Lead Teacher

Lead Teacher Positions

The Family Partnership is looking to hire two Lead Teachers at Four Directions – one for the Dakota Language Immersion room and one for the Ojibwe Immersion room. The age group is preschool for both positions. Four Directions is a full-day therapeutic education and care program for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years of age and is committed to the revitalization of the Dakota and Ojibwe languages. TFP is honored to partner with Wicoie Nandagikendan to provide language immersion and culturally responsive early childhood education.

This unique Lead Teacher position combines classroom leadership with collaboration in our language immersion program. During immersion hours, the Lead Teacher supports the Language Immersion Teacher and helps facilitate daily activities. Outside of immersion programming, including afternoons, non-immersion days, school breaks, and summer months, the Lead Teacher serves as the primary classroom teacher, responsible for lesson planning, curriculum implementation, classroom management, and family engagement.

Responsibilities include:

• Providing a safe, stimulating, healthy, and nurturing environment that ensures all children have a positive experience.
• Teaching age-appropriate activities for both group learning and self-selected play.
• Developing and implementing weekly lesson plans and learning opportunities that align with children's ages and skill levels.
• Implementing the Teaching Strategies curriculum within the classroom.
• Completing child assessments and individual goal setting three times per year and including parents and therapists in the process.
• Supervising and actively participating in children's daily activities and field trips.
• Ensuring constant and appropriate supervision of all children.
• Maintaining accurate participant and program records, including required daily notes for each child.
• Participating in parent-teacher conferences and making referrals based on individual child needs when necessary.
• Cleaning and disinfecting toys, tables, and classroom surfaces and conducting daily safety inspections of play areas, classrooms, and playgrounds.
• Maintaining compliance with DHS and CACFP requirements.

Qualifications include:

• Holding a current Child Development Associate (CDA) Certification or equivalent Child Development college credits (24).
• Bringing at least six months of experience working in a childcare setting.
• Demonstrating knowledge of child development from six weeks through five years of age.
• Understanding health and safety precautions, sanitation and cleaning techniques, and emergency response procedures.
• Having the ability to use effective skills to manage and guide children's behavior in a supportive and developmentally appropriate way.
• Being able to work and communicate effectively with a diverse population, including parents, children, and other professionals.
• Being able to assist with and participate in outdoor activities.
• Being able to lift up to 50 pounds and meet the physical demands required to care for young children.
• Demonstrating a working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs and general office equipment.
• Communicating respectfully and effectively with people of different cultures, groups, and languages.

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of The Family Partnership. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. We value the contributions of a diverse workforce and welcome and encourage applications from all underrepresented groups.

Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.