WHAT DOES A LEAD PRESCHOOL TEACHER DO?

Published: Jan 16, 2026 - The Lead Preschool Teacher delivers lessons tailored to each child, closely monitors their development, and documents learning using required technology and resources. This position collaborates with colleagues and the Director to ensure effective curriculum delivery, maintain high standards of professionalism, and safeguard student well-being. The teacher also communicates with parents and participates in meetings, events, and school activities to support a strong, engaged learning community.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Lead Preschool Teacher

1. Lead Preschool Teacher Responsibilities

  • Community Building: Create and sustain a community of learners through the development of an inclusive and positive classroom culture
  • Child Interaction: Interact with children to develop positive relationships, extend play experiences, enhance language development, and build social-emotional skills
  • Instruction Design: Design, plan, assess, and provide developmentally appropriate instruction to 4-year old children
  • Lesson Preparation: Prepare lessons that reflect family cultural influences and promote the children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development
  • Classroom Environment: Maintain a healthy, safe, and consistent learning environment that is fun, clean, and organized
  • Team Collaboration: Work as a team with the assistant teacher and colleagues
  • Regulatory Compliance: Implement all licensing and programmatic guidelines, policies, and practices
  • Family Communication: Maintain high levels of communication with families
  • Family Recruitment: Assist with recruitment and engagement of prospective families
  • Professional Development: Attend professional development and training for the position
  • Record Keeping: Maintain accurate and complete records of student progress, including assessments, screening instruments, anecdotal observations, and portfolios
  • Class Preparation: Prepare for assigned classes and show preparation upon request by the Principal, Assistant Principal, and/or Preschool Director
  • Meeting Participation: Attend and participate in faculty, team, and collaborative planning meetings and professional development

2. Lead Preschool Teacher Accountabilities

  • Curriculum Design: Design, implement, and evaluate developmentally appropriate, engaging activities using the HighScope approach to learning with children.
  • Quality Compliance: Maintain standards of quality by State licensure, Great Start to Quality, and NAEYC accreditation.
  • Record Management: Maintain accurate records of the children's attendance, meal records, incident reports, medication for children, allergies, and sign-in/out sheets for parents.
  • Team Planning: Facilitate daily team planning meetings to create daily lesson plans and coordinate task responsibilities with the Assistant Teacher and/or Child Care Assistant.
  • Instructional Coaching: Provide coaching support to other teachers on the team in areas of personal expertise.
  • Professional Collaboration: Collaborate with classroom partners, supervisor, and administrative team members on curriculum, student, and center needs.
  • Program Participation: Participate in Agency and program activities and assist in the recruitment and enrollment of children for the program
  • Family Conferences: Conduct a minimum of two parent-teacher conferences per school year with each enrolled family.
  • Home Visiting: Conduct two home visits with each Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) enrolled family.
  • Parent Communication: Create and maintain formal and informal communications with parents through daily interactions, weekly notes, monthly newsletters, mailings, emails, and additional conferences
  • Child Assessment: Assess children’s developmental progress using High Scope’s Child Observation Record (COR).
  • Screening Administration: Administer, score, and provide parental feedback on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE) and other agency-required assessments and screenings.
  • Behavior Support: Collaborate, create, and implement children’s behavioral support plans.
  • Parent Education: Assist in planning and implementation of parent education programs.
  • Involvement Tracking: Complete monthly Parent Involvement tracking.
  • Classroom Health: Maintain a clean and healthy classroom environment for children.
  • Child Supervision: Supervise and ensure the safety and well-being of each child.

