Job Description
LEAD TEACHER - SEEDLING SCHOOL
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Seedling Lead Teacher will serve as one of Wild Oak’s Seedling faculty members, leading a primary group of 6-10 preschool students. This position will work in a team with the other Seedling School Lead and Assistant Teachers to engage, guide, and inspire children to both be ready for their next steps to Wild Oak Lower School and a lifetime of learning and curiosity.
Core Responsibilities
1. Fostering play and natural curiosity
- Adopting a sense of wonder, curiosity, and playfulness that is infectious to the children.
- Engaging children in a variety of structured and unstructured with a heavy emphasis on the outdoors and nature
- Knowledge of the NC Foundations to promote growth and development in the 5 domains Approaches to Play and Learning; Emotional and Social Development; Health and Physical Development; Language Development and Communication; and Cognitive Development.
- Spending a large portion of the day guiding, facilitating, and supporting child-led play
2. Developing age-appropriate activities and inspiring delight in learning
- Helping to plan the curriculum in concert with the Seedling Team at the beginning of the year, during planning meetings, and on teacher work-days.
- Creating lessons utilizing a wide range of materials and approaches to engage different learning styles.
- Incorporating into lessons and activities:
- arts, crafts, movement, song, and dance
- mindfulness and self-regulation exercises
- nature studies and use of natural materials
- Employing a Montessori and/ or Reggio-Emilia-style approach to lessons
- Teachers must be able to implement activities and lessons according to the cognitive, social, emotional and physical levels and proclivities of each child
- Preparing the classroom environment and materials in advance to visually reflect the lessons for the week
3. Building a culture of trust and belonging
- Leading a morning circle focused on mindfulness, movement, expression, community responsibility, and song
- Helping Wild Oak to maintain a “home-like,” serene atmosphere and aesthetic in the classroom to promote focus and self-regulation.
- Fostering an atmosphere of independence by allowing and encouraging children to “do it themselves,” including setting and cleaning up, leading activities, and assisting their friends.
- Employ classroom and communication practices that align with Wild Oak’s ethos and guiding principles:
- Practice “nonviolent communication” with students, families, and colleagues
- Practice “positive discipline”
- Foster “trauma-sensitive classrooms”
4. Develop meaningful goals and assessments with families for their children
- Utilize the 5 domains and work with student’s families to develop personalized goals, assess progress, and address needs t
- Ensure respectful and open lines of communication with parents and caregivers. Be available to parents through written and in-person communication at set times and through clear channels.
- Establish a documentation and portfolio system to track the children’s progress.
- Schedule biannual conferences with families or as needed.
- Give appropriate presentations to the families based on the child's portfolio and other records.
5. Classroom management
- Develop and maintain a schedule of daily activities to meet the needs of the students
- Conduct daily attendance and record keeping in compliance with NC Licensing Standards
- Regularly assess and communicate classroom needs and wants with Seedling Team and Administration
- Supervise classroom volunteers and special guests. Provide necessary instruction and training for volunteers.
- Prepare the classroom as the student’s “second home.”
- Arrange learning materials in advance to visually reflect the lessons for the week/ month (i.e. adding relevant materials, removing others) and make them easily accessible.
- Help Wild Oak to maintain a serene atmosphere and home-like aesthetic within the classroom and school shared spaces to foster comfort and promote focus and self-regulation.
- Regularly inspect classroom furnishings, materials, and equipment.
- Implement a shared daily and weekly cleaning system in compliance with licensing guidelines.
6. Professional Obligations:
- Attend staff meetings and trainings:
- Participate in the annual training & curriculum-building weeks prior to the opening of each school year.
- Attend monthly all-staff meetings and weekly team meetings
- Participate in monthly Staff Workday Workshops, which will consist of curriculum planning, group student assessments, and professional development.
- Follow Wild Oak Wild Oak Policy of Procedures and Standards of Conduct
- Participate and complete WOIS Training and training mandated by NC Early Childcare Education Policies
Other duties
These additional responsibilities may come up from time to time. All staff assist with these duties.
- Assess prospective children and discuss Wild Oak with visiting families.
- Supervise and provide necessary instruction and training for classroom volunteers.
- Provide first aid as needed and complete appropriate accident forms.
- Attend and participate in faculty meetings and scheduled staff professional development.
- Be part of the team responsible for emergent decisions in the absence of the Directors.
- Support fundraising efforts in ways that feel personally comfortable (for example, sharing your experiences as a teacher with prospective donors)
- Maintain First Aid and CPR certifications and early childhood trainings and required by Wild Oak and NC Division of Child Development and Early Childhood Education (NCDEE)
Wild Oak Schedule
- 40 hours and 52-week schedule (with paid breaks and holidays according to the Wild Oak School Calendar)
- School hours 8:15-2:15, with expectation that the Lead Teacher be present on campus at least 7:30-3:30.
- Participation in non-student work days and after school meetings as needed and as scheduled.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $16.00 - $19.13 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
License/Certification:
- CPR Certification (Preferred)
- Child Development Associate Certification (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
