Classroom Staff

UNOW’s staff is our greatest resource. Teachers work closely together in a team teaching environment. Our professional staff complete between 12 and 20 hours of professional training each year. All staff maintain current certification in First Aid and CPR. The majority of our teachers have a degree in early childhood education, or a related field with multiple years of experience. Our staff is committed to the field of early childhood development. We are proud to be a NAEYC-accredited school since 1996.    

Classroom Staffing Structure

Each classroom has a team of teachers assigned specifically to a group of children within a given age range.  Teams consist of a Lead Teacher, Associate Teacher, Teaching Assistant and Support Staff (Part-time or Full time).  Classroom staff arrive in shifts according to attendance, drop off and pick up times.  The day begins or ends with the classroom Lead or Associate Teacher opening or closing each day.

Lead Teachers – Serve as the leader in a given classroom and work collaboratively with an Associate Teacher, Teaching Assistant and a Support Staff to provide a warm, safe and developmentally appropriate environment for a group of children within a specific age range.

Associate Teachers – Work together with the Lead Teacher in planning and implementing curriculum, assessing children’s growth and building partnerships with families of children in the classroom.

Teaching Assistants and Support Staff – Support and assist the Leads and Associate Teachers of a given classroom.  Maintain a safe and organized environment and build positive relationships with the children and families assigned to a given classroom. Assist children in the daily routines and care of the day.

Floater Teachers – A full time assistant teacher position available to step in any classroom of a given wing (Infant and Toddler Wing or Preschool Wing) in the absence of a classroom staff member.  Maintain the care and routine of the children and provide a familiar and consistent staff person in the absence of a teacher within a team.

Substitutes - Substitutes work on an on call basis and are usually assigned to a set of classrooms or age range.  They step in the classroom to cover for the absence of a Teacher Assistant or Support Staff person of a classroom.  They assist with the children’s daily activities and routines of the day and support the other teachers in the classroom as needed.    

Volunteers/College Students and Interns - Occasionally, volunteers or college students will be assigned to a given classroom to provide additional support to a classroom and to offer the student/volunteer a valuable learning experience.  Volunteers and students are never counted as part of the classroom ratios to meet required guidelines.  However, they often do provide a helping hand to children and staff.