3. Lead Preschool Teacher Functions

  • Lesson Planning: Plan, prepare, and deliver lessons in line with the Reggio philosophy that cater to the individual needs of the students
  • Student Assessment: Monitor, record, and assess student progress and development
  • Responsive Teaching: Provide immediate and appropriate responses based on student need
  • Learning Documentation: Learn the technology required to document the experiences of children, as well as support the documentation of student classroom experiences
  • Professional Collaboration: Collaborate with other teachers to share new ideas, approaches, and professional knowledge
  • Curriculum Coordination: Liaise with the Director to ensure effective delivery of the curriculum to specified classes, including selecting resources and managing them efficiently in the classroom
  • Child Safeguarding: Safeguard and promote the welfare of children (PSHE integration)
  • Professional Conduct: Act professionally at all times, setting a good example to children
  • Resource Development: Use all learning resources effectively and create new ones
  • Parent Communication: Communicating with parents and making sure they are aware of the development of their children
  • Parent Engagement: Organize and participate in parent meetings
  • School Participation: Organize and participate in school meetings, events, and trips

4. Lead Preschool Teacher Overview

  • Curriculum Planning: Plan and implement, with the teaching team, a daily curriculum according to developmentally appropriate practices and school values
  • Child Care: Provide care, protection, and guidance to the children
  • Values Alignment: Ensure consistency of the daily curriculum with the school values statement
  • Curriculum Development: Assist in the development, evaluation, and revision of the Preschool curriculum
  • Classroom Environment: Maintain a cheerful, nurturing, healthy, safe, and clean classroom environment
  • Record Maintenance: Maintain attendance and injury records
  • Material Organization: Maintain storage, organization, and cleanliness of classroom equipment and materials
  • Classroom Cleanliness: Ensure the maintenance of a clean classroom
  • Supply Purchasing: Assist in purchasing preschool supplies, according to individual classroom budgets
  • Director Communication: Communicate regularly with the Director, including all concerns regarding a child’s progress
  • Staff Participation: Participate in regular staff meetings
  • Program Participation: Participate in school social and family education programs

5. Lead Preschool Teacher Details and Accountabilities

  • Child Development: Monitor growth and development of each child and communicate progress and/or concerns with parents and the Director
  • Parent Communication: Communicate regularly with parents
  • Ethical Compliance: Protect the rights and privacy of children and families by maintaining strict confidentiality according to the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
  • Team Dialogue: Maintain a continuing dialogue with the teaching team about the children and the classroom environment
  • Event Participation: Attend school-wide and class events such as picnics, parties, parent meetings, and other special events
  • Collaborative Problem Solving: Work with the teaching team on problem-solving classroom and school issues
  • Professional Learning: Work towards increasing knowledge and abilities in the field of early childhood education and Judaism and related topics through attendance at workshops and courses, reading books or periodicals, or other means.
  • Peer Development: Team with other staff for professional development on the peer-to-peer level
  • Professional Relationships: Strive for a good working relationship with fellow school and JCC staff
  • Staff Mentoring: Mentor new teachers and other staff
  • Parent Education: Help to create parent and teacher programs to grow their understanding of child development and developmentally appropriate practice
  • School Planning: Give input and assist in curriculum and structural planning for the school

6. Lead Preschool Teacher Tasks

  • Lesson Planning: Create weekly lesson plans and schedule implementation while supporting developmentally appropriate practice as well as program goals.
  • Safety Management: Ensure a safe and healthy environment both indoors and outdoors that is child-centered, intentionally planned, and adequately resourced.
  • Classroom Cleaning: Participate in regular cleaning of materials and classroom spaces.
  • Material Organization: Maintain classroom organization and rotate materials on a regular basis.
  • Cultural Inclusion: Create a culturally inclusive classroom with activities that support different cultures and backgrounds.
  • Behavior Observation: Observe interactions with children and work with staff on positive language, effective behavior management, and problem-solving with preschool-age children.
  • Individual Engagement: Engage children as individuals in a way that allows them to maximize their individual abilities.
  • Curriculum Collaboration: Work with ECE staff and manager to develop and maintain classroom curriculum.
  • Child Tracking: Ensure all children in the program are tracked according to GCC expectations.
  • Child Development: Support children in their emotional and physical growth.
  • Milestone Tracking: Focus on milestones children achieve, take notes, and log them according to Creative Curriculum expectations
  • Early Learning: Assist children as they discover literacy and math skills and encourage learning to help them find school day success.

