintains and documents ongoing observation, progress, and developmental progress of each child.
• Implements the Infant/Family Services Plan for each child with special needs.
• Works individually with children that need additional opportunities to foster their growth and development.
• Provide materials, equipment, and opportunities within daily routines that foster the development of large and small motor skills for each child.
• Ensure that daily routines provide opportunities for each child that address special needs, cultural backgrounds and linguistic groups.
• Plan and implement activities that provide children with challenging opportunities that encourage both verbal and non verbal communication, curiosity, and problem solving skills ensuring the ability to communicate in, and further the child’s familiarity with their primary language.
• In bilingual settings, communicates both verbally and in writing with both parents and children in their primary language when possible.
• Provide opportunities for children to use and develop their creative abilities through exploration and experimentation. These opportunities should include a variety of media through art, music and dramatic activities that encompass all aspects of the program.
• Plan and implement opportunities that aid each child in the development of self-esteem, awareness and the ability to express his/her feelings, and to develop confidence as an individual and a member of a cultural/ethnic group.
• Assist children in their development of independence and social skills through opportunities in which the child can assume responsibility both within the group and for himself/herself.
• Establish productive relationships with parents to increase the center’s ability to assist parents in meeting their role as the primary influence on their child.
• Provide opportunities for parents to use their skills and talents within the classroom.
• Encourage participation in parent center meetings, assisting the parents in the organization and agenda of those meetings.
• Conducts parent education meetings which include orientation, discussion of Individual Education Plans, child growth and development, curriculum and parenting ideas to strengthen parenting skills.
• Conducts parent conferences and home visits.
Planning:
• Plans and implements the agenda for home visits and parent conferences.
• Plans and implements the daily classroom and outdoor routines and environment.
• Provides input in the updating of the Education Services Plan.
Administration:
• Provides oversight of classroom volunteers
• Supervises custodial personnel.
• Attends all required in-service trainings, orientations and workshops
• Participates in regularly scheduled team teaching meetings.
• Orders forms, program supplies, and equipment in accordance with the approved budget.
• Responsible for all center food/vendor invoices.
Supervision:
This position receives direct supervision from the Child Development Supervisor. It is expected that the Teacher I has the ability to use appropriate judgment and has the skill and experience that would allow the employee to work with limited supervision. Decision making is permitted in order to carry out assigned duties and responsibilities. Performance evaluation and professional development is conducted by the site supervisor.
Internal Relationships:
• Teachers
• Health, Nutrition, Social Services, Disabilities, Mental Health, Parent Involvement areas.
• Family Service Associates
• Custodians
• Trainers
• Consultants
• Program Director
External Relationships:
• Parents
• Parent Policy Committee
• Volunteers
III. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED
Education:
1. Must have a minimum of an AA degree in Early Childhood Education and/or Child Development and currently attending courses towards a BA degree. Will be placed on a professional staff development plan until completion of BA. BA degree preferred.
2. 6 infant/toddler units are highly preferred. If do not currently have, will be required to complete within 1 year of employment.
3. California Children’s Center Permit or a California Child Development Teacher Permit from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
4. Minimum of two (2) years paid experience working with children 0-5. Experience working
with Infant/toddlers is highly desirable.
Skills:
1. Ability to communicate, both oral and written
2. Bilingual (English-Spanish) required.
3. Ability to speak, read and write English well enough to understand and be understood by others.
4. Ability to include parental input into goals for a child’s development.
5. Ability to relate to diverse groups of people including low-income families.
6. Sensitive to the needs of others.
7. Maintain confidentiality.
8. Sincere commitment to providing services to children and the community.
9. Ability to assess and respond quickly to varied situations.
IV. HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
As a condition of employment, must pass a pre-employment Health Screening, including passing a physical examination, verification of a T.B. clearance and Drug screening. Health Screening and T.B. clearance must be issued within six (6) months of employment and must be renewed every four years.
V. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Must possess own vehicle, and possess a current and valid California Driver’s License and at minimum, general liability automobile insurance.
2. Must possess LiveScan fingerprint clearance at all times during employment. Revoked fingerprint clearance number will lead to immediate removal from the site and termination of employment.
3. Mandatory pediatric first aid and CPR certificate, which employee is responsible to maintain, as a condition of employment for the duration of their employment in this position.
4. Regular attendance, Monday thru Friday, according to the work schedule provided by the site supervisor.
5. Must provide updated educational transcripts as required.
6. Must provide vaccination records for influenza, pertussis and measles at the time of employment. Influenza vaccine required annually thereafter.
VI. PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to stand, sit and walk. The employee may lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus.
VII. WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
MAOF is committed to a diverse workforce. As part of this commitment, MAOF provides equal opportunity in all of our employment practices, including selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation, to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, medical condition as defined by state law, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, ethnic group identification, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, or any other legally protected status.