Impact Kidz Academy Toddler Lead Teacher Rapid City, SD · Full time Company website

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A quality learning center located in Rapid City, South Dakota - where we nurture and inspire every child to reach their full potential in a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment. Our full-time childcare center offers the finest facilities available for children aged 6 weeks to school-aged. Our preschool program is designed for 3- to 5-year-olds to prepare them for their all-important school years ahead. We offer an extensive school-age program for after school and planned activities to keep them busy with age-appropriate groupings. Highlights/Quick Facts: All-Inclusive Tuition Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Nutritious Meals and Snacks Qualified, Caring, and Experienced Staff Safe & Secure Our vision is simple, to be the most nurturing environment for children and the most trusted by parents. Every day, we recommit ourselves to the future by focusing on the needs of our children through age-appropriate activities in a loving and safe setting.

2-Year-Old Room | Impact Kidz Academy | Rapid City, SD

Full-Time | Monday–Friday | 7:15 AM–4:15 PM with 1-hour lunch

Pay: $15–$20/hour, depending on education and experience

About Impact Kidz Academy

Impact Kidz Academy is a children-first childcare and preschool program committed to creating a safe, nurturing, developmentally supportive environment where children feel loved, valued, and encouraged to grow.

Our toddler classroom is a busy, exciting, and incredibly important room in our center. Two-year-olds are learning independence, communication, social skills, emotional regulation, routines, early problem-solving, and foundational learning skills. We are looking for a Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher who is energetic, patient, dependable, organized, and passionate about helping young children grow during this important stage of development.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys toddlers, can lead a classroom with structure and warmth, and wants to grow in a meaningful career in early childhood education.

Position Summary

The Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher is responsible for leading the daily care, supervision, routines, learning activities, and classroom management of the 2-year-old classroom. This person will create a safe, engaging, developmentally appropriate environment where toddlers can learn through play, build independence, develop language, practice social skills, and feel secure in their daily routine.

The ideal candidate understands that working with toddlers requires energy, patience, flexibility, consistency, and a strong ability to guide children with calm, positive, developmentally appropriate strategies. This is a lead teacher role, so the person selected must be able to lead support staff, communicate professionally with families, and maintain a well-run classroom.

Because consistency is so important for young children, we are looking for someone with a work history that shows reliability, commitment, and follow-through.

Schedule

This is a full-time position.

Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:15 AM–4:15 PM

Lunch: 1-hour unpaid lunch break each day

Expected hours: Approximately 40 hours per week

Applicants must be able to consistently work this schedule.

Pay

$15–$20 per hour, depending on education, training, childcare experience, toddler classroom experience, and overall qualifications.

Key Responsibilities

Child Supervision, Safety, and Care

The Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher will:

• Provide active supervision of toddlers at all times.
• Maintain required staff-to-child ratios and communicate immediately with leadership if support is needed.
• Ensure children are safe, accounted for, and supervised during all classroom activities, transitions, meals, diapering/toileting, outdoor play, and rest time.
• Create a classroom environment that is physically safe, emotionally supportive, and developmentally appropriate.
• Follow all health, sanitation, diapering, toileting, illness, injury, allergy, emergency, and incident-reporting procedures.
• Help children with daily care routines, including diapering, toileting, handwashing, meals, rest time, dressing, and transitions.
• Support toilet learning in a positive, low-stress, developmentally appropriate way.
• Maintain a clean and organized classroom throughout the day.
• Conduct regular classroom safety checks and remove or report hazards promptly.

Development and Learning

The Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher will:

• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate activities for 2-year-olds.
• Support children’s growth in language, social-emotional development, motor skills, early cognitive skills, self-help skills, and play skills.
• Provide hands-on learning experiences through music, movement, books, sensory play, art, dramatic play, outdoor play, fine motor activities, and early problem-solving activities.
• Encourage independence while providing the support toddlers need to be successful.
• Use play-based learning to help children explore, communicate, and build confidence.
• Support early language development by talking with children, labeling items and emotions, reading books, singing songs, and encouraging communication.
• Observe children’s development and communicate progress or concerns with leadership and families as appropriate.
• Create a predictable classroom routine that helps toddlers feel safe and successful.

Positive Guidance and Classroom Management

The Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher will:

• Use positive guidance, redirection, modeling, and consistent routines to support appropriate behavior.
• Help toddlers learn how to share, take turns, use words, follow routines, and manage emotions.
• Respond calmly and appropriately to common toddler behaviors such as crying, biting, tantrums, pushing, grabbing, difficulty transitioning, and frustration.
• Create clear, simple classroom expectations that are appropriate for 2-year-olds.
• Maintain a calm, structured, and engaging classroom environment.
• Teach children replacement skills rather than relying on punishment.
• Partner with leadership and families when behavior concerns require additional support.
• Model patience, warmth, consistency, and professionalism at all times.

