Position Description: The Preschool Classroom Teacher at Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech is a qualified early childhood education specialist with familiarity of working with students ages three to five in a classroom setting. The classroom teacher is responsible for the development and implementation of classroom lesson plans with a focus on student’s auditory, speech, and language skills, while facilitating their development across all developmental domains. Additionally, collaborative work with Clarke’s administrative staff, speech-language pathologists, educational audiologist, and LEA representatives is required to fulfill the requirements of student’s Individualized Education Plans. The Preschool Classroom Teacher position is a forty-hour a week, 215 days a year contracted position with daily hours of 8:00am to 4:30pm.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement daily lesson plans following Pennsylvania Early Standards and curriculum-based instruction that is developmentally appropriate for students in classroom.
- Create an environment with fosters independence, confidence, creativity, respect for materials and people in the environment, and is conducive to experiential learning.
- Facilitate student’s interactions with instruction that is child-centered, based on the basic principles of child development and provides children with problem-solving skills and a foundation for acquiring knowledge from preschool through their educational career.
- Provide a comfortable and supportive environment for parents in which they are respected, encouraged to observe their children, and supported in their efforts for parent their child with hearing loss.
- Observe students and record information related to all aspects of the child’s development to be used for developing appropriate goals and tracking student progress.
- Engage individual students and small groups of students, daily, in activities that contribute to the development of listening and spoken language skills.
- Collaborate with Clarke professionals to provide accurate information on the listening and spoken language outcomes for students to both parents and fellow professionals, and explain, model, and encourage techniques necessary to build age-appropriate skills.
- Collaborate with Clarke professionals to troubleshoot hearing assistive technology, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone-anchored hearing aids, and remote microphone systems.
- Collaborate with Clarke professionals to provide diagnostic information about auditory, speech, and language skills of students who are deaf or hard of hearing using formal testing, differentiated instruction, and observations.
- Maintain regular communication with families of students via written notes, emails, classroom blog posting and progress report meetings to discuss classroom activities, goals, student progress, and to address questions or concerns.
- Provide guidance and support to Classroom Teacher Assistant in maintaining the health, safety, and educational well-being of the students in classroom.
- To educate parents and provide them with follow-up activities which will enhance the development of their child’s communication skills.
- To communicate effectively with Clarke staff, families, related service-providers, and health care professions as it related to the care and success of students on their caseload.
Other Duties:
- Perform tasks as requested by Clarke’s administrative team deemed necessary to provide a quickly educational experience and meet the requirements of contracting agencies.
- Attend required staff meetings; including departmental meetings to plan classroom and school activities as dictated by the developmental needs and interests of the students.
- Provide input regarding the progress of students, curriculum issues, contribute to brainstorming and collaborating with colleagues.
- Collect and report on data for student’s individualized outcomes, as set by the IEP.
- Write and submit trimester progress reports for students.
- Participate in trimester progress report meetings.
- Serve as an active participant in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings by attending and collaborating with Clarke staff to report on IEP goals and classroom participation.
- Participate in professional learning opportunities as required by Clarke, state, and county specifications.
- Maintain communication with director, educational support specialist, and other Clarke staff as related to the development of students in classroom.
- Display professionalism in attire, interactions with students and family, and collaboration with staff and related professionals.
- Uphold HIPAA compliancy for the safety and protection of students and families.
- Attend field trips to assist students in the development of auditory, speech, and language skill development as it relates to the classroom curriculum.
- Treatment of students, families, and other staff with respect and dignity.
Physical demands:
· Ability to carry light weight.
· Ability to stoop or kneel.
· Ability to maintain the safety and support of young students requiring adult assistance in activities related to an early childhood education classroom routine.
Education, licenses, certifications, skills, and experience
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Deaf Education, Special Education, or a related field (ex. Communication Science Disorders).
- Valid Pennsylvania Teacher Certificate in related field, or willingness/ability to obtain
- Pennsylvania state credentials
- Pennsylvania State clearances – Child Abuse, FBI, Criminal Background Check
- Knowledge and experience in early childhood education
- Knowledge and experience with assistive listening devices, including but not limited to, hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone anchored hearing aids, and remote technology preferred but not required.
*Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
**Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
*** Title IX Notice of Nondiscrimination: Clarke Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. Clarke Schools is required by Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. The Chief Human Resource Officer, Karen Katsanos, MA, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, 45 Round Hill Road, Northampton, MA 01060, telephone number 413-582-1155, has been designated as the employee responsible for coordinating Clarke Schools efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 to Clarke Schools may be referred to Karen Katsanos or to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, at 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-1100, telephone number 800-421-3481.
EOE
