Job Description
Associate Teacher
Department: Head Start
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: East Providence - Willett
Reporting To: Heidi Nordmann
Compensation: $20.00 - $22.00 / hour
Help shape the future of young learners while making a meaningful impact on families and communities! As a Teacher Associate - Head Start, you'll play a vital role in creating engaging, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences that help children build confidence, curiosity, and school readiness skills. If you're passionate about early childhood education and thrive in a collaborative, supportive environment, we'd love to hear from you.
The Teacher Associate partners with the Teacher Lead to deliver high-quality early childhood education programs that support children's academic, social, emotional, and physical development. This role helps maintain a safe and welcoming classroom environment while implementing evidence-based teaching practices, curriculum activities, and family engagement initiatives aligned with Head Start standards and developmentally appropriate practices.
The ideal candidate is committed to fostering positive learning experiences, supporting family involvement, and contributing to a collaborative educational team dedicated to helping children thrive.
Key Responsibilities
Educational Program Implementation
- Partner with the Teacher Lead to plan and facilitate engaging learning experiences that strengthen literacy, language, early math, science, and social studies skills.
- Support children's intellectual, physical, social, and emotional growth while promoting school readiness.
- Maintain a safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate classroom environment.
- Supervise children closely and consistently throughout the day.
- Observe and document children's progress to support ongoing assessment and individualized learning plans.
- Use positive guidance techniques and classroom management strategies that encourage healthy social-emotional development.
Family Engagement & Support
- Foster meaningful relationships with families and encourage active participation in their child's educational journey.
- Collaborate with families to identify opportunities that enhance learning at home.
- Participate in parent-teacher conferences and home visits to share information, discuss progress, and provide support.
- Build trusting partnerships through open, respectful communication.
- Assist with required home visits and family conferences.
- Support community outreach and recruitment activities, including occasional evening or weekend events.
Classroom Management & Leadership Support
- Assist in overseeing daily classroom operations and support substitute staff, volunteers, and classroom assistants when needed.
- Help maintain classroom organization, cleanliness, supplies, and food service coordination.
- Serve as a positive representative of the program while building strong relationships with host schools and community partners.
- Communicate safety concerns and policy issues appropriately.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support children with specialized service needs, including implementation of therapeutic integration plans when applicable.
Professional Development & Collaboration
- Maintain required educational credentials and participate in at least 24 hours of annual professional development.
- Collaborate with family development staff and program leaders to achieve Head Start performance goals.
- Demonstrate commitment to diversity, ethics, professionalism, and continuous learning.
- Promote agency programs and connect families with available resources.
- Participate in trainings, consultations, and other activities that contribute to program excellence.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
We're looking for candidates who bring:
- Strong relationship-building and communication skills.
- A collaborative, team-oriented approach.
- The ability to support and redirect children experiencing challenging behaviors.
- Excellent organizational and classroom management abilities.
- Professional judgment, discretion, and a commitment to confidentiality.
- The ability to build trust and partnerships with children, families, colleagues, and community stakeholders.
Required Education
One of the following:
- High school diploma or GED with at least 6 credits in Early Childhood Education coursework and enrollment in a CDA program to be completed within one year of hire.
- Child Development Associate (CDA) credential in Early Childhood Education with supervised teaching experience in an ECE setting.
- Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field with supervised teaching experience in an ECE setting.
Required Experience
- Experience teaching in an early childhood education environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- CDA credential or degree in Early Childhood Education.
- Experience with The Creative Curriculum and classroom assessment tools.
- Familiarity with Conscious Discipline and The Incredible Years approaches.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to use computers and standard office equipment.
- Ability to sit, stand, bend, reach, and move throughout the facility as needed.
- Ability to meet vision and hearing requirements necessary to support classroom supervision and instruction
Benefits
Eligible full-time employees working 30-40 hours per week enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including:
- Medical and dental insurance
- Vision coverage options
- Flexible spending accounts
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
- Employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability coverage
- Generous paid time off and holidays
- Mileage reimbursement
- Tuition reimbursement
- Paid professional development and CEU opportunities
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
