Afterschool Teacher

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT: The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) creates and coordinates services that enhance the quality of life for Cambridge residents. Driven by the needs of residents, DHSP’s extensive services and programs touch almost every sector in the city: from newborns to senior citizens, from school‑aged children to homeless families, from non‑profit organizations to local employers.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Under the supervision of the Head Teacher & in conjunction with the Afterschool Manager, the Afterschool Teacher will:

• Share responsibility for designing a developmentally sound curriculum to enhance the social, physical, academic, and intellectual well‑being of children in their care.
• Plan and implement activities to achieve curriculum goals in an informal, secure, and loving atmosphere appropriate to after‑school hours.
• Respond to children’s academic needs by providing homework help and linking school‑age curriculum to day school curriculum whenever possible.
• Support the Head Teacher in creating links with the school day teachers and administrators regarding children’s academic, social, educational, and physical needs.
• Perform regular school day classroom observations and complete written progress reports for each child twice yearly.
• With Head Teacher, create opportunities for collaborations/partnerships with other Department of Human Service Programs’ youth serving divisions in order to better serve Cambridge children and families.
• Help maintain regular communication with parents through daily contacts and conversation.
• Solicit parent input on their child in order to individualize behavioral and instructional approaches.
• With the Head Teacher, host three parent nights per school year.
• Assist the Head Teacher with completing and submitting to Afterschool Manager for approval and prior to distribution of monthly program calendars, monthly parent newsletter, and parent notices.
• Maintain a neat classroom environment, including daily cleaning of classroom and periodic major clean‑up.
• Help to build in children’s regular participation in the clean‑up and maintenance of the classroom into the program structure.
• Participate in meetings called by Division Head or Afterschool Manager such as: curriculum meetings, training workshops, policy review, or DHSP required orientation sessions.
• Participate in other available workshops and training programs as schedule permits.
• Participate in program‑related meetings: staff meetings, parent meetings, meeting with Afterschool Manager, meetings with program consultants.
• Participate in ongoing program quality improvement efforts, including classroom observations, debriefs of observations, action planning, and participation in a peer learning community.
• Meet children at bus stop, kindergarten classrooms and/or other locations for safety. Escort them to program locations.
• Share responsibility for planning and preparation of nutritious afternoon snack.
• During the absence of the Head Teacher, perform the necessary tasks to have a successful afterschool day, which includes the supervision of Assistant Teacher and any other support staff and upholding EEC regulations and DHSP policies and procedures.
• Actively engaging in and supporting the Department’s Race and Equity Initiative.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Applicant must be 18 years of age or older. Minimum of an associate or bachelor’s degree with 3 months of supervised work experience with children, or have a high school diploma or equivalent and 9 months of supervised work experience with children. First Aid and CPR certification preferred or must complete training within 6 months of hire date. Applicant must successfully pass the EEC background record check process, which includes a CORI, SORI, DCF check, and fingerprinting. Additional training and experience preferable.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORK FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS: Be agile in their movements; moving quickly from sitting on the floor to standing, to kneeling so as to be at the child’s eye level. Employees may have to run after children, both in play and to respond to an emergency. Be able to hear children who speak in a soft voice or mumble words when distressed. Be able to use their hands and arms to move, reach, handle, and manipulate objects in the classroom. This includes moving furniture once a year when room is re‑organized. Be able to occasionally lift and/or move a child. Vision abilities are required for the supervision of children. The noise level in work environment is moderately to very loud. The work environment includes classroom and outdoor playgrounds and occasional field trips.

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS: Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance. Vacation and Sick leave eligible. Paid parental leave. Sick Incentive Pay Eligible. Personal days. Paid Holidays. Annual cleaning allowance and retention bonus. City employee commuter benefits.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Please upload the following documents to complete your application: Resume, Cover Letter.