Job Title: Early Childhood (3-6) Assistant Enrichment/ Afterschool Teacher
Wage/Hour Status: Salary
Reports to: Head of School Date Revised: April 2025
Primary Purpose:
The Early Childhood (3-6) Enrichment/Afterschool Teacher is the Director and Facilitator of the learning environment they prepare for 3- to 6-year-old children. The teacher is responsible for providing learning opportunities based on the Montessori philosophy. The teacher is a model and a source of motivation for the children in their care.
The teacher is also a representative and advocate for the child and Montessori education to parents and the community. He or she should communicate clearly about issues that are in the child's best interest and align with Montessori philosophy.
Qualifications:
Minimum Education/Certification:
High School Diploma or Equivalent
Bachelor’s Degree, preferred
Pediatric First Aid/ CPR certified
Special Knowledge/ Skills:
- Demonstrated proficiency in working effectively and positively with a variety of people
- Ability to creatively solve problems and situations
- Ability to counsel children and parents as directed by the lead teacher
- Ability to use a computer for word processing
- The ability to organize materials, coordinate plans with the lead teacher, administrators, and other teachers
- Ability to organize materials and coordinate plans with assistants, teaching team, and administrators.
- Ability to organize, coordinate, and monitor multiple activities at a time
Minimum Experience
Experience in teaching or working with children, preferably in a Montessori classroom.
Working Conditions:
Physical Demands:
Ability to think clearly and act respectfully with children and their parents. High physical stamina is necessary. Must be able to sit on the floor, walk on fieldtrips, and stay on feet if necessary, most of the day.
Environment:
Working in a classroom environment while dealing daily with students, parents, faculty, administration, volunteers, and visitors to WMS.
Terms of Employment
Number of Days for Position: See Salary Worksheet.
Pay: as determined by the HOS using a scale based on job qualifications, length of service
and performance.
Responsibilities and Duties:
Professionalism and Ethics:
- Is familiar with and works within the policies and procedures established by the school.
- Is supportive and positive in relationships with teaching and colleagues, and other members of the staff.
- Can speak in a professional manner concerning colleagues in conversations with parents, friends, education professionals, and members of the community.
- Maintains confidentiality in matters concerning other faculty members, parents, and children.
- Maintains professional relationships with parents. Can communicate successfully regarding Montessori philosophy and school policies with parents.
- Takes responsibility to establish and maintain good working relationships and to communicate needs to the HOS, Assistant HOS, Business Manager, and receptionist.
- Takes responsibility to clearly and positively communicate needs and concerns to co-teacher(s).
- Understands the personal grievance procedure at the school and follows it if needed.
- Arrives on time and leaves at the agreed-upon time as scheduled. Attends all faculty and departmental meetings as needed.
- Attends school events such as Parent Orientation, Parent Education Nights, Open House, and the Back-to-School Kick-off party, among others. Is willing and enthusiastic about leading and teaching in these events if needed.
- Improves knowledge of the materials and methods to direct and give lessons to children more effectively.
Training:
- Participates in professional development activities to earn at least 24 continuing education hours each year, with the hire date serving as the start of the training year. Is a willing and enthusiastic participant in training activities.
- Has knowledge and understanding of sound, current theories in child development and curriculum in elementary education, and of their application in Montessori environments.
Curriculum and Environment:
- Creates and maintains an environment that fosters learning.
- Furniture is arranged with traffic flow and grouping needs in mind.
- Materials are updated frequently to reflect the children’s current studies and interests.
- Materials are updated frequently to reflect the children's current studies and interests.
- Replenishes consumable supplies in the classroom when needed.
- Directs children in reorganizing the room daily and in cleaning at least once a week.
- Assist the lead teacher in creating an environment that offers a wide range of experiences, allowing children to make choices based on their individual needs. Provides opportunities for choice whenever possible.
Class Management:
- Constructively handles discipline matters for the child, helping the child solve problems and using natural consequences rather than punishments to change behavior. Uses class meeting time to teach children to solve community and individual conflicts.
- Provides for comfortable transitions and handles routines successfully, is on time for scheduled activities such as lunch and dismissal.
- Supervises health and safety aspects by identifying potential problems and taking preventive measures.
- Maintains a good balance of small-group, large-group, and individual presentations. Plans an appropriate balance of short-term and long-term projects. Allows for flexibility and the ability to adjust changes in the class schedule and work plan.
- Plans appropriate outdoor activities.
Qualities of the Assistant Teacher:
- Personal appearance is always neat and in compliance with school policies.
- Enthusiastic about work. Successfully communicates enthusiasm and joy to children, parents, and fellow staff members.
- Is prepared for each day so that lessons and activities can be processed in an orderly, calm and organized manner.
- Gives clear, concise presentations of appropriate length for the age of children. The presentation should engage the student and spark their imagination.
- Is a positive role model for others in terms of language use and pleasant voice quality.
- Willing to accept suggestions and directions from supervisors. Willing to discuss work objectively.
Relationship with Students:
- Maintains optimistic, patient, forgiving, and consistent relationships with individual children.
- Treats each child with respect. Children trust and respect their teacher in return.
- Helps children become more independent by modeling problem-solving techniques.
- Listens to children.
Relationships with Parents:
- Effectively and positively communicates the child's school experience with parents.
- Brings necessary information to parents in a positive, helpful way.
- Understands and accepts the parents' points of view when they differ from the teacher’s.
- Encourages parents to visit the classroom following the school’s policy. Parents feel that they are welcome visitors in the classroom.
- Knows when to refer parents’ or children's problems to an administrator.
- Attends conferences as requested by the lead teacher.
- Attends conferences when problems arise.
- Elicits a high degree of parental involvement and interests through the use of e-mail, notes sent home, bulletin board by classroom, request for volunteers from all parents of children in the class (not using the same parents every time), personal contacts, etc.
Relationships with Co-workers:
- Able to coordinate how children are handled in the environment with the assistant, so that consistency is achieved.
- Can work out a suitable division and exchange of responsibility in the classroom.
- Takes time to plan cooperatively with assistants and other Early Childhood teachers.
- Willing to step in and help others when asked or when others are in need.
Record Keeping/ Housekeeping Responsibilities:
- Submits all required data to the school promptly.
- Completes necessary household chores and preparations each day.
- Keeps an up-to-date inventory of school and personnel materials.
- Supplies the office with accident reports immediately following an accident.
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: $15.00 - $17.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
