Location
Waukegan, Illinois
Salary
$45,778 - $66,067 / YEAR
The Floater Teacher coordinates and implements daily educational programs and developmentally appropriate activities for children from birth to five. They are responsible for monitoring child growth, maintaining education binders, and managing the classroom in the teacher's absence.
Candidates should ideally hold a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development, or an Associate degree while pursuing a Bachelor's. A minimum of six months of experience in an early childhood program and a cleared background check are required.
Description We are hiring in Waukegan, IL for our Early Head Start program.
Start Early Lake County provides high-quality care, best-in-class education, and a stimulating learning environment to children from birth to five years old. As a program that serves low-income families, Start Early’s research-based program helps children develop the literacy, language, early math, and social-emotional skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning, and communication.
The Floater Teacher is responsible for coordinating and planning daily education programs for children. Under the supervision of the Education Coordinator and in coordination with the teaching team, the floater teacher will help assess and ensure that all classroom activities and environments are developmentally appropriate and meet the individual needs of children as mandated by federal, state and local standards and that they reflect the agency’s philosophy and curriculum.
Develop and regularly monitor child education binders for each child and ensure all confidential information is protected. Ensure that all required program documentation is complete and submitted to the Education Coordinator in a timely manner. Participate in recruitment efforts to help maintain full program enrollment. Schedule and conduct home visits and adhere to the home visit guidance policy. Adhere to all Individualized Education Programs, Individualized Family Service Plans, and/or Individualized Health Care Plans and strategies provided by Education Coordinators or Consultants. As assigned by the classroom teacher, monitor and ensure that daily attendance, health checks, parent sign/scan in, and meal participation reports are completed daily. Observe, assess and document each assigned child’s health, skills, behavior, growth and development. Provide opportunities for children to develop positive self-images and experience success. Participate in Family/Child Reviews. Identify any developmental concerns regarding the children and follow agency protocol. Plan and implement developmentally appropriate experiences that will promote the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of each child. Utilize standardized and authentic assessment data to create learning opportunities to advance children’s development and learning. Establish and maintain a classroom environment that ensures appropriate child guidance and discipline techniques are implemented in accordance with Start Early’s philosophy, curriculum, policies and procedures, Head Start standards, Start Early’s standards of conduct and state regulations. In the absence of a teacher, perform and delegate child development. Schedule and conduct Parent/Staff conferences and adhere to the parent/staff conference guidance policy. Assume responsibility for the management of the classroom during the Teacher’s absence.
Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Child Development (CD) preferred OR Associates Degree working towards Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Child Development (CD). A minimum of six months’ experience in an early childhood program. Clearance of background check by Department of Children and Family Services. A biannual physical examination and TB test are required as a condition of initial employment and continued employment.
Start Early is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to our core values by creating an inclusive environment for all staff.
Market context
Illinois classroom teacher roles are typically in steady demand, especially in districts seeking candidates who can support diverse student needs and communicate clearly with families and staff. This type of role is competitive because employers often look for classroom experience plus related backgrounds such as sociology, psychology, counseling, or education, and bilingual skills in English, Spanish, or Portuguese can strengthen an application. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits on this platform to save research time, then tailor your resume to highlight public speaking experience and weekend availability if you have it.
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