Early Childhood Educator II

Job Details

Department: Child Care and Development Support

General Statement of Job

The Early Childhood Educator II oversees day-to-day toddler and preschool classroom operations. Plans and implements curriculum that encourages advancement of children's physical, intellectual, and social/emotional development. Provides a classroom program that builds and strengthens positive help concepts and individual strengths of children. Establishes and maintains a safe and healthy learning environment. Supervises, guides, and interacts with children indoors and outdoors. Observes and documents children's development and provides feedback to parents and guardians.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Plans and implements curriculum that encourages advancement of children's physical, intellectual, and social/emotional development.
• Develops and implements activities that promote good health habits and integrate the health and nutrition components into the classroom.
• Provides a classroom program that builds and strengthens positive help concepts and individual strengths of children.
• Establishes and maintains a safe and healthy learning environment.
• Creates and implements lesson planning with Early Childhood Educator I and other staff.
• Implements all necessary documentation to demonstrate compliance with center policies and procedures.
• Implements and ensures state and local health and safety policies and procedures are followed.
• Serves daily meals while maintaining sanitation rules/regulations and the Child and Adult Food Care Program requirements.
• Supervises, guides, and interacts with children indoors and outdoors.
• Nurtures children's social and emotional development demonstrating affection and emotional support.
• Adheres to adult/child ratios as required by state regulations and national accreditation guidelines.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with children, families, staff and students.
• Observes and documents children's development and provides feedback to parents and guardians.
• Works cooperatively with support staff in the provision of direct services and the development of goals for the children with disabilities.
• Oversees maintenance, upkeep, and inventory of classroom, supplies, materials and equipment.
• Adheres to the College's rules and regulations.
• Maintains confidentiality of program staff and child information.
• Attends and participates in staff meetings and trainings to increase professional knowledge, skills, and competencies, as assigned.
• Maintains familiarity with child care center licensing regulations and state and national accreditation guidelines.
• Mentors and oversees Early Childhood Educator I, field study students from Child Development and Early Childhood programs, work study students, and part-time employees.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Associate's Degree in Child Development or related field required; must have a minimum of 18 earned college hours in Child Development/Early Childhood.
• At least two (2) years of experience in a child care center environment required.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office including, but not limited to, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, the Windows environment, and internet research skills.
• Ability to use the team approach to resolve problems and conflicts.
• Ability to work safely without presenting a direct threat to self or others.
• Demonstrated commitment to achieving the vision and mission of South Texas College.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common regulatory specifications and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to inquiries from parents/guardians, management, staff, regulatory agencies, public groups or members of the business community.
• Ability to apply practical understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with standardized situations with only occasional or no variables.

Checks, Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations

• Security Sensitive position: All applicants are subject to a criminal background check under South Texas College policy.
• Must have complete immunization records and physical examination in compliance with Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Licensing Standards and the National Accreditation Commission.
• Adult and Pediatric CPR and First Aid certifications required or must be obtained within six (6) months of hire.
• Food Handler certificate, preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to physically interact with children, including talking, hearing, sitting, standing, walking, running, reaching with hands and arms; and stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling.
• Must frequently lift and/or move children, equipment and child-sized furniture weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to be mobile including standing for potentially long periods of time, walking, running, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, crawling, or getting up and down from floor level.
• Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
• Mobility to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to an outdoor environment daily; frequent interruptions and irregularities in the work schedule; and may be exposed to infectious diseases.