Child Care Center Teacher

Compensation

$32,436.00 Annual

Job Description Summary

The application deadline for this position is 11:59pm EST on October 20, 2026.

At the Santa Fe College Little School, toddlers and preschool children thrive in a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment, which also serves as a supervised training ground for aspiring childhood educators. As the Child Care Center Teacher, you play a pivotal role in fostering the growth and development of these young learners.

As a full-time employee, the Child Care Center Teacher enjoys comprehensive benefits, including employee and dependent tuition waivers for SF and UF, fully funded health insurance, dental and vision coverage options, retirement investment, paid vacation and sick leave, and a minimum of 20 paid holidays, along with various discounts in Gainesville, including free access to the SF Teaching Zoo and Planetarium.

The salary for this position is $32,436 annually at the hourly rate of $15.59.

Job Description

Responsibilities and Duties Include:

• Assists the Senior Child Care Center Teacher in planning and implementing weekly lesson plans centered on age appropriate developmental and educational goals.

• Utilizes teaching strategies that build on and extend what children already know.

• Helps children acquire the necessary skills for transitioning to preschool, such as potty training, self-help skills, and language skills.

• Facilitates child-to-child interactions with the goal of teaching and modeling problem solving skills and demonstrates appropriate and safe teacher-to-child interaction.

• Models and teaches empathy building, impulse control, and emotion management for children.

• Helps children gain self-control, self-confidence, and positive self-esteem by using relationship building techniques.

• Builds developmental skills with children across social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language domains.

• Records observational and developmental data for each child in each domain of development.

• Informs the Senior Child Care Center Teacher of any concerns regarding children or parents and, in conjunction with the Senior, communicates with parents in both informal and formal meetings to discuss concerns when necessary.

• Participates in regularly scheduled staff professional development meetings.

• Keeps the bulletin boards appealing and appropriate for young children.

• Maintains classroom materials in an organized, clean, and accessible manner.

• Keeps a record of operating procedures and may share position specific knowledge, including use of collegewide ERP and related system processes, by providing guidance on standard operations and established departmental procedures as needed. 

• Provides service to the college through participation in events, committees, and other college activities.

• Complies with all published College Rules, procedures, guidelines, and laws/regulations governing public employees, including but not limited to those related to document retention and destruction, FERPA, and confidentiality.

• Strictly honors the privacy, security, and confidentiality of records and other sensitive information according to appropriate state, federal, and college regulations, policies, and procedures.

• Provides service excellence through courteous, informed, accessible, and professional engagement.

• Performs other duties as assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Required: A high school diploma with some previous experience working with young children. Must obtain a CDA or FCCPC within the first year of employment or be working toward an A.S. in Early Childhood.
Additional Requirements: A criminal background check and FL Clearinghouse screening will be conducted. For more information on FL Clearinghouse screenings, please visit https://info.flclearinghouse.com.
Preferred: A.S. in early childhood with at least six (6) months of experience working with children in an early learning center. Completion of DCF Child Care Facility Training Requirements.

General Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to work successfully in a multi-cultural environment.

• Adaptability to Change – able to be flexible and supportive, able to positively and proactively assimilate change in rapid growth environment.

• Communication – able to effectively communicate in a professional, diplomatic, empathetic, and tactful manner using preferred method and level as applicable to the job.

• Critical Thinking & Judgement - able to make well-reasoned, sensible, and timely decisions based on careful, objective review and informed analysis of available information, considerations, and other factors.

• Customer Service – ability to respond promptly and courteously to all questions from parents, students, and faculty, demonstrating patience and persistence.

• Ethics – able to demonstrate integrity, professionalism, civility, and a high degree of ethics in all job-related actions.

• Organization & Time Management – able to plan, schedule, and organize tasks related to the job to achieve goals within or ahead of established time frames.

• Problem Solving – proven skills in identifying issues, determining their cause, developing creative solutions, and following through with implementing resolutions.

• Relationship Management – able to personally provide high level of interactive service to others, building relationships and addressing identified needs.

• Results Orientation – proven ability to set and exceed established targets.

• Detail Oriented - Proven accuracy and attention to detail.

• Multi-task - Ability to expeditiously organize, coordinate, manage, prioritize, and perform multiple tasks simultaneously to swiftly assess a situation, determine a logical course of action, and apply the appropriate response.

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

Santa Fe College (SF) is committed to maintaining a work and educational environment that embraces diversity and where no member of the college community is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subject to discrimination in any college program or activity based on: their race, ethnicity, national origin, color, religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy status, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, political opinions or affiliations, or veteran status. This commitment applies to employees, volunteers, students, and, to the extent possible, to third parties, applicants for admission, applicants for employment, and the general public. sfcollege.edu/eaeo
 
Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies or concerns about discrimination or harassment, including concerns about sexual harassment or sexual violence under Title IX, should be directed to: equity.officer@sfcollege.edu

Santa Fe College reserves the right to extend deadlines and/or not to offer advertised positions. Preference will be given to eligible veterans and spouses of veterans.