Job purpose
The Infant-Toddler Teacher is responsible for a classroom of children 0-3 years of age. The Teacher will work collaboratively with his/her partner Teacher to ensure the successful operation of a classroom with a total of 8 children. The Teacher, along with families and colleagues, works to achieve meaningful progress of each child along his/her own unique developmental path and toward Penfield’s school readiness goals. The EHS Infant/Toddler Teacher reports directly to the Assistant Director of Early Education & Care.
Working relationships
Agency Staff
Volunteers
Families
Community Professionals
General public
Prime functions
Uses knowledge of the principles of child growth and development to work with children and communicate with families, internal and external stakeholders.
- Implements child-centered daily routine, curriculum and learning environment that encourages the development of age-appropriate positive social interactions, active exploration/ engagement in learning, and self-motivation (curiosity) to promote development in all domains for children of all abilities.
- Understands the development of self-regulation in infants-toddlers as well as age-appropriate expectations for pro-social behaviors. Creates a nurturing, responsive environment that promotes positive and development of social and emotional competencies. Observes closely and with understanding to determine possible causes of challenging behavior, implementing preventive measures, teaching children new social and communication skills in partnership with families.
- Uses observations of children and anecdotal notes to document children’s progress and individualize curriculum
- Assess children on an on-going basis. Gather and organize anecdotal notes into the key goals and objectives and document in GOLD
- Work with the teaching team to analyze child outcomes on a classroom basis twice yearly, consult with education leadership and make adjustments to curriculum planning and implementation as needed.
- Create partnerships with families to establish positive interaction patterns in program, school, and home.
- Share pertinent information with Family Advocate ensuring coordinated services to meet the needs of individual children and families. Participate in case conferences as appropriate.
- Maintain regular contact with parents and complete appropriate documentation (e.g. daily reporting on infant sleep, eating and elimination).
- Forward classroom updates to the Center Director to be included in the monthly newsletter.
- Direct developmental concerns to the Health, Nutrition and Disabilities Coordinator.
Plan, implement, and evaluate developmentally appropriate practices for a group of young children:
- Ensure that the written curriculum includes:
- goals for children’s development and learning;
- the experiences through which children will achieve these goals;
- what staff and parents can do to help children achieve these goals;
- the materials needed to support the implementation of the curriculum towards achieving the stated goals;
- Support the social and emotional development of children.
- Responsible for collaborating with a partner Teacher in the preparation of daily lesson plans. Post them for parents, volunteers and visitors in the classroom
- Will assist in the development of individual plans for each child including goal-setting based on identified needs and prescriptions for objectives and activities to meet established child outcomes.
- Planning and implementing learning experiences that advance the cognitive and physical development of children, including progress toward school readiness goals by developing their language (understanding and increasingly complex use, expanding vocabulary) emergent literacy, print and numeracy awareness, their appreciation of books and their problem-solving abilities.
Follow program curriculum providing ample opportunities for natural play and hands on experiences that reflect the learning styles of individual children in the group.
- Implement developmentally and linguistically appropriate experiences appropriate to age, language and culture of children served.
- Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment.
- Implement experiential learning activities advancing the intellectual and emotional competence of infants and toddlers.
- Provide positive guidance and discipline supporting children as they acquire readiness skills for kindergarten and beyond.
- Implement daily lesson plans in response to children’s needs and interests incorporating observations, anecdotal record keeping, knowledge of early childhood development and the key experiences.
- Implement Individual Family Services Plans (IFSPs) for children with disabilities.
- Provide children with a consistent classroom routine that is responsive to individual infants and toddlers’ needs
- Provide supervision and ensure the safety and security of children at all times in accordance with Early Head Start and day care licensing requirements.
- Supervise and eat nutritionally prepared meals and/or snacks with the children as a curriculum activity (toddlers and 2’s) to model good nutrition and proper social skills for infants and toddlers.
- Feed all infants on demand
- Hold all non-mobile infants during feeding
- Supervise all classroom field trips and outdoor activities.
- Understand regulations associated with prevention of disease and injury, including proper diapering procedures, and the exercise of universal precautions, and the prevention of contamination.
Ensure parent involvement in the development of the program’s curriculum and approach to child development and education.
- Encourage the involvement of the families of the children in an Early/ Head Start program and support the development of relationships between children and their families.
- Provide opportunities for parents to increase their child observation skills and to share assessments with staff that help plan the learning experiences.
- Encourage parent participation in staff-parent conferences and home visits discussing their child’s development and education.
- Establish positive and productive relationships with families focusing on building trust and rapport.
- Work with a partner Teacher to schedule and complete two home visits per year and at least two parent-teacher conferences per year.
- Participate in parent orientation and ongoing parent training as required.
- Identify and refer parents wanting to volunteer in the classroom, work as substitutes or in other volunteer activities to their Family Advocate. Support parent volunteers in the classroom as needed.
Maintains a professional commitment to program excellence:
- Model appropriate classroom behavior
- Maintain prompt hours and notify the supervisor of illness/absence.
- Monitor and appropriately utilize earned time off.
- Attend and participate in department staff meetings.
- Meet State requirements for in-service training and continuing education.
- Is familiar with Head Start Standards of Practice, Licensing Rules and NAEYC Accreditation Criterion.
- Comply with Penfield Children’s Center personnel policies.
- Is familiar with emergency procedures and is able to calmly apply them.
- Maintain a neat and orderly classroom including assisting with daily cleaning, disinfecting, laundry and general cleaning and repair of equipment.
- Provide direction and guidance to volunteers assigned to the classroom.
- Maintain accurate records of daily attendance, accident logs, food counts, food intake, and medication and weight as needed.
- Maintain a professional representation of the classroom daily activities in the classroom portfolio for accreditation.
Assist the agency as needed:
- Perform all other duties as assigned
- Encouraged to volunteer 4 hours of time per year to a Penfield activity
- Encouraged to become a member of local/state/national organization that works to enhance quality of care for young children.
