Lead Teacher, Children's Center

The Lead Teacher provides a high-quality early childhood program which ensures a safe and nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children while responding to the needs of families; serves as a role model and mentor to students during field experience at the Children's Center; and follows the curriculum in place to aid with helping the student workers and observers understand early childhood while using hands on curriculum.

Responsibilities

• Creates a welcoming environment
• Provides a safe classroom and playground environment for all children
• Sets daily schedule, prepares developmental lesson plans, and directs children in developmentally appropriate activities
• Organizes and participates in games, songs, and other activities
• Teaches readiness skills and redirects nonconstructive behavior patterns of children
• Plans and conducts field trips and implements measures to reduce infectious disease
• Dispenses prescription medications when needed
• Serves snacks and lunches
• Observes and evaluates children's cognitive, social, perceptual motor, emotional well-being, personal awareness, and communication
• Keeps ongoing developmental records and determines developmental goals for children including children with disabilities
• Participates in inclusion meetings for children with special needs
• Coordinates field experiences for the students completing observations in their classrooms.
• Models appropriate interactions and teaching strategies
• Brings theory and practice for students to life with the classroom of children and materials
• Evaluates the students that come to observe as well as yearly eval's on the children in their classrooms
• Conducts parent-teacher conferences twice yearly, more if needed
• Provides current information on issues pertaining to child development
• Supervises staff, volunteers, and students including: ensuring staff and students adhere to child development philosophy, training of student workers, conducting volunteer and student assessments and providing feedback, and providing technical guidance and direction to staff and students
• Assists with the operation of the Children’s Center by acting in the absence of the coordinator and early childhood specialists
• Opens and closes the Children’s Center
• Participates in program planning and evaluations
• Participates in staff and team meetings
• Conduct fire drills as well as any emergency drills for the safety of the children

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Ability to provide a high-quality early childhood program
• Ability to create a nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children
• Ability to read medication instructions and administer the medicine as necessary
• Ability to distinguish individual facial features at arm's length and across the room
• Ability to evacuate all children and adults from building in less than one minute
• Ability to distinguish children's voices when out of visual range
• Ability to climb playground equipment and remove child from setting as necessary
• Effective communication skills, both oral and written
• Skills and abilities to serve as a role model and mentor to students

Review of applications will begin August 10, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications: Associate degree in child development, early childhood education or related field and two years of experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Child development credential, CPR and First Aid certifications are required.

Preferred qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and three years of experience in child development, early childhood education or related field are preferred.

About Us

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is in the heart of one of Tennessee’s largest and most dynamic cities. As a national model for metropolitan universities, UTC collaborates with its many regional partners to offer an experiential learning environment with outstanding teaching scholars in 128 undergraduate degree programs and 55 graduate programs—at both the master's and doctoral levels. UTC and Chattanooga—nationally recognized for its downtown redevelopment and wealth of outdoor recreation—are inextricably linked, and the University is central to the workforce and economic development efforts of the region and the state.

Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Engineering and Computer Science; Health, Education and Professional Studies; and the Honors College are home to an array of award-winning programs from Nursing to Computer Science, Entrepreneurship to Veteran Student Support. Innovation is a strategic focus, and UTC research and development in smart city technology is an industry leader. UTC is the first and only university in the country with access to a managed, commercial quantum computing network, and we are introducing an artificial intelligence initiative involving entities across campus and engaging partners throughout the region.

From our deep ties to the city of Chattanooga to our national reputation for innovation and hands-on learning, UTC stands out as a university where students thrive, faculty inspire, and partnerships create real impact.