KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Job Definition:

• Teaching professionals teach the theory and practice of one or more disciplines at different educational levels; conduct research; improve or develop concepts, theories and operational methods pertaining to their particular discipline; and prepare scholarly papers and books. Competent performance in most occupations in this sub-major group requires skills at the fourth ISCO skill level.

Job Description:

• Teach elemental natural and social science, personal hygiene, music, art, and literature to children from 4 to 6 years old. Promote physical, mental, and social development. May be required to hold State certification.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Perform administrative duties such as assisting in school libraries, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
• 2) Attend staff meetings, and serve on committees as required.
• 3) Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
• 4) Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms.
• 5) Teach basic skills such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
• 6) Establish and enforce rules for behavior, and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
• 7) Observe and evaluate children’s performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
• 8) Instruct students individually and in groups, adapting teaching methods to meet students’ varying needs and interests.
• 9) Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
• 10) Demonstrate activities to children.
• 11) Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
• 12) Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
• 13) Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students’ behavioral and academic problems.
• 14) Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
• 15) Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to children.
• 16) Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
• 17) Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children’s progress, and to determine their priorities for their children and their resource needs.
• 18) Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development such as games, arts and crafts, music, and storytelling.
• 19) Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
• 20) Guide and counsel students with adjustment and/or academic problems, or special academic interests.
• 21) Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials, in order to prevent injuries and damage.
• 22) Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems, and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.
• 23) Assimilate arriving children to the school environment by greeting them, helping them remove outerwear, and selecting activities of interest to them.
• 24) Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
• 25) Prepare materials, classrooms, and other indoor and outdoor spaces to facilitate creative play, learning and motor-skill activities, and safety.
• 26) Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of kindergarten programs.
• 27) Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate children’s progress.
• 28) Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students’ needs and progress.
• 29) Organize and label materials and display children’s work in a manner appropriate for their sizes and perceptual skills.
• 30) Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
• 31) Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
• 32) Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine children’s developmental levels and needs.
• 33) Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
• 34) Use computers, audiovisual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
• 35) Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guests, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
• 36) Involve parent volunteers and older students in children’s activities, in order to facilitate involvement in focused, complex play.
• 37) Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops in order to maintain and improve professional competence.

Activities:

• 1) Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• 2) Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• 3) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 4) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 5) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 6) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 7) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• 8) Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• 9) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 10) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 11) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 12) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 13) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 14) Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• 15) Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• 16) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 17) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 18) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 19) Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• 20) Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• 21) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 22) Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
  23) Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• 24) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 25) Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• 26) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 27) Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Abilities:

• 1) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
• 2) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 3)  Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 4) Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 5) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 6) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 7) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 8) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 9) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 10) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 11) Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• 12) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 13) Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• 14) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 15) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Knowledge

• 1) Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• 2) Sociology and Anthropology — Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
• 3) Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• 4) Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 5) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.