Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Reports to Pre-K Coordinator

Essential Functions:

1. Maintains a safe, nurturing environment for children and families.

2. Plans, structures, and implements educational activities for the children in the classroom based upon program curriculum and the Center’s philosophy.

3. Integrates all Pre-K and Head Start components into service delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Provides an overall classroom environment that is reflective of our multi-ethnic population, conducive to enjoyment, acceptance and positive interactions among children and among children and staff.

2. Prepares attendance records, lesson plans, meal participation sheets, child development files, anecdotal and developmental observations on each child, maintaining confidentiality of family records and information. Maintains professional code of ethics.

3. Provides guidance and meets with classroom team weekly to complete lesson plans reporting requirements, and discuss individual children’s needs. Conducts ESI-R and other screenings, and assessments, etc. Brings up these observations/needs/concerns in weekly staffing. Attends staff meetings, in-service trainings, CPS training and other appropriate child development conferences and workshops.

4. Conducts child health checks, documents findings and follow-up as needed.

5. Participates with the classroom team in planning, preparing and implementing developmentally appropriate child-initiated and teacher-directed activities for individuals and small/large groups of children. These activities should address needs identified in the Child Assessment Outcomes and promote multiculturalism, present challenges and develop critical thinking skills.

6. Welcome parents into the classroom, develops a positive relationship with them and provides experiences and activities for them that enhance their roles as the primary influence in their child’s growth and development. These experiences/activities will include participation in parent meetings and parent-teacher conferences.

7. Assists parents in identifying and fully utilizing available community resources. Utilize the assistance of the Family Support Staff, Mental Health Consultants, and other professionals to refer parents for services as needed.

Referring as needed.

8. Plan field trips and other outside enrichment activities.

9. Encourages parents to become involved in the Center’s Parent Committee.

10. Administers and interprets development assessment tools as it relate to all assigned children, maintaining detailed, written documentation.

11. Participates in supervision, meetings, and staffing sessions as assigned.

12. Meets with Pre-K/Coordinator regularly for supervision and support.

13. Must participate in staff development trainings to obtain the appropriate CPDU’s to remain current in the field, and is an active member of the teaching team of the Center.

14. Participates in annual parent orientation/open house and at least one parent meeting each year.

15. Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds (average child weight).

16. Understands and implements the Developmental Assets model of the SEARCH Institute.
17. Participates in Center-wide events, programs and celebrations as required.
18. Participates in supervision meetings and workshops within the Center and outside (if applicable).
19. Participates in 40 hours of staff development training per year.
20. Performs other duties as assigned.

Position Specifications:

Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education/w 04 Certification required. At least 6 months previous direct early childhood classroom experience with low-income families, good communication skills, ability to adapt to changing situations, strong sense of responsibility and ability to organize own work required. Bilingual/bicultural English/Spanish preferred. Demonstrates the following qualities: self-motivated, self-directed, follows directions, makes good judgments, creative, reliable, and dependable. Ability to pass a background check and if required the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services fingerprint and background check. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.

Revised: 3/2006

If you meet the above-mentioned qualifications please send your resume to Mr. Hernandez via fax number (312) 226-2248 or email to vhernandez@gadshillcenter.org.

Gads Hill Center (www.gadshillcenter.org), a family resource center established in 1898, partners with our community to develop the assets of children, youth, adults, and families.

The Center primarily serves the low-income population of the Chicago Lower West Side, and provides comprehensive programs for children, youth, adults and families which promote positive personal growth, strengthen the family unit, and develop a strong sense of community.