After School Adventure Program - Assistant Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

About This Role

Employment Details

Position: After School Adventure Program - Assistant Teacher

Type: Part-Time, Non-exempt

Compensation: $18-$21/hour, based on education and experience

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 2:30–5:30 PM (17 hours/week), with occasional 2pm start times when New Haven Public Schools are closed and Leila Day is open.

Location: New Haven, CT (On-site)

Additional Work Opportunities: Additional paid work for substitute shifts may be available based on school needs and employee interest.

Occasional Required Activities: Staff may occasionally be asked to participate in professional development or school events outside of their regular schedule; any required hours outside the regular schedule will be paid.

About Leila Day

Leila Day is a progressive, play-based, nature-centered school where childhood is honored. We innovate and build on the best traditions and practices of progressive, early childhood education. We believe in teaching and learning grounded in caring relationships, filled with joyful, learning adventures, and powered by the creativity of children at play. Teachers plan learning experiences around the needs and interests of the children and the opportunities provided by the natural world and our multicultural community. 

Our indoor and outdoor classrooms encourage children to explore, wonder, learn, and grow. Located beside East Rock Park in New Haven, we use the woods, trails, streams, and surrounding neighborhood as an extension of the classroom.

What You'll Do

Position Summary

Leila Day is seeking an enthusiastic, reliable, and adventurous Assistant Teacher to join our After School Adventure Program, serving children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, ages 5–9.

The After School Adventure Program is a place where children can decompress from the school day, pursue their interests, build friendships, and experience the natural world through play, exploration, art, movement, and adventure. The Assistant Teacher works alongside the Lead Teacher to create an engaging, supportive environment where children have meaningful opportunities to make choices, take appropriate risks, develop confidence, and follow their curiosity.

The ideal candidate brings energy, warmth, creativity, and a genuine interest in spending time outdoors with children. Experience with outdoor activities, nature, art, or other hands-on learning is especially welcome. We are more interested in curiosity, reliability, and a willingness to learn than in any particular educational background.

Key Responsibilities

• Build positive relationships with children ages 5–9 and support their social, emotional, physical, and creative development through play, conversation, and hands-on experiences.
• Collaborate with the Lead Teacher to create a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and joyful environment that responds to children's interests, ideas, and needs.
• Engage children in outdoor exploration and adventure, including walks, hikes, nature exploration, and play in East Rock Park and other nearby outdoor spaces.
• Support and facilitate activities in areas such as art, movement, games, science, nature, and other hands-on experiences, adapting activities to children's interests.
• Help children develop independence, confidence, problem-solving skills, and responsibility by encouraging curiosity, appropriate risk-taking, and meaningful choice.
• Support daily classroom operations, including transitions, supervision, organization, cleanliness, preparation of materials, and maintaining a safe learning environment.
• Collaborate with the teaching team through clear communication, shared responsibility, and a commitment to Leila Day's culture of respect, kindness, and cooperation.
• Participate in professional development and ongoing learning about progressive, play-based, nature-centered, and emergent education, while following all school policies and applicable health, safety, and licensing requirements.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Experience working with children in a school, camp, childcare, recreation, community, or other youth-serving setting.
• Genuine interest in working with children ages 5–9.
• Experience spending time outdoors, such as hiking, camping, fishing, birdwatching, animal care, gardening, geology, astronomy, or other nature-based activities.
• Willingness to learn about outdoor education, arts education, play-based learning, and Leila Day's emergent curriculum.
• Dependability, punctuality, and clear communication.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a teaching team.
• A warm, patient, and respectful approach to working with children.

Physical, Health & Safety Requirements

• Ability to meet applicable Connecticut licensing requirements and Leila Day health and safety requirements, including required health documentation and training such as CPR, First Aid, and Administration of Medication, as applicable to the position.
• Ability to safely supervise and respond to children in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments.
• Ability to participate in the physical activities of the position, including walking, running, climbing, squatting, kneeling, sitting on the floor, and lifting, moving, or assisting children.
• Ability and willingness to spend significant portions of the school day outdoors in a variety of weather conditions.
• Ability to respond appropriately and promptly to children's health and safety needs and to emergency or unexpected situations.

Nice To Haves

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with elementary-aged children, particularly ages 5–9.
• Experience working with children in outdoor, nature-based, camp, recreation, or adventure settings.
• Experience with art, crafts, music, movement, gardening, science, or other hands-on activities.
• Early childhood education or other relevant education credits.
• Familiarity with play-based, emergent, progressive, or experiential education.

Benefits

Professional Growth & Additional Opportunities

• Professional Development
• Ongoing professional development opportunities
• Opportunities to work substitute shifts based on school needs and employee interest
• Opportunities for career growth within Leila Day
• Daily opportunities to learn and work alongside children in Leila Day's outdoor classrooms and surrounding natural environment.
• Part-time, hourly employees will be paid for holidays or weather-related closings that fall during their regular work schedule. Pay will be based on the employees’ normal hours scheduled on the day the event occurs. Holidays that occur during recess weeks will not be doubly compensated.

About Us

Leila Day is an accredited, nonprofit child care center serving children of working families from diverse economic, racial and cultural backgrounds from New Haven and surrounding towns. In operation since 1878, this celebrated program's mission is to foster children's social, emotional, intellectual and physical development within a warm and nurturing environment built on sound

principles of child development. Leila Day emphasizes nature and outdoor education. The children and teachers spend time learning outside every day.