Teacher

Lead Teacher – Early Childhood Education

A Joyful Noise Childcare Center is seeking experienced, caring, dependable, and professional Lead Teachers to join our early childhood education team for our Infant-School Age Classrooms.

We are a high-quality, accredited childcare center committed to providing children with a safe, nurturing, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning environment. We are looking for educators who understand that working in early childhood education is about much more than supervising children—it requires care, patience, intentional teaching, active supervision, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to each child's well-being and development.

Position Summary

The Lead Teacher is responsible for creating and maintaining a classroom environment where children feel safe, valued, supported, and excited to learn. Lead Teachers are expected to understand child development, build positive relationships with children and families, implement meaningful learning experiences, and consistently follow Wisconsin DCF licensing requirements, accreditation standards, and center policies and procedures.

Our Lead Teachers must be able to successfully balance education and care. Children need teachers who understand how to comfort them, guide their behavior, recognize their individual needs, communicate respectfully, protect their safety, and help them develop socially, emotionally, physically, and academically.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide attentive, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate care to children throughout the day.
• Maintain active supervision at all times and know the location and number of children in your care.
• Create and implement engaging, hands-on lesson plans and classroom experiences.
• Maintain a safe, clean, organized, and welcoming classroom environment.
• Follow all Wisconsin DCF licensing regulations, accreditation standards, and center policies.
• Complete accurate attendance and child-tracking procedures and ensure information corresponds .
• Conduct regular classroom safety checks and immediately address or report hazards.
• Follow proper handwashing, diapering, toileting, meal, bottle, sanitation, and health-and-safety procedures.
• Use positive child-guidance techniques, redirection, encouragement, and age-appropriate expectations.
• Encourage children to develop independence, confidence, communication, problem-solving skills, and positive relationships.
• Use open-ended questions and meaningful conversations to extend children's thinking and language development.
• Observe children's development and use those observations to support lesson planning and individual learning needs.
• Communicate professionally and respectfully with parents regarding children's experiences, accomplishments, needs, and concerns.
• Complete classroom documentation, incident reports, daily reports, observations, and other required records accurately and on time.
• Work collaboratively with Assistant Teachers, floaters, administration, and other members of the team.
• Participate in staff meetings, professional development, classroom observations, coaching, and center training.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding children, families, employees, and center operations.
• Model professionalism, dependability, teamwork, appropriate communication, and a positive attitude.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have education and experience in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, or a related field.

Preference will be given to candidates who:

• Have college coursework or a degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field.
• Are at a strong professional level within the Wisconsin Registry.
• Have previous experience as a Lead Teacher in a licensed early childhood program.
• Understand Wisconsin childcare licensing requirements.
• Have experience working within an accredited early childhood program.
• Understand lesson planning, classroom observations, child assessment, and developmentally appropriate practices.
• Are willing to participate in ongoing professional development and coaching.
• Are comfortable using technology and childcare-management systems

Who We Are Looking For

We want teachers who genuinely care about children.

A successful Lead Teacher notices when a child needs comfort, recognizes when an environment may be unsafe, anticipates children's needs before problems occur, gets down on a child's level to communicate, engages rather than simply watches, and understands that every interaction can become a learning opportunity.

We are looking for educators who are present, attentive, patient, dependable, nurturing, teachable, and proud of the work they do.

Our teachers should come to work understanding that families are trusting us with what matters most to them—their children.

Our Standard

At A Joyful Noise Childcare Center, accreditation is not simply something displayed on the wall. It represents the level of care, education, professionalism, documentation, safety, and accountability we expect throughout our program.

We are looking for Lead Teachers who want to be part of that standard of excellence.

Employment Type: Full-Time
Position: Lead Teacher – Early Childhood Education
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

To Apply: Please submit your resume highlighting your early childhood education, classroom experience, Wisconsin Registry level, and relevant credentials.

Pay: $15.00 - $20.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Continuing education credits
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person