Overview A Lead Teacher/Assistant is responsible for establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy and nurturing learning environment. Additionally a Lead Teacher is responsible to work together with an Assistant Teacher and in conjunction with the entire faculty. General Qualifications A Lead Teacher must meet the qualifications of his/her state. * Ability to speak and be understood under normal circumstances * Ability to handle crisis situations, especially where children are involved * Ability to respond immediately to emergency situations * Lead Teacher educational requirements are the same as Director educational requirements (see Director educational requirements or one of several other criteria listed below) Educational Qualifications All candidates, who wish to be considered for the position of Lead Teacher must meet one or more of the following criteria, in addition to any/all requirements that may be mandated by their state and/or local licensing authorities:  * A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Child Development. * A Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field1, including 18 semester hours of completed coursework related to young children birth to age 8. * An Associate’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Child Development or a related field1. * A current CDA or Early Childhood Teaching Credential. * Proof of current and active enrollment in an accredited Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree program in Early Childhood Education or a related field. Lead Teacher Responsibilities A Lead Teacher’s responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following: Establish and maintain a safe, healthy and nurturing learning environment * Design an appropriate room arrangement to support the goals and developmental level of the children in the classroom * Develop an appropriate classroom management system to support the goals and developmental level of the children in the classroom * Ensure that classroom equipment is in good repair * Promote healthy eating practices at lunch and snack times * Perform nominal cleaning responsibilities (eg, spills) immediately * Perform major cleaning during times when children are not present * Post a classroom schedule that meets the needs of the children and includes a routine and learning opportunities * Post and adhere to all Health and Safety policies and procedures Advance children’s physical and intellectual competence * Adapt program to meet the individual needs of each child * Create a multi-cultural learning environment * Provide a variety of developmentally appropriate materials * Interact with the children to support play, exploration and learning * Encourage children to talk with each other and with the faculty * Present age- and developmentally-appropriate expectations for all children * Encourage creativity through art, music, dramatic play and blocks * Provide a reasonable balance between teacher-directed and child-directed activities Support each child’s social and emotional development and provide positive guidance * Understand and adhere to the Behavior Policy * Plan and implement activities to develop children’s self-esteem and social skills * Plan and implement activities to enable children’s feeling of security * Encourage empathetic and respectful feelings for others, as well as the environment, through positive modeling * Respect cultural and ethnic diversity Ensure an effective program, responsive to children’s needs * Assess supplies and materials needed to implement activities * Build teamwork * Develop lesson plan books and posted lesson plans * Manage classrooms according to QA Standards * Perform child observations and document in their portfolios * Use assessment tools ( Progress Reports, Children’s Progress) Maintain professional commitment * Promote philosophy and educational objectives * Support a code of ethical conduct * Pursue professional development/continuing education * Attend faculty meetings Related Degrees Include, But May Not Be Limited To   * Child Development * Psychology or Sociology with a minor in Education * Special Education * Child Psychology Relevant Coursework * Child Development * Human Growth and Development * Educational Psychology * Child Psychology * Children’s Literature * Developmental Assessment of Young Children * Measurement and Evaluation * Health and Safety