Casa Central·Chicago, Illinois
The Early Head Start Teacher provides high-quality instructional strategies and developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children aged 2. They collaborate with families and professionals to ensure school readiness while maintaining compliance with federal and state standards.
Casa Central’s Early Learning Academy provides high quality, comprehensive early childhood education services for young children, ages birth to five, and their families. The Early Head Start Teacher provides effective instructional strategies, classroom management, learning, assessment, evaluation and related research for children 2-year-old children. The Early Head Start Teacher is responsible for providing developmentally appropriate learning experiences, supervision of children assigned in the classroom, and providing a supportive and positive classroom climate, while ensuring the individual needs of the children are met as mandated by Early/Head Start, COA, federal, state and local standards. The Early Head Start Teacher works in collaboration with parents/families and other professionals to ensure that children are ready for success in kindergarten and beyond.
With the classroom teaching team, facilitate the creation and implementation of group lesson plans. Utilize data from child outcomes, screenings, and IFSPs/IEPs to guide lesson planning for individual children and for the group.
Child Screening & Observation
Ensure that all children within the classroom have sufficient, high quality observations, maintain up-to-date documentation in databases (Teaching Strategies GOLD), child education files and child portfolios. Implement screenings and assessments and reporting of outcomes for children. Communicate with parents/families and report child progress through scheduled parent-teacher conferences and home visits. Support agency’s School Readiness goals and track progress towards goals.
Serve as co-leader for the classroom team and provide guidance to children, families, teaching team, volunteers, and other visitors.
Individualize for all children, including children with diagnosed disabilities.
Ensure the implementation of developmentally appropriate practice within the classroom, including utilizing materials and studies from the Creative Curriculum.
Facilitate the creation of an inclusive environment where children can learn in collaboration with the teaching team.
Support social emotional development through the use of positive classroom management approaches, including Conscious Discipline approaches.
Maintain care of classroom equipment and supplies, control inventory, and report all repairs needed.
Promote an atmosphere of teamwork where staff, parents and children interact positively with each other.
Initiate referrals for children who might benefit from further evaluation.
Participate in the referral process by documenting observations and interventions attempted in the classroom.
Participate in Individual Education Program (IEP) and Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meetings and evaluations.
Work closely with consultants and other Casa Central personnel.
Ensure reports are submitted in a timely manner, including but not limited to timesheets, classroom attendance records, records of home visits and parent conferences, lesson plans, etc.
Performance & Quality Management
Nurture positive and collaborative working relationships with other agency staff and outside stakeholders and partners. Implement the agency mission, philosophy, and core values to direct daily work and decision-making; adhere to agency policy. Cultivate a professional and respectful work environment. Be actively involved with, and knowledgeable about, the agency’s Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) structure and process.
Ensure compliance with all Early/Head Start Program Performance Standards, including as interpreted by Start Early, as well as with relevant federal, state, city, and accrediting/licensing body regulations and requirements.
Engage in Active Supervision strategies to support the safety, wellbeing, and appropriate supervision/oversight of children at all times.
Act in accordance with the program’s Standards of Conduct, building respectful relationships with families, honoring parents/caregivers as their children’s first and most important teachers, and maintaining strict child, family and staff confidentiality at all times.
Participate in all required and recommended meetings.
Participate in all required and recommended trainings, including Teaching Strategies GOLD, Creative Curriculum, and CLASS trainings.
Participate in Coaching to Fidelity and individual job-embedded professional development through coaching with the Education Coordinator .
Complete an ongoing professional development plan.
Actively and enthusiastically support recruitment efforts to ensure that the program is fully enrolled year-round.
Sensitivity to cultural diversity is required. Will be subject to pre-employment screening that includes a medical, lift and drug and alcohol screening, as well as aptitude and skills’ testing, where applicable.
Infant/Toddler CDA or minimum of AA in ECE with infant/toddler coursework required.
Infant/Toddler CDA; an A.A. degree with Gateways Level 3 Infant/Toddler Credential will be required by 08/2024
A.A. degree with Gateways Level 3 Infant/Toddler Credential.
A.A. degree with Gateways Level 4 Infant/Toddler Credential.
B.A. degree (or higher) with Gateways Level 4 Infant/Toddler Credential.
B.A. degree (or higher) with Gateways Level 5 Infant/Toddler Credential.
Bilingual Spanish preferred.
Must be computer literate and be able to use microsoft applications; experienced with web- Based and other automated management information systems.
Basic mathematical skills are required.
Ability to work within an interdisciplinary team as a cooperative and supportive team member. Ability to establish relationships with families from diverse backgrounds. Knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards preferred.
Exercises discretion, independent judgment in executing tasks.
Ability to utilize reflective practices and leadership in order to guide and support staff in the classroom.
Not eligible for remote work. A personal mobile phone is not required and therefore not eligible for
mobile phone reimbursement.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear.
The employee frequently is required to use hands.
Must be able to lift and carry up to 25lbs.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. The content of this job description is not intended to be constructed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.
Market context
Early Head Start teachers in Illinois are commonly needed in programs serving infants and toddlers, and this role typically appeals to candidates with early childhood credentials and classroom experience. It can be competitive because employers often look for an associate’s degree or 60 college credit hours, plus two years in an early childhood setting and infant/toddler coursework. If you are considering applying, confirm your transcript, experience, and infant/toddler training before submitting; this platform’s AI-summarized requirements and benefits help you review the original posting faster.