UPK Teacher

Reporting to the Director of the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Program, the UPK Teachers will work 25 hours per week, teaching children in collaboration with Hofstra's School of Education and a Long Island Public School District. The Position is a 10-month position (August 28, 2023 – June 30, 2024). Successful candidates will be drawn from Hofstra's Early Childhood Education Program graduates who hold the NYS Early Childhood Teacher Certification (Birth-Grade 6) and will receive mentoring during their teaching year.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinates with Hofstra University faculty to plan and implement a play-based children's program that values quality teacher interaction and discourse in a curriculum rich environment.
• Promotes and supports development of children's learning, confidence, curiosity, and creativity as well as children's self-control, communication, and meaning-making while meeting NYS PreK Foundation for the Common Core standards.
• Develops materials and curriculum themes and maintains a classroom environment that is clean, safe, stimulating, well organized, and appropriate for young children.
• Teachers are also expected to familiarize themselves with school procedures as well as safety/emergency practices.
• Attends pre-service and post service meetings, regularly scheduled staff meetings, and parent meetings both at the school site and on the Hofstra campus. Reflective activities will be expected.
• Maintains children's records, submits records as directed, and plans and implements activities that will aid all development domains and document children's physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development through authentic and research-based assessments as well as ongoing observation.
• Home-school communication and sensitivity to cultural differences will be expected and all activities will be mentored on site as well as through other communication.
• Performs other related duties as needed.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and New York State B-2 Initial Certification, required. Minimum 0 to 1 year of related experience. Applicants are expected to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for working cooperatively in a mentored position with supervisors, colleagues, and parents and demonstrate the ability to work with young children in a developmentally appropriate yet challenging manner.

Preferred Qualifications: Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, preferably from Hofstra University's School of Education.