Early Childhood Lead Teacher

Western New Mexico University; Silver City (NM); Hybrid; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Western New Mexico University is seeking a Lead Teacher for its Early Childhood Programs on the Silver City campus. The role involves implementing developmentally appropriate curricula, planning lessons, and coordinating with families to foster student growth.

Minimum 64 credit hours toward a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education or an equivalent degree is required, with First Aid/CPR certification. Bilingual (Spanish) preferred, and the position emphasizes safety and community engagement.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of age-appropriate activities and behaviors.
• Ability to implement emergent curriculum development for early childhood.
• Capability to plan individual learning plans for children.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate curricula.
• Prepare weekly lesson plans and provide daily educational activities.
• Supervise playground activities and ensure child safety.
• Coordinate with families and conduct parent conferences.

Skills

Curriculum planning

Assessment & evaluation

Classroom management

Child development knowledge

Education

64 credit hours toward Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education

Associate/Bachelor/Master in Early Childhood Education or related field

Job description

Implements instructional and developmentally appropriate programs for young children within the Early Childhood Programs in compliance with established state and national accreditation and licensing standards.

Duties

• Develops, implements, and evaluates child centered and age appropriate curriculum to ensure adherence to national accreditation requirements.
• Prepares weekly lesson plans in accordance with established curriculum goals and objectives. Provides daily age appropriate educational activities for students from lesson plan. Provides small group interactive sessions to ensure understanding of concepts, lesson and/or activities.
• Plans and implements special events and classroom activities in support of emergent curriculum. Supervises classroom activities of students for understanding of specific lesson objectives and educational exercise.
• Assigns classroom activities to assistants to facilitate overall classroom management and delivery of instruction. Works closely with other teaching staff to coordinate and plan interclass projects and activities.
• Supervises all playground student activities and behavior to ensure appropriate safety and interaction skills. Plans and implements outdoor curricular activities with the children, extending the learning environment from indoors to outdoors.
• Works closely with families to discuss student progress, concerns, needs. Participates in regular parent conferences and pre-semester orientations. Works to maintain strong, positive relationships with children, families, colleagues, and the community. Participates in regular parent conferences and pre-semester orientations.
• Continually seeks creative ways to inspire, foster and support parental involvement, utilizing the uniqueness of each child and family to introduce cultural diversity into the curriculum and classroom.
• Administers assessments to children to measure social and emotional risks and resiliency. Utilizes assessment tools and observational skills to identify developmental needs of each child and devises learning plans to individualize instruction.
• Adheres to the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment.
• Coordinates the activities of the early childhood education practicum and internship students to deepen their understanding of early care and education best practices through hands‑on learning in the classroom setting and completes the required laboratory student assessment reports. Meets with early childhood education faculty and co‑teaching staff to evaluate internship and practicum students.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education/Background

Minimum of 64 credit hours completed successfully towards a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or must have an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field and experience with young children. Bilingual (Spanish) preferred.

Job Knowledge

Knowledge of age appropriate activities, interests and behaviors. Knowledge of proper handling procedures for food. Knowledge of the principles and practices for emergent curriculum development specific to early childhood education. Ability of to implement the vision, mission, philosophy of the Early Childhood Programs. Knowledge of curriculums and principles, practices and techniques for development of lesson plans specific to early childhood education. Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with young children, staff and parents. Skill in working effectively in an environment subject to noise, frequent exposure to contagious diseases, interruptions and quickly changing priorities. Skill in quickly responding to dynamic situations utilizing effective communication and appropriate intervention methods to maintain classroom management. Skill in working with young children to help them complete activities and remain focused on assigned activities. Skill in working on an individual basis with children with special needs. Skills in guiding classroom assistants to ensure appropriate classroom management.

Working Conditions/ Physical Demands (With or Without Accommodations)

Normal classroom environment. May be required to lift, push, and pull office equipment and materials. Must be able to stoop, bend, squat, sit on floor and ambulate over uneven floor surfaces including stairs and steps. Must be able to visually and auditory assess situations to insure health and safety. Work involves moderate exposure to unusual elements, such as extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, and/or loud noises. Light maintenance such as shoveling, sweeping, mopping, throwing of trash, and others may be needed. May be required to work additional hours or days depending on circumstances.

Other Requirements

Certification in First Aid/ CPR is required.

Location

Location Silver City-On Campus

Length of Contract

Salary Range

Salary Range $33,600-$55,000

Advertising Summary

The Lead Teacher position is open year around for recruitment. Candidates are reviewed as they apply and contacted when positions are opened.