Lead Teacher, Early Childhood

Job Description

Job Description

Lead Teacher, Early Childhood

TERM: 2026/2027

REPORTS TO: Interim Head of School

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Exempt

COMPENSATION: $65,559-$113,636/Annually; depending upon relevant experience

LOCATION: 11 Jefferson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238 (on-site)

About the Brooklyn Waldorf School (BWS)

The Brooklyn Waldorf School is a vibrant and dynamic school nestled in the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The Brooklyn Waldorf School provides an education that meets the needs of each student in a developmentally appropriate manner, integrating critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and a deep connection to the arts through the curriculum founded by Rudolf Steiner. Through leading a balanced and well-rounded school life, students are expected to understand themselves as agents of change in an ever-evolving world.

Our faculty hails from all over the world and includes both seasoned Waldorf teachers and those new to Waldorf education. Serving over 160 students from pre-K to grade 8, teachers typically remain with a class through multiple grades, forming deep relationships over time. BWS teachers care for their students as whole individuals and provide not only for their academic development, but also for their emotional intelligence, artistic capacities, and physical knowledge of their surrounding environment. Teachers develop their own classroom content through active engagement with curricular resources prepared by our Faculty Council and reflect our local urban environment and community values.

The Brooklyn Waldorf School was founded in 2005 by a body of parents and Waldorf graduates who sought a nurturing space within the city where their children could discover and explore their inner potential. As the school community grew, classes expanded to include Parent-Child, Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle School.

Role Overview

The Lead Teacher, Early Childhood guides a class of young children through a nurturing, play-based Waldorf program, partnering with a Support Teacher to create a warm, rhythmic classroom environment. This teacher leads daily curriculum planning and delivery, communicates regularly with families, and helps carry forward BWS's mission of educating the whole child.

Responsibilities

● Create an engaging play-based Waldorf Early Childhood curriculum focused on nurturing the whole child—intellectually, emotionally, and physically—through a balance of structured activities and creative play.

● Oversee daily operations, guide and oversee the class Support Teacher

● Maintain student records

● Prepare student end-of-year reports for parents in accordance with school policies

● Write bi-weekly newsletters updating parents on class activities

● Establish and maintain a positive and professional relationship with students, parents, and other teachers and school personnel

Expectations

● Be available to parents for collaboration on student needs through Class Meetings, biannual parent-teacher conferences, and individual meetings

● Establish and maintain a positive and professional relationship with students, parents, and other teachers and school personnel

● Attend weekly faculty meetings and occasional special events (open houses, festivals, fairs)

● Assist in school governance by serving on at least two committees relevant to grade, interest, and expertise (after your first year)

● Maintain an aesthetically pleasing and organized classroom space

● Comply with the established policies and procedures of the school as stated in the Faculty and Staff Handbook

Please Note: This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, i.e., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments.

Brooklyn Waldorf School is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for its students, visitors, faculty, and staff, and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications. BWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender (which includes a person’s actual or perceived sex, as well as gender identity and expression), age, marital status, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, familial status, predisposing genetic characteristics, actual or perceived domestic violence victim status, unemployment status, caregiver status or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local law, in carrying on its educational activities or in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. People of color and other historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

This position may require the ability to perform essential job functions, which can include, but are not limited to, standing, walking, sitting, lifting, bending, reaching, and using a computer or other instructional and office equipment. Specific physical requirements will be shared as applicable. Brooklyn Waldorf School is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local laws. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the position, unless doing so would cause undue hardship. Applicants who require accommodations during the application or hiring process are encouraged to contact the School.

Requirements

Requirements

● Bachelor's degree and experience as a Teacher (Required); Waldorf experience (Highly preferred)

● A love of children ages 2-6 and a deep desire to support their growth, through observation and collaboration

● Previous Waldorf training and/or a willingness to take Waldorf courses within the first few years of employment (professional development funding is available to partially offset associated costs)

● Ability to sit, stand, and walk for significant periods of time, use staircases often, and lift up to 50lbs

● Ability to be outdoors with children in all seasons

● Musical and artistic ability

● Enthusiasm, flexibility, and a warm demeanor

● A strong connection to and appreciation for nature

● Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to connect with children, parents, and colleagues

● Physical stamina and enthusiasm for spending significant time outdoors in various weather conditions, and walk up to 2 miles

● Dedicated to fostering a Waldorf Pedagogy that moves beyond European-centric perspectives and prioritizes a diverse, multicultural curriculum.

Benefits

Benefits

● Full-Time Faculty, yearly employment agreement

● Competitive salary, commensurate with experience, non-exempt

● Benefits include medical and dental health insurance coverage, retirement, flexible spending, and Metrocards (where applicable)

● Opportunities for professional development

● Reduced tuition for dependents

● Childcare during faculty meetings and parent-teacher conferences