Classroom Lead Instructor

Strong Start; Waterloo; On-site; CAD 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Statutory payroll benefits

Job summary

Strong Start Charitable Organization is seeking a Lead Instructor for the Get Ready for School program. You will guide a team of Instructors and volunteers, delivering age-appropriate activities that build early literacy skills for children aged 3 to 4.

You will meet families, evaluate progress, and maintain records while collaborating with program staff. This is a limited-term, daytime role with December training and a January–June 2027 schedule.

Qualifications

• Minimum of one-year experience working with children in an educational or program setting.
• Gifted in encouraging and supporting young children, including those with special needs.
• Experience with diverse populations and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision; strong teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, support, and day-to-day coaching for your team of Instructors and volunteers.
• Meet with registrant families during Welcome and Final Visits.
• Perform a Behaviour Evaluation for each child in the first two weeks and last week.
• Work with children ages 3-4 in whole and small groups, and individually.
• Maintain accurate program records and timecards; manage snack provisioning.
• Follow prescribed teaching systems and collaborate with the Program Manager.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Teamwork

Adaptability

Tools

First Aid CPR-C

Policies & Compliance

Job description

If you are passionate about helping young children reach their potential, then Strong Start Charitable Organization has an exciting opportunity for you. At Strong Start, we help young children build the skills and confidence they need to become lifelong readers. Our programs are grounded in research, powered by community, and designed to meet children where they are in their learning journey.

In the role of a Lead Instructor with the Get Ready for School™ program, you will directly impact the lives of children ages 3 to 4, as they prepare for entry into junior kindergarten. Working collaboratively with a team of Instructors, you will encourage children through purposeful play and instruction in a rich learning environment. You will gain new skills and valuable experience as you leverage the training provided and implement this reputable, high-quality research-based program.

The successful candidate will be an energetic, responsible, compassionate person who works hard to support the children in the program to gain confidence as young learners. You will demonstrate a strong understanding of early years learning and child development. As you implement the program you will work with children in groups and individually, learning songs and activities with a focus on developing children’s early literacy skills and classroom learning behaviours. Prescribed lesson plans, along with training and materials, will provide all you need to implement this impactful program, providing a positive learning experience for the children attending.

Strong Start is committed to an inclusive selection process to attract candidates representing the diversity of the children and families we serve. Strong Start is an equal opportunity employer, and accommodation is available during all phases of the recruitment process. We ask that any applicants requiring accommodations make their needs known in advance

This is a limited-term, daytime position during the mornings and/or afternoon. Training occurs in December 2026 with the programming running from January 2027 to end of June 2027. The work week is 6-30 hours a week, along with some additional administrative work, depending on the number of assigned sites.

Remuneration:$25.00/hour + applicable statutory payroll benefits

Key Responsibilities

Program Delivery, Leadership, Support and Accountability

• Provide leadership, support, and day-to-day coaching for your team of Instructors, placement students and/or volunteers;
• Meet with registrant families during Welcome and Final Visits;
• Perform a Behaviour Evaluation for each child in the first two weeks of the program and the last week of the program;
• Work with children ages 3-4 in whole groups, small groups and individually;
• Attend an orientation meeting at the program site(s) you will be instructing at;
• Develop and nurture positive relationships with the children in the program, their parents/guardians, the Instructing team, and Program Partner(s);
• Ensure that all Health and Safety procedures and policies are followed, including documentation (e.g., Incident/Accident Reporting Form);
• Keep accurate and up to date program records, maintaining administrative binders for each site, including all required paperwork for each child;
• Follow a prescribed teaching system and model best practices as outlined in the program manual and as requested by the Program Manager or Senior Program personnel.
• Work collaboratively with the Program team including the team of Instructors and Program Manager / Program Coordinator to facilitate the program at the site and seek assistance when required;
• Support the Instructing team in implementing the program including snack time, circle time, play time and small group instruction time; and
• Represent Strong Start in a professional manner at all times.

Administration, Organization and Materials for the Get Ready for School Lead Instructor

• Maintain administrative binders for each site including all required paperwork for each child and keep accurate and up-to-date program records;
• Be responsible for acquiring snack, using a prepaid grocery card, provided by Strong Start (including submitting all receipts at the end of the program), and work with Instructing staff to ensure snack is prepared and served each day;
• Complete and submit biweekly electronic timecard;
• There may be times that you are required to perform some work from home. When working from home, you must follow Strong Start's Work from Home and Cyber Security policies and procedures; Use personal computer and Wi-Fi in private setting to perform administrative tasks and attend program meetings throughout the 6-month program;
• A mobile device for communication with Program Team and Instructing team is required; and
• Keep administrative and program materials in your home for the duration of the program, taking full responsibility for them while in your possession, if needed.

Qualifications, Skills, and Requirements

• Minimum of one-year experience working with children in either an educational or formal program setting;
• Gifted in encouraging and supporting young children including children with exceptional needs;
• Experience working with diverse populations including those from low-income levels and be sensitive to their needs;
• Proven organizational and communication skills;
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision;
• Strong interpersonal and cooperation skills; a team player;
• Experience leading and supervising adults; comfortable communicating with parents/caregivers;
• Experience working in a non-profit setting an asset;
• Ability to lift program bin of material, approximately 25 pounds;
• Floor level work ability: kneel, squat, stoop and sit on the floor and/or low child sized chairs for up to 50 minutes consecutively;
• Ability to rapidly move from a seated / kneeling floor position to a standing position to respond to an emergency;
• Auditory awareness: maintain the ability to distinguish and locate distress cries or verbal cues in a high-noise environment;
• Access to a computer and secure Wi-Fi to allow for work from home; and
• Experience with Zoom or other similar virtual platforms is an asset.

Required Training and/or Certifications for the Get Ready for School Lead Instructor:

• Trained in Standard First Aid and CPR-C, providing and maintaining current certification;
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act & Ontario Human Rights Commission training certificate (training provided).
• Workplace Health and Safety Awareness for Supervisors certificate.
• WMHIS certificate (training provided).
• Current Vulnerable Sector Police Check or Declaration signed if you have worked for Strong Start within the past 12 months.
• Behaviour Management Systems certificate (training provided), approximately 7 hours. And
• Attend required Get Ready for School program training sessions, approximately 20 hours.

Security and Privacy:

Strong Start® Charitable Organization is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information of its employees, volunteers, members, children, parents/guardians, donors, partners, and other stakeholders, by following responsible information handling practices in keeping with privacy laws. Please read our Privacy Notice here .

Application deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026, at 4:00 pm EST or until suitable candidates are found

Strong Start uses AI‑enabled features within ADP Workforce Now to assist with initial résumé screening by comparing application information to job‑related criteria. Candidates may choose to opt out of this AI‑supported review. All applications are ultimately reviewed by Strong Start staff, and hiring decisions are made by people. While Strong Start uses Microsoft 365 tools, including Copilot, in our workplace, these tools are not used in recruitment decision‑making. Candidate screening, assessment, and selection are conducted by people.

Strong Start® is a Canadian charity changing children’s lives through literacy. For over25 years, we’ve been helping young learners build the skills and confidence they need to become lifelong readers. Our programs are grounded in research, aligned with curricula, and delivered through powerful community partnerships with schools, educators, community hubs, families, and thousands of trained volunteers.

From our foundational Letters, Sounds and Words™ program to early intervention initiatives like Get Ready for School™ and Baby Connections®, we meet children where they are and give them the support they need to thrive. Free for families and easy to implement in classrooms and community centres, our programs are proven to deliver real results. After helping more than 64,000 children learn to read over 25 years, Strong Start is scaling our impact like never before.