Infant Toddler Lead Teacher

Metropolitan Family Services; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Infant Toddler Lead Teacher to join their community-focused team. This role is pivotal in fostering the growth and development of infants and toddlers, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment while collaborating with families and staff. You will implement engaging learning experiences and support dual language learners through a structured curriculum. With a commitment to professional development and community impact, this position offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. Join a supportive organization that values its employees and promotes a culture of care and collaboration.

Benefits

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medical Coverage

Guardian Dental Coverage

VSP Vision Coverage

HSA contributions

FREE Teladoc services

401K plan with employer match

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in early childhood education or a Master’s in Early Childhood Education required.
• Ability to create a safe and engaging learning environment for infants and toddlers.

Responsibilities

• Support team planning and implement program activities effectively.
• Guide children's activities in a safe environment and maintain appropriate ratios.
• Conduct education home visits to discuss child development with families.

Skills

Ability to obtain Gateways to Opportunity Level 5 Credential

Planning and implementing learning experiences

Establishing a safe learning environment

Social and emotional development support

Family involvement encouragement

Teamwork

Communication skills

Flexibility in schedule

Education

Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education

Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education

Tools

Teaching Strategies Gold

Job description

If asked to describe the culture at Metropolitan Family Services, we could do that in one word. COMMUNITY! Reflected in both our internal culture as well as through the services we provide, community is at the heart of all we do.

Metropolitan Family Services(MFS) empowers families to learn, to earn, to heal, to thrive. Part mentor, part motivator, part advocate, since 1857, Metropolitan Family Services has been the engine of change that empowers families to reach their greatest potential and positively impact their communities. Are you looking to have an impact on more than just a company’s bottom line? Then we’d love to hear from you!

We are currently looking to fill an Infant Toddler Lead Teacher role at our HACC Family Center.

SALARY: The average starting salary for this position will fall in the range of $50,000 and $55,000 annually. Where candidates fall in this range will be based on skill and experience level.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Responsible for supporting a team approach to planning and implementing program activities.
• Collaborates with Family Support Workers, Teacher’s, Program Aide, site partners, and site supervisor.
• Participates in ongoing CLASS implementation and monitoring.
• Guide and facilitate activities of the children in an environment that is safe.
• Ensures appropriate child guidance and discipline and proper ratios are maintained at all times.
• Attend all mandated trainings. Set and achieve professional development goals. Share resources with other staff members as appropriate. All professional development to be tracked in Gateways.
• Use Teaching Strategies Gold to maintain ongoing, high-quality documentation of school readiness skills. Maintain Interrater Reliability.
• Use Teaching Strategies Gold to communicate with families through monthly newsletters and family conference forms.
• Responsible for the implementation of the program’s Planned Language Approach which is specifically designed to support dual language learners.
• Schedule and conduct education home visits with teaching staff to discuss individual development and progress, assist parents in developing educational goals for their child.
• Maintain accurate teacher and child files.
• Ensure all transportation safety procedures are followed including utilization of the bus attendance log if applicable.
• Ensure accurate completion CACFP documents in conjunction with the teaching staff.
• Builds and ensures positive and ongoing relationships with parents, volunteers, and other staff members.
• Works with site supervisor and family support worker to exchange information pertinent to the identification and services of children with disabilities.
• Conducts and/or oversees screening of all children within prescribed time frames using the developmental, social emotional and other prescribed screenings tools.
• Ensures the curriculum is used to fidelity and that submission of weekly lesson plans including individualization for all children, including monitoring and facilitating accommodations listed in IEPs and IFSPs.
• Provides a supportive, caring and safe environment for children.
• Use the playground as an extension of the classroom; assures that the playground is safe.
• Provides active supervision to ensure the safety of children while in the classroom, during transitions, at time of transportation, and while on the playground. Ensures that no child shall be left alone or unsupervised.
• Ensures the usage of agency technology equipment and time are utilized for agency business.
• Ensures compliance with the agency’s code of conduct.
• Ensures agency’s fiscal integrity by adhering to purchase approval requirements and procedures.
• Assists in the development of the agency’s annual program self-assessment.
• Ensures all content area data is accurately reflected in the agency’s Program Information Reports within set time frames.
• Participate in program recruitment efforts to maintain full enrollment.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES:

• Ability to obtain appropriate Gateways to Opportunity Level 5 Credential.
• Ability to plan and implement learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children, including improving the readiness of children for preschool by developing their literacy awareness and approach to learning.
• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment for infants and toddlers.
• Support the social and emotional development of children.
• Encourage the involvement of the families of the children in Early Head Start program and support the development of relationships between children and their families.
• Demonstrated ability to work in teams.
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a complex environment.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including some evenings and/or weekends if needed.
• Satisfactorily pass a health examination, fingerprint and criminal background check.
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team setting.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or education from an accredited college or university.
• OR Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Early Childhood Education.
• Lead Teacher working with children ages 0-3: Bachelor’s with a Gateways IT Level 5 Gateways Credential.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Satisfactorily pass all relevant screening and criminal background checks.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time, frequently talk, hear, use hands and fingers to feel, handle and operate objects or controls, and occasionally stand, bend, stretch, stoop, kneel and crouch. The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing and viewing a computer terminal. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Metropolitan Family Services puts our people first with a top-of-the-line benefits package. Find out more by clicking here!

Some highlights include:

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medical Coverage, Guardian Dental Coverage, and VSP Vision Coverage.
• Metropolitan Family Services contributions of $2,000 to individual, and $4,000 to family, HSA accounts, pro-rated to your benefits start date.
• FREE General Medicine and Behavioral Health Teladoc services provided to all team members.
• Ascensus 401K plan services with a 4% employer match, vested at 100% on day one of eligibility.

And so much more! Make sure you click here to see the full suite of benefits offered!

MORE ABOUT US:

Metropolitan is Illinois' first comprehensive human services agency and reaches more than 122,970 individuals and families in Chicago, Evanston/Skokie, the southwest suburbs, and DuPage County with services promoting education, economic stability, emotional wellness, and empowerment.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)