Preschool Teacher

We are seeking a passionate and dedicated Teacher to join our team. The teacher is responsible for the supervision and management of a self-contained and child-centered classroom in keeping with the goals and expectations of the Mercer Street Friends Preschool.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities

• Develop and implement developmentally appropriate lesson plans based on an approved curriculum, best practices, and standards of quality
• Address the needs of each child and plan accordingly
• Carry out daily activities in meaningful manner
• Conduct ongoing assessments and evaluations of the effectiveness
• The teacher will supervise and ensure each child’s safety and physical well-being, maintain regular and consistent positive communication with each parent, and contribute to the operation of the overall early childhood program
• Plan and operate a meaningful and effective child development program that addresses each child’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs based on the goals and expectations of the program and each child
• Ensure that the daily routine in each classroom is carried out, including maintaining a safe and sanitary environment, regular hand washing, family-style meal service, use of universal precautions, assisting children with toileting, including accidents, comforting children at rest time, cleaning and tidying occupied areas, and providing smooth transitions between activities
• Always ensure the safety of each child through direct supervision, effective arrangement of space, and proper maintenance of supplies and equipment
• Plan and implement daily, weekly, and monthly indoor/outdoor activities:
• Use developmentally appropriate assessment tools, including maintenance of accurate and ongoing record keeping of anecdotal and formal, individual and group assessments of children; careful and non-judgmental observation of and listening to children
• Create a pleasant, inviting atmosphere in which children feel comfortable, happy and secure
• Focus on processes in learning as well as outcomes
• Provide experiences involving that promote individual self-expression in conversation, imaginative play and creativity
• Provide a variety of stimulating language activities
• Provide experiences involving higher order thinking skills such as classifying, sorting, generalizing, special relations, music, movement, time problem solving, letter recognition and number skills
• Provide a variety of opportunities to help children develop and understand interpersonal relationship building, such as sharing and taking turns
• Maintain positive relationships with parents. Communicate through a variety of means: verbal, written, phone, and conferences with parents. Provide at minimum weekly progress updates to parents. Hold a minimum of two parent conferences per year. Disseminate information monthly or weekly to parents about the planned classroom activities
• Participate in all scheduled staff meetings
• Attend professional trainings, conferences and workshops. Obtain a minimum of twelve training hours per year. Provide a periodic in-service training to colleagues regarding relevant information learned at workshops, trainings, and conferences
• Complete all undergraduate and or graduate courses to fulfill certification requirements, if applicable
• Upon request, serve as a supervisor for student teachers
• Work as a team member to ensure high standard of quality for the entire program
• Assume additional duties as requested by the Director of the Preschool or Chief Executive Officer
• EOE

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in early childhood education
• Completion of two years teaching experience at the early childhood level (excluding student teaching)
• NJ Teaching Certification and or eligibility for certification in early childhood education (P-3)
• Eligibility requirements subject to change based on any legal rulings in the Abbott v. Burke case
• Submission of completed and unfounded Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) and Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) background checks
• Certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid
• Must be physically able to perform the essential functions of the job: must be reliable and flexible
• Commitment to working in a style consistent with the Quaker values of equality, integrity, simplicity, and non-violent conflict resolutions
• Bilingual is a plus
• Commitment/experience in working with culturally diverse communities/families and the ability to be culturally sensitive and appropriate.