Wildflower Montessori is a boutique school in the Hudson Valley opening in January 2027 serving students from infancy through age 5. Situated on 5 acres, our curriculum lives at the intersection of Montessori practice, nature-based learning, and project-based inquiry. We are looking for founding guides who hold a deep respect for the child, love to learn alongside their students, and are eager to help us grow this vision from the ground up.
We are a team that cares, learns, and grows together. If you're passionate about the early childhood world, we want to hear from you—even if you don't meet every qualification listed. To apply, please send a resume, references, and a letter introducing yourself and your fit for the role to [email protected].
The Role
We are looking for an Assistant Guide for our Luma classroom (18 months to 3 years). In this role, you will work hand-in-hand with the Lead Guide to support a nurturing, responsive environment where toddlers can safely pursue functional independence and express their natural curiosities. The ideal educator for this role is warm, patient, and deeply collaborative. You are eager to learn the art of non-interference, protect the toddler's concentration, and learn alongside our founding team.
At Wildflower, our assistants are active participants in the community. You should be comfortable moving beyond a traditional classroom environment, supporting a responsive, child-led approach and daily outdoor immersion across our garden and forest terrain.
Key Responsibilities
- Classroom Support & Collaboration: Assist the Lead Guide in creating and maintaining a purposeful, curated, and organized environment that supports the toddler's need for order, movement, and language. Help reset and restore materials to invite self-directed discovery.
- Responsive Caregiving: Follow the guidance of the Lead Teacher to model respectful interactions and use responsive language that validates each child's voice. Assist with daily transitions, meal times, and supporting the toddler's developing autonomy (including diapering and potty learning).
- Outdoor Exploration: Participate fully in daily outdoor immersion, regardless of the weather, helping to manage gear and safely facilitate gross motor and sensory discovery in a natural setting.
- Compliance & Safety: Ensure the classroom, playground, and forest spaces remain safe, clean, and fully compliant with NYS OCFS regulations, including hygiene, safe feeding, and active supervision standards.
- Engagement: Participate fully in school events, staff meetings, and professional development opportunities.
Qualifications
- Experience: Experience working with young children (toddler-specific experience in an early childhood setting is highly preferred).
- Education: High School Diploma or equivalent required (enrollment in or completion of Early Childhood coursework or a CDA is a plus).
- Mindset: You are comfortable with the startup nature of a new school and hold a desire to help shape school culture. You enjoy collaborating with team members and are open to coaching, feedback, and professional growth.
Essential Physical Requirements
- Active Nature: Ability to sit on the floor at the child's level, move quickly to maintain safety, and navigate outdoor, uneven forest terrain.
- Outdoor Transport: Ability to push or pull a multi-child wagon or crib and manage outdoor gear in various weather conditions.
Benefits & Additional Information
- Housing: Eligibility to apply for a potential on-campus affordable housing benefit available for a limited number of teachers.
- Professional Development: Wildflower dedicates resources and time for regular professional growth, training, and potential paths toward Montessori certification.
- Compensation is commensurate with experience and current market standards.
*There is a potential to start this position in September 2026 alongside the Primary teacher, shifting to the Assistant Toddler role in January '27.
Pay: From $18.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
