Pre School Teacher

The Goddard School - Bethesda, MD

Full-time - Entry Level

Bethesda, MD

Social Assistance

About the position

The Lead Teacher at The Goddard School is responsible for creating and maintaining a safe, healthy, and nurturing learning environment for young children. This role involves collaborating with an Assistant Teacher and the entire faculty to support the developmental needs of children from birth to age 8. The Lead Teacher is expected to implement educational programs, manage classroom activities, and foster positive relationships with families while adhering to state and national standards for early childhood education.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy and nurturing learning environment.
• Design an appropriate room arrangement to support the goals and developmental level of the children in the classroom.
• Develop an appropriate classroom management system to support the goals and developmental level of the children in the classroom.
• Ensure that classroom equipment is in good repair.
• Understand and implement The Goddard School emergency procedure(s).
• Promote healthy eating practices at lunch and snack times.
• Ensure that children are always within state ratio requirements.
• Perform nominal cleaning responsibilities (e.g., spills) immediately.
• Perform major cleaning during times when children are not present.
• Post a classroom schedule that meets the needs of the children and includes a routine and learning opportunities.
• Post and adhere to all GSI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
• Advance children's physical and intellectual competence.
• Adapt program to meet the individual needs of each child.
• Create a multi-cultural learning environment.
• Provide a variety of developmentally appropriate materials.
• Interact with the children to support play, exploration and learning.
• Encourage children to talk with each other and with the faculty.
• Present age- and developmentally-appropriate expectations for all children.
• Create a print-rich environment for children to learn about books, literature and writing.
• Encourage creativity through art, music, dramatic play and blocks.
• Provide a reasonable balance between teacher-directed and child-directed activities.
• Provide opportunities for both active and quiet play.
• Integrate GSI resources (including Enrichment Programs) into lesson plans.
• Support each child's social and emotional development and provide positive guidance.
• Understand and adhere to the GSI Behavior Policy.
• Plan and implement activities to develop children's self-esteem and social skills.
• Plan and implement activities to enable children's feeling of security.
• Encourage empathetic and respectful feelings for others, as well as the environment, through positive modeling.
• Respect cultural and ethnic diversity.
• Establish positive and effective family relations.
• Communicate, in a professional manner, with families and faculty.
• Encourage families to become an integral part of their children's learning experiences.
• Provide opportunities (e.g., conferences) for families to feel a part of their children's learning experiences.
• Prepare a Daily Activity Report for each child.
• Maintain a portfolio for each child.
• Maintain the classroom Parent Board.
• Ensure an effective program, responsive to children's needs.
• Assess supplies and materials needed to implement activities.
• Build teamwork.
• Develop lesson plan books and posted lesson plans.
• Manage classrooms according to GSI QA Standards.
• Perform child observations and document in their portfolios.
• Use assessment tools (e.g., Progress Reports, Children's Progress).
• Maintain professional commitment.
• Promote GSI philosophy and educational objectives.
• Support a code of ethical conduct.
• Pursue professional development/continuing education.
• Attend faculty meetings, in-service days, conferences and professional growth opportunities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Child Development, or a related field with 18 semester hours of completed coursework related to young children birth to age 8.
• BLS Certification.
• Child Development Associate Certification.
• Ability to hear the conversational voice, with or without a hearing aid.
• Ability to see and read newsprint, with or without corrective lenses.
• Ability to speak and be understood under normal circumstances.
• Ability to lift and carry children and other items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to use arms, hands, legs, and feet, with or without corrective devices; this includes the ability to evacuate the building during emergencies.
• Ability to handle crisis situations, especially where children are involved.
• Ability to respond immediately to emergency situations.

Nice-to-haves

• CDA certification or 90-hour certification in early childhood education.
• Experience in a preschool or early childhood setting.

Benefits

• Professional development opportunities.
• Supportive work environment.
• Collaborative team atmosphere.