7. Lead Preschool Teacher Additional Details

  • Behavior Guidance: Effectively use GCC behavior guidance techniques to help children develop the ability to become self-disciplined.
  • Parent Communication: Maintain daily open communication with parents.
  • Family Updates: Work with the teaching team to ensure all families are regularly receiving updates on their child's growth and successes in the program.
  • Documentation Support: Complete appropriate paperwork to assist with increased communication, and also participate in parent conferences and scheduled orientations.
  • Child Advocacy: Communicate child concerns and family needs to the ECE team.
  • Teacher Supervision: Provide direct supervision to the classroom Preschool Teacher.
  • Quality Oversight: Complete all Supervisor responsibilities outlined in the Continuous Quality Improvement process, including meeting at least monthly one-on-one with the classroom teacher.
  • Collaborative Leadership: Work collaboratively with the Assistant Manager to provide timely feedback and to set SMART goals consistent with program objectives.
  • Issue Reporting: Report any program, staff, volunteer, or family concerns to the Assistant Manager and assist with follow-up meetings.
  • Policy Compliance: Follow the policies and procedures of Goodman Community Center's Childcare Program.

8. Lead Preschool Teacher Essential Functions

  • Regulatory Compliance: Adhere to state licensing regulations and City of Madison accreditation standards.
  • District Collaboration: Work collaboratively with the Metropolitan Madison School District
  • Staff Collaboration: Work collaboratively with the early childhood staff.
  • Space Management: Ensure shared space is respected and utilized effectively.
  • Conference Coordination: Organize required parent-teacher conferences and support parent meetings.
  • Meeting Attendance: Attend weekly staff meetings and quarterly childcare all-staff meetings.
  • Professional Development: Attend district-required 4K professional development meetings.
  • Continuing Education: Attend continuing education trainings to complete the required hours.
  • Time Tracking: Record time daily and help ensure an accurate record of training.
  • Email Communication: Check email at least once a day and respond to requests promptly.
  • Confidentiality Compliance: Respect the confidentiality of GCC families and staff.

9. Lead Preschool Teacher Key Accountabilities

  • Lesson Planning: Plan and submit developmentally appropriate lesson plans in accordance with the center's curriculum
  • Student Safety: Maintain an environment that ensures the safety and well-being of all students
  • Behavior Support: Utilize positive behavior techniques
  • Family Relationships: Maintain positive relationships with families
  • Learning Environment: Provide an engaging and stimulating environment
  • Student Assessment: Assess all students based on age-appropriate objectives
  • Confidentiality Compliance: Maintain confidentiality regarding information about children, families, and staff
  • Staff Participation: Attend all required staff meetings and trainings

10. Lead Preschool Teacher Responsibilities and Key Tasks

  • Individual Support: Meeting the individual needs of the children
  • Staff Participation: Participating in staff meetings and training events
  • Room Design: Designing an appropriate room arrangement to support the goals and developmental level of the children in the classroom
  • Child Interaction: Interacting with the children to support play, exploration, and learning
  • Expectation Setting: Presenting expectations that are appropriate to the child's age and developmental level
  • Activity Planning: Planning and implementing activities that develop self-esteem, intellectual stimulation, and social skills
  • Curriculum Collaboration: Collaborating with and taking instruction from the Curriculum Specialist
  • Lesson Planning: Creating and implementing an age-appropriate weekly lesson plan
  • Teaching Methods: Employing a variety of educational techniques (storytelling, educational play, etc.) to teach children
  • Child Observation: Observing each child to help them improve their fine and gross motor skills
  • Child Supervision: Supervising children to ensure they are safe at all times
  • Classroom Cleanliness: Maintaining a clean and tidy classroom consistent with health and safety standards