JOB DETAILS:
Title Day Care and Nursery Teacher
Category: Teacher
Reports To: Head Teacher
Department: Nursery
Start Date: January 2025

Smart Start Academy (SSA) is an independent, private day school located in Mbezi Juu in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Our mission is to foster and facilitate the intellectual and social development of young children, creating a foundation for lifelong learning. SSA offers rigorous academic programmes for ages up to 6 years with a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

Our mission is to develop through effective partnerships with our local community, strong academic results, and a well-balanced curriculum which allows students to explore their passions and interests.

Teachers at SSA place student learning at their highest priority. They are responsible for ensuring effective learning in a context in which students feel understood, safe, and confident. Teachers use a constructivist approach: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. Teachers are responsible for “challenging, inspiring and supporting all our students to fulfil their potential.

Job Title: Day Care and Nursery Teacher

Professional Competencies:
• Excellent communication skills for interacting with children, coworkers, and parents/guardians in spoken and written form.
• Ability to construct age-appropriate lesson plans with creative and artistic teaching abilities.

• A high understanding of STEM education learning that focuses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to facilitate development of critical thinking, problem-solving skills, creativity on kids from an early age.
• Sound decision making, solution focused and a model of positive and appropriate behavior for students.
• Commitment to fostering a love of learning.
• Knowledge of child protection, health and safety with a strong sense of compassion for students in their early years of learning that ensures classroom and playground rules of order and safety are maintained.
• Excellent knowledge of child development and the latest education theories and practices.

• Patience and understanding of student challenges.
Highly effective relationship developer with a variety of stakeholders with willingness and ability to work and collaborate effectively with colleagues.

Personal Attributes:
• Collaborative team player, empathetic listener with integrity and confidentiality.
• Strategic thinker, creative and persuasive individual who can convert vision into action.

• Emotionally intelligent and responsiveness to feedback.
• Flexible and capable of managing growth and instilling high standards.
• Willingness to learn and grow alongside students.
• Adept in multilingual settings, spirited, pioneering, professional and nurturing.

• Effective time management skills and the ability to multitask.

Responsibilities:
The primary responsibilities for a Teacher at SSA will be:
Planning and Organization:
• Display of developed planning and organizational skills
• Create and implement lesson plans that align with school curriculums and values.

• Develop new methods and materials to meet changing curriculum needs.
• Revise learning plans based on student outcomes
• Assess student performance and progress to ensure mastery of skills.
Instructional Techniques:
Teachers will demonstrate the use of a variety of teaching methods that support and exemplify the values of the school:
• Utilize effective assessment techniques to facilitate student growth.

• Display a thorough understanding of typical developmental characteristics of the taught age group.
• Use a variety of instructional methods and differentiate effectively to facilitate different learning styles and abilities.
• Teach alphabet, numeracy, personal, social, and emotional skills.

• Utilize play-based learning and hands-on teaching methods.
• Encourage creativity through art and craft projects.
• Display an understanding of inquiry and model the inquiry process.
• Establish high, but attainable, learning expectations that are clear to all.
• Ensure students meet their academic and developmental goals.
Effective Communication:
• Teachers will use effective personal and professional communication skills:
• Set an example and encourage socially acceptable behaviour eg: correct usage of language and manners.
• Maintain a professional and positive tone in both oral and written communication with children, colleagues and parents.
• Meet with parents to discuss student progress and address concerns.
• Use appropriate writing for school communications, editing as necessary.
• Provide free and easy communication between home and school using the school communication tools, newsletters, diaries, email, phone call etc.
Classroom Management and Organisation:
• Teachers will maintain a positive and stimulating classroom environment through effective classroom management skills:
• Actively engage children in learning activities.
• Manage classroom routines consistently and effectively.
• Maintain an orderly learning environment.
• Maintain a positive social and emotional tone in the classroom.
• Establish high, but attainable, behavioral expectations that are clear to all.
• Provide engaging, dynamic and student-centered classroom environment.
Assessment and Reporting:
• Teachers will use a wide variety of appropriate student assessments.
• Assess skills and concept understanding frequently and appropriately for different developmental levels and learning styles.Develop learning objectives for students through objective assessments. c) Maintain clear assessment records.

Professional Responsibilities:
Teachers will display a professional attitude and ethic.
• Consistently meet the SSA Norms of Collaboration, school responsibilities, deadlines and working hours.
• Actively participate and contribute to school initiatives, working committees, extra curricular activities, assemblies and school events.
• Seek professional development opportunities and willingly share professional knowledge with colleagues.
• Foster a love of learning in a nurturing and supportive environment.
• Supervise students outside of the classroom in an active manner.
• Communicates and plans in a positive and collaborative manner.
• Dresses in a professional manner according to the SSA dress code.

Requirements and Skills:
• Bachelor of Education Early Childhood -Bed ECE, BAED, BED SE, BA/BS/Dip in Education, CECCE, DECCE and/or relevant license/certificate or related field.
• 2+ years proven experience as a Kindergarten/Nursery Teacher, Kindergarten/Nursery Assistant, or Teacher Aide.
• Master’s degree is an added advantage
• Knowledge of STEM education learning is an added advantage.
• Early Childhood international licences and/or valid elementary international teaching credential is an added advantage.
• Excellent knowledge of child development and latest education theories and practices. Passion for educational equality.
• Comprehensive grasp of learning material.

If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young children and meet the qualifications listed above, we would love to hear from you.

Please send your certificates, transcripts, CV and cover letter (cover letter to be written in your own handwriting) to: smartstartacademytz@gmail.com 

Competitive terms of employment with an attractive salary package including excellent professional development will be offered to the right candidate.

This is a chance to educate and shape the futures of some of the loveliest children and young people you will ever meet and shaping the future, one student at a time!

SSA is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.

All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and school needs.