Early Childhood Family Education Teacher

1.0 FTE Early Childhood Family Education Teacher. Effective for 2024-2025 school year.

Job Summary
To enhance the learning of all children and parents, to provide the best possible environment for child’s learning and growth through education and support to parents and/or children.

Job Functions
• Contribute ideas, plan, implement and promote ECFE classes/program.
• Plan, implement, evaluate and coordinate curriculum, while accounting for a variety of learning styles, abilities, ages and needs of learners.
• Ensure learning materials and equipment are appropriate to the developmental level, needs, and interests of the children, in addition to development of learning centers.
• Prepare, establish and maintain a positive and engaging learning environment.
• Use a variety of developmentally appropriate resources/methods during planning and implementation of lesson plans reflecting current research.
• Use inclusive education methods and materials, plus develop and maintain resource materials.
• Encourage parents to interact with children and model appropriate adult-child interaction with child and parent initiated learning.
• Ensure learning activities emphasize process rather than product and provide concrete, experiential learning.
• Use a variety of teaching strategies and adapt them to the learning styles of children and parents.
• Set goals and plan strategies to promote learning through individual needs and interests of children and/or parents.
• Ensure verbal and nonverbal communication with children is respectful; contributes to language development by helping children verbalize their thoughts, feelings and actions, plus provides a role model for parents.
• Implement positive guidance techniques and provide role modeling for parents.
• Utilize strategies to engage and enhance parent-child interactions and learning.
• Support parents to become observers of their children and respond appropriately to children’s cues and signals through a variety of methods.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries with families through interactions and use of technology.
• Develop predictable, yet flexible classroom routines promoting smooth transitions from one activity to the next.
• Clarify and summarize ideas expressed during discussions as needed, linking to reinforce learning.
• Accept and support parents and children; distinctions are made between specific behaviors and parents or children as a person, plus parents are respected as their child’s prime educator.
• Use a variety of resources, techniques and technology to support learner needs.
• Assist with separation issues to support each child and parent.
• Assist in implementation of strategies to promote the development of each child’s social, interpersonal, motor and readiness skills.
• Observe, monitor, and record each child’s development and behavior, as needed.
• Follow all health and safety guidelines, plus respect confidentiality.
• Implement program policies, procedures and philosophy to provide an engaged, positive learning environment for all.
• Provide direction and support to assistants.
• Maintain appropriate records and respond appropriately to emergency or crisis situations.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries with families through interactions and use of technology.
• Participate as a team member, consult with and maintain communication with all staff, plus share ideas/content/information with other staff.
• Remain flexible to assume other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
• Attend staff, community education, district meetings and staff development activities, as directed or necessary.
• Promote a climate of mutual respect, trust, and responsibility.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Current Minnesota licensure in Early Education.
• Training or experience teaching in an early childhood program.
• Experience developing, modifying, and implementing curriculum and learning environments for children from Birth to 5 Years and their parents.
• Group leadership skills for parent and/or child groups.
• Demonstrated collaboration and relationship building skills.
• Experience working with culturally, economically and socially diverse families.
• Ability to work days and evenings.
• Flexibility and ability to function as a team member.
• Demonstrated knowledge of child development, parent-child relations, family relations, early childhood education.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal and communication skills; approachable, positive and nonjudgmental with children, parents, community members and staff.
• Ability to model and encourage appropriate behavior and interactions with children.
• Ability to use or learn technology; computer, Ipad, Smart Boards, etc to promote learning.
• Demonstrated prompt, regular and reliable attendance

Physical Requirements
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 talk, hear, stoop, lift, use hands for fingering, grasping and feeling, wrists, hands and/or fingers for repetitive motions.  The employee is occasionally required to kneel, crouch, reach, stand and walk. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 60 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Application Process:  Apply online at www.sspps.org; open until filled.