104 Best 3 Jobs in Watertown, New York (December 2025)

Preschool Lead Teacher

20 days ago

Watertown

Job DescriptionSalary: $18-$20 Job Title: Lead Teacher Reports To: Center Director Hours: Full time (35-40 hours per week) Position Overview: The Lead Teacher plays a vital leadership role within the classroom, responsible for delivering high-quality early childhood education while ensuring the health, safety, and developmental progress of all children. This position requires a strong understanding of child development, curriculum planning, and classroom management, as well as the ability to mentor and guide support staff. The Lead Teacher is the primary point of accountability for classroom operations and collaborates with families, administrators, and colleagues to create a nurturing, structured, and engaging learning environment. Key responsibilities include overseeing student arrival, attendance, and dismissal; maintaining child accountability and supervision; and implementing a curriculum based on Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) assessments. The Lead Teacher develops lesson plans aligned with early learning standards, submits plans in advance, and ensures daily observations and documentation are completed for each child. The role also includes managing classroom behavior using positive guidance techniques and evidence-based practices like the Pyramid Model and Second Step curriculum, leading both small and large group instruction, and maintaining open communication with parents through updates, conferences, and daily reports via the ProCare Engage App. Additionally, the Lead Teacher delegates tasks, supervises assistant staff, ensures compliance with OCFS regulations, and maintains a clean, organized, and well-prepared classroom environment. This position is essential to fostering a developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and supportive experience for all students. Key Responsibilities: Professional Expectations: • Serve as a positive role model for students and colleagues., • Maintain punctuality and a professional appearance., • Use respectful and appropriate language at all times., • Uphold student and staff confidentiality., • Punctual, and reliable: ensures classrooms retain consistency, • Support a nurturing classroom atmosphere through calm and respectful interactions., • Patience and positive attitude: Ability to interact with young children in a calm and supportive manner., • Treat all students fairly and with dignity., • Reacts calmly and in a poised manner to student behavior., • Encourage students to improve their sense of responsibility, self-discipline, cooperation and respect for others., • Actively contribute to a positive and inclusive school culture., • Attend required staff meetings and training sessions., • Demonstrates effective communication with all stakeholders; Ability to communicate concerns constructively with teachers or supervisors., • Observational skills: Ability to monitor children's behavior and identify potential developmental concerns, • Flexibility and adaptability: Willingness to adjust to changing situations and needs of children, • Teamwork: Collaborate effectively with the lead teacher and other staff members, • Strong work ethic, and ability to be trusted to lead a classroom in the absence of the lead teacher, • Oversees and manages the orderly arrival, record attendance, record daily health checks, and dismissal of students., • Ratio: Maintain child accountability at all times. Know how many kids are in your class at all times, and ensure all teachers in your classroom do the same., • Be familiar with Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) and the input of information for developmental assessments., • Curriculum development: Create and implement lesson plans aligned with early childhood education standards, focusing on areas like cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. These lesson plans will follow the curriculum currently used at the center: Creative Curriculum, • Lesson plans based on Creative Curriculum need to be turned in 2 weeks in advance., • Observations are input into TSG daily (at least one observation daily)., • Classroom management: Maintain a positive and nurturing learning environment, ensuring children's safety and well-being while managing classroom dynamics., • Instructional delivery: Lead small and large group activities, providing individualized attention to children based on their needs., • Assessment and observation: Regularly observe children's progress, documenting their development through assessment, and ensuring each child has at least 5 observations logged monthly., • Staff supervision: Guide and mentor assistant teachers, including aides, floaters, and subs by delegating tasks and providing feedback on their performance. Also, to ensure they are following rules and regulations and maintaining appropriate conduct., • Communication: Record all childs daily activities in the ProCare Engage App., • Parent communication: Regularly communicate with parents through conferences, newsletters, and daily updates on their child's learning and behavior, as well as addressing any questions or concerns., • Collaboration: Work with other staff members to ensure a cohesive learning environment and share best practices., • Classroom preparation: classroom is always prepared to receive children - cleaned and organized, and activities are planned ahead so that transitions are smooth, • Student support: Working with students individually to overcome challenges and help them succeed in the learning environment, • Student behavior: Monitoring student behavior and helping maintain discipline, • Child supervision: Actively monitoring children during playtime, transitions, and mealtimes to ensure their safety and well-being., • Basic caregiving tasks: Changing diapers, helping children with toileting needs, assisting with handwashing, and providing snacks., • Implementation of Universal Supports: Lead teachers are expected to ensure routines are strictly followed, and transitions are handled with care, to ensure predictability for students, and increasing their success in the environment., • Supporting children's social development: Fostering positive interactions between children, promoting conflict resolution skills, and encouraging cooperation. This is done using the Pyramid Model Framework, as well as Second Steps curriculum, • Maintaining compliance with regulations: Adhering to childcare licensing requirements regarding safety, health, and hygiene practices., • Paid Snow Days, • Paid Holidays (6 out of the 12) in the year, • Cafeteria Style Benefits Available up to $200/month or half of Health Care Plan, • Health Care Plan available (covers up to of the Health Care Plan cost), • Dentist, and Vision Plans available, • Up to $200/month of Child Care Covered, • Education: Associates degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field; Child Development Associate Credential, • Experience: Proven experience working with young children for up to 2 years, • Child development knowledge: Deep understanding of child development stages and appropriate learning activities, • Teaching methods: Proficiency in implementing various teaching strategies and differentiated instruction, • Leadership skills: Ability to lead a team of assistant teachers and effectively manage classroom dynamics, • Communication skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to interact with children, parents, and colleagues, • Organizational skills: Strong ability to plan, manage time, and maintain accurate records, • Lifting 50lbs

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