Preschool Lead Teacher
New York, NY
Full Time
Experienced
| Job Title: | Lead Teacher |
| Department: | Preschool |
| Position Reports to: | Director of Preschool and Early Childhood |
| Salary and FLSA Status: | $61,000 Annual |
Position Overview
Third Street Music School is seeking a Lead Teacher for our Twos, Threes, or Fours classes who will be responsible for providing the overall learning experience for preschool children, classroom management and social guidance. Our curriculum is developed by our teachers through research and creativity in response to the interests of the child. Preferred candidates will demonstrate an interest in observing, making, creating, researching, and exploring. The teacher will be attentive to children’s emotional, physical and cognitive development. In addition, the Lead Teacher will be caring for the physical and emotional well-being of any child in the program, and in particular, their classroom. This includes diapering, assistance with potty training, wiping faces, washing hands, changing clothes as needed, assisting with self-care, negotiating play between children, and taking proactive measures to ensure a safe classroom. The Lead Teacher also directs the Associate Teacher(s), substitute teachers and interns. This role will maintain continuous interaction with parents.
Responsibilities
- Adhere to Third Street’s philosophy and educational goals for children.
- Communicate appropriately with all constituencies.
- Attend and actively participate in all required staff, team, and school meetings. All meetings are in-person unless otherwise indicated by the Director.
- Attend and actively participate in all required professional development sessions. These sessions are in-person unless otherwise indicated by the Director.
- Demonstrate strong communication skills, including written, oral and listening skills.
- Communicate openly and frequently with Director regarding children, curriculum and parent interactions.
- Develop warm and trusting relationships with children, parents and caregivers.
- Create and distribute weekly online communications, submitting each for Director’s review.
- Promote intentional and open-ended play experiences.
- Respect and incorporate the value of play and the arts.
- Perform any other preschool related duties as directed by supervisor.
- Follow all applicable policies and procedures in Third Street employee handbooks and manuals, and is compliant with all applicable regulations.
- Effectively incorporate feedback and direction from supervisor.
- Uphold confidentiality, limiting discussions of children and families to constructive conversations with the Director and Associate Teacher.
- Actively contribute to building and maintaining a supportive and respectful community for the preschool and Third Street Music School as a whole.
- Reliable in attendance and arrives punctually. Contacts supervisor in advance when expecting to be absent or late.
- Prepared for each day’s activities and arranges active planning with Associate Teacher(s).
- Respectful team member and alert to all health and safety issues.
- Maintain a safe and attractive classroom that allows children to explore, play and create. This includes sanitizing toys and materials.
- Organize classroom space into inspiring yet functional areas understood by children.
- Maintain all classroom furnishing and materials in a clean and orderly manner.
- Provide for constant supervision and engagement of all children during activities, both indoors and outdoors ensuring a safe environment.
- Curate classroom bulletin boards and wall displays to reflect emergent classroom interests, allowing for in-process demonstrations of student work.
- Demonstrate effective, kind and consistent classroom management strategies.
- Help children move from one activity and location to another activity.
- Knowledgeable in child development and sets appropriate expectations of children in coordination with the Associate Teacher(s).
- Track new aspects of growth and development of children, incorporating learning goals accordingly.
- Prepare confidential reports for ongoing schools, therapists and outside agencies as requested by the school or parent.
- Identify potential concerns with the Director and/or Developmental Consultant before discussing concerns with parents.
- Set and maintain expectations for each child in accordance with developmental milestones.
- Conduct parent-teacher conferences with clarity, care and sensitivity.
- Support children in their efforts to build independence, resilience and confidence.
- Encourage children to engage in all areas of the classroom.
- Generate curriculum that is developmentally attuned, interactive and grounded in children’s interests as well as their everyday experience, sparking the potential for new learning.
- Plan daily activities jointly with the Associate Teacher(s) to reflect curriculum initiatives and developmental guidelines, while integrating music and movement.
- Allow and encourages in-depth exploration of materials and dynamics in accordance with progressive principles.
- Encourage creative expression, intellectual curiosity and skill development.
- Use available community resources for classroom enrichment.
- Warm, generous and responsive to young children.
- Friendly and respectful with parents and colleagues.
- Works well collaboratively.
- Extend and facilitate positive interaction among students.
- Master’s degree in early childhood education or related field, or otherwise meets study plan qualifications.
- New York State Certified or actively pursuing certification.
- Two years’ experience as a Lead Teacher with three professional references.
- Two years’ experience working in an early childhood setting or similar position.
- Completes all training and certification demands required by New York City Department of Health and Hygiene.
- Follows all applicable policies and procedures in Third Street employee handbooks and manuals, and is familiar and compliant with all applicable regulations.
ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND: As the nation’s longest-running community music school, Third Street Music School has been transforming lives through the arts for 130 years. In 1894, Third Street was founded by Emilie Wagner, an arts education pioneer who made music education the cornerstone of a settlement house that welcomed immigrants to NYC and provided families with housing support, food, and medical care alongside arts enrichment. Today, Third Street is committed to leveraging arts education to empower youth to reach their fullest potential and unite the diverse communities of NYC. Third Street serves 5,000+ students annually, enriching their lives and communities.
Third Street’s core programs include: 1) music and dance instruction for people of all ages, offered seven days a week; 2) public school, public housing, and community partnerships (Third Street Partners) providing instruction in 30+ underserved schools and community centers; 3) a music-infused preschool for students 6 months to five years; and 4) a performance program with over 250 live and virtual concerts annually for more than 10,000 audience members at Third Street and celebrated venues across NYC.
Our Commitment to diversity embraces a collegial Third Street community in which faculty and staff of every racial identity feel a sense of belonging, feel supported and valued in their work without feeling tokenized.
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