Classroom Leadership

The Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher will:

• Lead the daily flow of the 2-year-old classroom.
• Guide and support assistant teachers, aides, and float staff assigned to the room.
• Clearly communicate classroom routines, child-specific needs, cleaning expectations, transition plans, and supervision responsibilities.
• Model appropriate interactions with children and families.
• Maintain classroom organization, materials, lesson plans, daily documentation, and supplies.
• Ensure toys, tables, diapering areas, classroom surfaces, and materials are cleaned and sanitized according to procedures.
• Keep the classroom stocked with necessary supplies and communicate needs to leadership.
• Work collaboratively with the director and leadership team to maintain licensing standards and center expectations.
• Help create a positive, professional team culture.

Family Communication

The Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher will:

• Build trusting and respectful relationships with families.
• Communicate daily with parents/guardians about their child’s day, including meals, rest, toileting, mood, activities, milestones, supplies needed, and concerns.
• Use Brightwheel or other center communication systems accurately and professionally.
• Partner with families during toilet learning, transitions, behavior concerns, developmental milestones, and classroom routines.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding children, families, and staff.
• Communicate concerns to leadership promptly and professionally.

Health, Safety, and Compliance

The Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher will:

• Follow all Impact Kidz Academy policies and South Dakota childcare licensing requirements.
• Complete required orientation and ongoing training within required timelines.
• Maintain current pediatric CPR and First Aid certification as required.
• Follow mandated reporter responsibilities for suspected child abuse or neglect.
• Maintain accurate daily documentation, including attendance, meals, diapering/toileting, rest time, incidents, medications if applicable, and parent communication.
• Support compliance with supervision, ratios, sanitation, allergies, emergency procedures, confidentiality, and positive guidance expectations.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Have previous experience working in a licensed childcare setting.
• Have experience working with toddlers or young children.
• Have a work history that demonstrates reliability, commitment, and follow-through in previous positions.
• Be able to consistently work Monday–Friday, 7:15 AM–4:15 PM with a 1-hour lunch.
• Be able to pass all required background checks prior to employment.
• Be dependable, punctual, patient, emotionally steady, and professional.
• Be comfortable caring for 2-year-olds, including diapering, toileting, meals, rest time, transitions, behavior guidance, and developmental support.
• Be able to communicate professionally with families, coworkers, and leadership.
• Be willing to complete required training and ongoing professional development.
• Be physically able to lift children, sit on the floor, bend, kneel, move quickly when needed, and remain actively engaged throughout the day.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism at all times.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference may be given to candidates who have:

• Experience as a toddler lead teacher or lead childcare teacher.
• Experience specifically in a 2-year-old classroom.
• CDA credential, early childhood coursework, or a degree in early childhood education, child development, education, or a related field.
• Current pediatric CPR and First Aid certification.
• Experience using Brightwheel or another childcare communication platform.
• Experience leading assistant teachers or support staff.
• A strong desire to grow in the early childhood education field.

Professional Growth Opportunity

Impact Kidz Academy values team members who want to grow in the field of early childhood education.

Eligible Impact staff have the opportunity to participate in the Child Development Associate credential program at no cost. This is a great opportunity for team members who want to strengthen their skills, increase their qualifications, and continue building a meaningful career in childcare and early childhood education.

Ideal Candidate

Our ideal Toddler Classroom Lead Teacher is someone who:

• Truly enjoys working with 2-year-olds.
• Understands that toddlers need structure, consistency, patience, movement, connection, and positive guidance.
• Can stay calm and kind even when the classroom is busy.
• Is playful, energetic, nurturing, and dependable.
• Has strong classroom management skills.
• Can guide toddler behavior without yelling, shaming, or using harsh discipline.
• Communicates well with families and coworkers.
• Takes safety, supervision, documentation, and licensing seriously.
• Is looking for a long-term opportunity to grow with Impact Kidz Academy.
• Has demonstrated reliability and commitment in previous roles.
• Leads by example and helps create a positive classroom culture.
• Wants to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children every day.

Why Join Impact Kidz Academy?

At Impact Kidz Academy, you will be part of a team that values children, families, growth, professionalism, and high-quality care. We believe early childhood educators do some of the most important work in the world.

This position is a great fit for someone who wants to build a career in early childhood education, lead a classroom with purpose, and help toddlers grow into confident, capable, and loved little learners.

How to Apply

Apply through Indeed with your resume and a brief description of your experience working with toddlers or young children.

This position is Monday–Friday, 7:15 AM–4:15 PM with a 1-hour lunch, so applicants should be able to consistently work this schedule.

We are looking for candidates who are ready to love, lead, teach, and make a lasting impact in the lives of children.