- Position: Early Learning Center Outdoor Preschool Instructor
- Reports to: Director of the ELC
- Status: Non-Exempt (Hourly)
- Contact: Co-Directors of ELC
- Pay Scale: $ 22.00- $28.00 DOE
To apply:Please submit your cover letter, resume and a list of all previous school or educational institution employers, including city and state, in accordance with CA SB 848.
About our program
At the ELC, we believe childhood is an adventure best experienced outside. We are a community of dedicated educators who merge the respectful, mindful practices of the RIE philosophy with a deep love for the outdoors.
Rooting our work in Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), we meet young learners where they are—as individuals and as a community—helping each child achieve meaningful, challenging goals in both indoor and outdoor settings. We believe children learn best through play. Guided by child-directed exploration and balanced by teacher-supported activities, our structured daily routines give children the confidence and control to make sense of their world, build vocabulary, and stimulate cognitive growth.
Position Overview:
At the Cate Early Learning Center (ELC), we embrace the beautiful, messy, and deeply rewarding work of outdoor education while prioritizing safety, joy, and emotional well-being. As an Educator, you aren’t just supervising children—you are co-conspiring with nature to cultivate resilient, empathetic, and curious human beings.
At Cate School, we pride ourselves on fostering a community where our employees truly thrive. We offer a highly supportive, collaborative culture, and a robust benefits package to ensure our educators are cared for as deeply as our students.As a member of our team, you’ll enjoy full access to our premium campus facilities, including our library, gym, pool, and athletic track. We also provide complimentary meals in our campus dining hall during the academic year. Tucked away in the foothills, our campus offers breathtaking mountain views and serene walking trails—perfect for a peaceful break or an outdoor adventure with students.
- Supervise children closely to ensure their safety and well-being in any setting and weather conditions.
- Administer first aid and respond to emergencies, documenting all incidents accurately.
- Teach children about risk management while encouraging them to take age-appropriate risks.
- Model and enforce personal hygiene practices, including proper hand-washing.
- Maintain a precise headcount of students at all times. Ensuring each child is signed in and out each day.
- Embrace the Outdoors: Lead and engage children in immersive outdoor activities across all weather conditions, nurturing their natural curiosity, risk-assessment skills, and connection to the earth.
- Language-rich program: Promote positive and respectful interactions by creating a safe nurturing space that supports learning; using open ended resources, story books, and labeled areas to emphasize language development.
- RIE & Respectful Care: Plan, supervise, and implement a preschool curriculum aligned with RIE philosophy—treating every child with dignity, honoring their natural development, and encouraging active problem-solving. Helping each child to become aware of his/her role as an integral member of the group.
- Routine: Ensure daily rhythms (outside time, meals, diapering, rest times) are handled in an organized, peaceful manner to provide children with a comforting sense of routine.
- Developmental Assessments: Conduct routine developmental observations and assessments to tailor your teaching to each child's unique pace and learning style.
- Build Trust: Form deep, respectful relationships with families that celebrate their unique cultural, socioeconomic, and individual differences. Communicate effectively and professionally, sharing observations about their child’s development through conversations, emails, and a parent portal.
- Transition Support: Greeting each family as they walk in to ensure a gentle, warm transition into our program.
- Collaborative Leadership: Provide constructive guidance to support staff by collaborating with co-teachers to support the program’s goal.
- Paperwork: Complete all assigned paperwork (daily information sheets/daily attendance, shopping lists, child injury reports, lesson plans, etc.) in a timely manner.
- Schedule:Clocking in and out at your scheduled time (unless asked to change your shift or is approved by directors).
- Maintain current certifications, including CPR and first aid.
- Attend staff meetings and professional development opportunities.
- Engage in regular self reflection and seek to grow as a teacher of young children.
- Experience: A minimum of 2 years experience working with young children in a preschool setting.
- Education: At least 12 of the core ECE units, an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or a related field or a Bachelor degree is preferred.
- Successful completion of the finger printing process Successful completion of background check.
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
- Creativity and flexibility in curriculum planning.
- Ability to work collaboratively and maintain a positive attitude.
- Strong problem solving and observational skills.
- Continually able to observe and respond to children’s needs, emergencies, and/or conflicts that might occur during the day.
- Able to work with age groups 3 months-5 years.
- Continually able to kneel to maintain eye contact at child’s level.
- Continually able to sit on the floor to work with children.
- Continually able to react to a child that is 20-30 feet away within 30 seconds.
- Continually able to carry a child (1-50 lbs), up to 50-100 feet.
- Continually able to respond to the children’s first aid needs (inside and outside), which may include cuts, bruises, blood/bodily fluids.
- Continually able to communicate clearly and calmly to children, parents, and co-workers.
- Continually able to deal effectively with the stress involved in working closely with children, parents, and co-workers.
- Continually able to do fine and medium hand manipulation.
- Work is performed primarily outdoors for the majority of the workday and may include exposure to changing weather and environmental conditions.
Job Benefits:
This role includes a generous benefits package with Health, Dental, and Life insurance, Retirement and PTO plans, plus meals enjoyed on campus as part of our school community.
Employee Conduct:
It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, children, and parents.
All Cate Employees live up to the following Essential Expectations:
- Overtly support and act according to the school’s mission and values.
- Foster a safe, predictable, and supportive environment for employees and students.
- Interact with colleagues in a respectful and collegial manner that fosters a healthy culture for living, learning, and working together.
- Demonstrate commitment and courage in service of building our school culture where diversity is affirmed and supported.
- Demonstrate appropriate planning and preparation to meet the complex and evolving needs of your role.
- Uphold professional standards of predictable presence, reliable responses, and relational trust.
- Appropriately steward strategic and special projects associated with role or team.
- Honor the confidentiality of School, student, and family information.
- Comply with policies and procedures as articulated in the School's Employee Handbook.
- Authentically engage in self-reflection in service to professional growth and adapting to the evolving needs of the school.
At Cate, we often talk about the deep sense of community that attends the “spirit of this place.” While the “spirit” manifests in many ways, it is rooted in the full recognition of the dignity of each person. We encourage all members of the Cate community to share their background, interests, identities, and beliefs so that we can collectively work to broaden our perspectives, deepen our capacity for empathy, and strengthen our resilience. In doing so, we can continue the daily work of creating and building community.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Cate School is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition including genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender, gender identity, genetic information or any other category protected under federal or local law.
Pay: $22.00 - $28.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Application Question(s):
- Can you confirm that you have at least 12 units of Early Childhood Education coursework included in your education? Please note, these would need to be the core units: -Child growth and development -Child, family, and community -Program/curriculum -Infant/Toddler care - any class specific to this age group since the position will be in that classroom.
Work Location: In person
