Jewish Council for Youth Services·Highland Park, Illinois
The Lead Preschool Teacher is responsible for planning and leading developmentally appropriate activities to nurture children's growth. They must maintain a supportive environment, supervise children across various settings, and communicate daily updates to parents.
Are you passionate about shaping young minds, fostering creativity, and helping children thrive? At Jewish Council for Youth Services (JCYS), we’ve been creating joyful, nurturing, and inclusive spaces for over 118 years. Our nonprofit agency provides early childhood education and camp programs to children of all backgrounds, and we’re currently looking for a caring, dedicated Lead Preschool Teacher to join our team at our Highland Park Center!
If you love watching children learn, grow, and explore, and you’re excited to make a real difference in their lives, we’d love to meet you!
As a Lead Preschool Teacher at JCYS, you’ll play a key role in shaping each child’s experience. You’ll work alongside passionate colleagues to create a warm, supportive environment where curiosity and learning flourish. Your responsibilities will include:
Planning and leading fun, developmentally appropriate activities that nurture children’s growth and align with JCYS’s values.
Building positive relationships by maintaining a warm, caring, and respectful attitude toward every child.
Actively supervising children in the classroom, hallways, playground, buses, and during offsite trips.
Sending daily updates to parents to keep them connected to their child’s day.
Communicating with the Center Director about parent messages, classroom incidents, and important updates.
Collaborating with fellow teachers and staff to build a vibrant, connected learning community.
Keeping confidential information safe and handling it with care.
Attending staff meetings to learn, grow, and support one another.
Supporting JCYS policies and contributing to the center’s positive atmosphere.
We’re looking for someone who brings warmth, energy, and professionalism to the classroom, along with the following qualifications:
Education: An Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education (or a related field) is preferred, with at least 6 credit hours in child development.
Experience: At least 2 years of experience working with young children.
Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills, a collaborative spirit, and a talent for building positive relationships with children, parents, and fellow teachers.
Physical Engagement: You’ll be physically active in your interactions with children—whether you’re stooping, bending, sitting on the floor, or helping them on the playground.
A Love for Children: Above all, you must genuinely enjoy working with children and supporting their growth.
To thrive in this role, you should be comfortable with physical activity. You’ll frequently sit, stand, walk, bend, stoop, and crouch. Occasionally, you may need to lift or move items up to 25 pounds. You’ll also need strong vision abilities, including close and distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
WHY JCYS?
At JCYS, we believe in the power of play, creativity, and connection. We’re proud to be a welcoming and inclusive community, where children and families of all religions, races, and ethnicities come together to learn, grow, and thrive.
JCYS is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
Candidates should ideally hold an Associate's or Bachelor's degree in early childhood education with at least 2 years of experience working with young children. Physical ability to engage in active classroom movements and a genuine love for children are required.
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.
Lead Infant Preschool Teacher
Assistant Preschool Teacher
Lead Preschool Teacher