ECE Vision Statement:

Our vision is to be an innovative early childhood education program where children, families and educators collaborate to create enriched learning experiences. Our students delight in discovering an early love of learning.

Lead Teacher

• Description
  1. Leads classroom teaching team to prepare and implement Reggio-Emilia inspired curriculum combined with Jewish values and culture
  2. Assigns classroom responsibilities to teaching team
  3. Oversees classroom parent conferences, online and classroom documentation, portfolios, and all parent communication to ensure timely and quality delivery
  4. Create agenda for weekly team meetings in collaboration with Assistant Director/site Admin and facilitate meetings as required
  5. Work with Assistant Director/Child Development Specialist to support children with high needs in the classroom
  6. Offers input on teacher evaluations
  7. Acts as a mentor to teaching team, offering advice, suggesting professional development, and giving productive feedback
  8. Participate in ECE Leadership Team meetings as requested
  9. Participate in monthly Lead Teacher meetings
  10. Will have opening or closing responsibilities
• Requirements
  1. BA or MA degree preferred in Early Childhood or related field
  2. 24 units in Early Childhood Education/CD including core courses preferred, 12 core units required.
  3. 3 years teaching experience in a Reggio-Inspired and/or Jewish preschool; at least 1 year at JCCSF preferred
  4. Proficiency of verbal and written communication and technology across different platforms

Ongoing duties and responsibilities for all Preschool Teaching Staff: 

Program Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the classroom teaching team to plan and implement Reggio Emilia inspired curriculum based on the observations and interests of the children, including but not limited to:
  1. intentional and provocative classroom experiences
  2. create and lead facilitated learning groups
  3. reflect, revisit, and re-evaluate projects
• Create an environment reflective of Jewish values and culture
• Collaborate with team to write high quality documentation of children’s learning, online, emails and in the classroom
• Utilize team meetings effectively to prepare for upcoming experiences and projects, documentation, and communications with parents

Duties with Children

• Interact with children in a positive, supportive, respectful, and open-minded manner
• Always maintain visual and auditory supervision of children in your care to ensure their safety
• Use appropriate and supportive language with children per the ECE Staff Handbook guidelines and best practice
• Observe children’s behavior and learning, so that experiences and projects are based on those observations
• Support children to resolve and negotiate conflicts when they arise; anticipate and prevent conflicts by reflecting on the environment, schedule of the day and children’s individual needs; use consistent techniques in guiding children’s behavior as defined in the ECE Staff Handbook
• Support children in all areas, including but not limited to diapering, toilet-learning, toilet-using, feeling ill, guiding difficult behavior, managing their own behavior, or adapting to their specific developmental needs
• Communicate with teaching team and Site Director if a special need is suspected in a child

Classroom duties:

• Set up and maintain classroom and outdoor environment conducive to learning, considering schedule/flow of the day that best meets the program and children’s needs
• Ensure that environment is safe, clean, clutter-free, visually aesthetic, challenging, functional, diverse, equitable, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate
• Maintain preschool and classroom materials, equipment, and supplies and keep in good condition and encouraging children to do the same
• Maintain common rooms (kitchen, storage rooms, bathrooms) in a clean and orderly manner

Administrative Duties

• Prepare professional-quality written documents which include daily emails, journals, parent conference forms, injury reports, and kindergarten recommendations
• Maintain notes of each child’s progress which include written observations, samples of work, photos and/or video
• Prepare documentation panels, binders, and books of children’s work for classroom use
• Communicate with any outside support specialists when needed to adequately support a child
• Ensure classroom information is up to date and relevant on the online platform

Family Relations

• Articulate to families the vision and principles of the Reggio Emilia approach and our Jewish values
• Inform teaching team of all family communications and administration when necessary
• In collaboration with teaching team, communicate with families (written and verbal) on an ongoing basis; this includes greeting families and children at the beginning and end of every day and returning calls and emails in a timely manner
• Plan and conduct effective events for families in collaboration with teaching team
• Collaborate with families regarding group projects, class activities and children’s interests
• Provide varied opportunities for families to participate in classroom experiences
• Meet with Site Director about specific child concerns before meeting/talking with the family
• Include Site Director in all communication around a child’s behavior or family’s concerns

Staff Relations

• Contribute to the development of community among staff by speaking respectfully, being open-minded and listening to all points of view
• Collaborate with teaching team in development of ideas and understandings of the classroom
• Communicate with teaching team regarding concerns or questions about children or classroom
• Meet regularly with Site Director regarding personal goals, performance, and training
• At an appropriate time, communicate directly with fellow staff when conflicts arise and use appropriate techniques to solve problems.
  1. Conversations should happen within 48 hours of an incident or situation
  2. If further support is needed, communicate concerns to the Site Director

Professional Development

• Actively participate in all required staff meetings, team meetings and other meetings or trainings including being prepared for discussions by reading assigned material or completing assigned activities
• Attend at least 1 professional development workshop or training outside of the work environment; admission fees and hourly wage will be paid by JCCSF; be prepared to share knowledge from these experiences with colleagues and families
• Continually work to increase skills and knowledge in early childhood education which includes completing a yearly teacher self-evaluation, setting goals in partnership with site administration and reflecting honestly on your current teaching practice
• When asked, help lead or facilitate staff professional development
• If less than the 12 core ECE units are held, continue taking courses until this is accomplished; continued ECE education is preferred beyond the minimum 12 units, however.
• Maintain an active CA Teaching Permit with support from JCCSF by the end of your first year

Professional Expectations:

• Responsible for all information included in ECE Staff Handbook and JCCSF Employment Handbook and site-specific handbooks or guides.
• Follow all expectations for Health and Safety including licensing requirements and additional JCCSF requirements; attend all trainings provided by the JCCSF around Health and Safety
• Communicate in a positive, supportive, cooperative, respectful, and professional manner always to all people
• Maintain nonjudgmental, positive attitude with staff, parents, and children
• Maintain confidentiality and model professional work ethic; use the NAEYC Code of Ethics for guidance
• Positively project the mission, goals, philosophy, and policies of the JCCSF to families, staff, and community
• Maintain regular attendance and punctuality

Other

• Perform other duties as necessary to ensure program compliance and quality services to children and families
• Attend evening or weekend events as scheduled. Overtime will be paid for such events if applicable

Requirements

• Maintain an active CA Teaching Permit; apply for permit within one year of employment
• Must have obtained the 12 core ECE units as required by CA State Licensing by the end of the first year of employment
• Proficiency of verbal and written communication
• Proficiency of basic computer skills and ability to use different platforms regularly
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.