Job Abstract

Briya is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within our organization and the communities we serve. We embrace diversity of experiences, ideas, and individuals, and seek to bring diverse candidates to the table.

Important Note: Briya is mandating that all staff are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination.

Position Summary:

The Early Childhood Teacher is part of the early childhood education team at Briya Public Charter School — a leading two-generation education program serving parents and their young children. Briya is a Tier One Public Charter School, consistently achieving the highest educational outcomes through its innovative, family-centric programming.

Briya’s early childhood program serves children from six weeks through pre-kindergarten. Briya teachers draw inspiration from the pedagogical principles of the Reggio Emilia approach, as well as research about best practices for young dual language learners. Teachers engage in authentic assessment on a daily basis and work collaboratively in bilingual inclusion classrooms.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Curriculum and Instruction, and Learning Environment

In collaboration with Early Childhood Assistant (s):

• Provides high quality experiences across developmental areas (social emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development) as well as in literacy and math for infants/toddlers in the Early Childhood Classroom. Utilizes the Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos and GOLD assessment system to guide planning.
• Structures daily routines that are appropriate to the developmental needs of the children in the group.
• Creates a learning environment that responds to and extends children’s changing interests, abilities, and needs. Sets up and maintains a stimulating, safe, and appropriate classroom environment that reflects the Reggio-inspired approach.
• Talks frequently with children to help them develop their oral language skills in English and Spanish (depending on teacher’s assigned and home language) as well as encouraging the development of their home language. Helps children to hear a variety of words in context, to understand their meanings, and put their own ideas and feelings into words.
• Utilizes knowledge of child development so as to approach children’s behaviors from a developmental and holistic standpoint. Attempts to understand children’s individual temperaments, experiences, culture, as well as the root cause of behaviors.
• Strives to maintain a positive social atmosphere at all times. Uses evidence-based strategies to support children’s social emotional development and forms a positive relationship with each child.
• Guides the work of volunteers in the EC classroom.
• Conducts daily cleaning and safety checks and ensures that materials are organized. Periodically rotates materials and toys to maintain children’s curiosity and interests.

Family Engagement

• Demonstrates understanding and competency for family literacy by respecting parents as children’s first teachers and actively engaging them in children’s learning. Collaborates with families to promote children’s development in all areas. Seeks ways to build and strengthen connections with family members.
• Consistently demonstrates and models high regard for children and families through respectful language and actions (when communicating to families and about families).
• Organizes, with center staff, the planning and implementation of “Family Time” (weekly parent-child play-based experiences in the Early Childhood classroom).
• Seeks and listens to parents’ observations about their children. Provides activities and ideas to support children’s learning at home in addition to honoring families’ goals for their children (home-school bridge).
• Works in collaboration with other Briya staff and uses knowledge about children’s health and nutrition needs to support parents in accessing and choosing healthy foods and lifestyles for their children.
• Conducts home visits and documents each visit as scheduled in the school calendar an as necessary. Uses visits as opportunities to build or strengthen relationships with families.

Planning and Assessment

• Documents observations of children on an ongoing basis and uses them to inform teaching. Creates weekly written plans, monitors children’s progress and prepares family conference forms.
• Consults with other teachers to review student progress, share ideas and resources, and find ways to involve families.
• Participates in monthly early childhood meetings and monthly student support team meetings, or on an as-need basis.
• Works with teaching team, families, inclusion coordinator, and supervisor to monitor children’s development and identify those who may benefit from early intervention to refer them for services in a timely manner.

Contribution to Professional Learning and Parent Education

• Contributes to a culture of learning and reflection by participating actively in professional development opportunities and integrating knowledge into daily practice.
• Facilitates child development classes for adults (parents)
• Shares ideas and strategies with co-teacher as well as other teachers in the program and does so in a collaborative team approach.
• Evaluates own teaching practices and modifies approaches based on feedback, reflection and formal assessment tools that are used by the program.
• Assist in recruitment and registration, field trips, student celebrations, and student recognition ceremonies as necessary.

Qualifications:

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience –

• Associates or Bachelors degree (or in process of obtaining) in Early Childhood or related field.
• Minimum three to five years’ experience teaching young children
• Strong oral and written communication skills. Proficiency in either English or Spanish (able to write and use technology to produce written summaries of children’s present levels of performance that are clearly written and free of grammatical errors).
• Ability to use basic educational software applications.
• Able to create written daily and weekly plans

Physical Demands –Regularly required to sit; frequently required to reach with hands and arms, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk or hear; must be able to lift objects up to twenty-five (25) pounds.

Work Environment – Mostly in a typical office and/or home setting with quiet to moderate noise level. May be exposed to extreme cold, heat, and humidity due to outside weather conditions.