Preschool Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

About This Role

We are always excited to connect with passionate educators who are enthusiastic about high-quality Early Childhood Education, nurturing young children, and learning through nature and play . While this position does not have a definitive start date, we are continuously building a pool of talented educators who are interested in becoming part of our teaching community. Applicants may initially be invited to join our substitute teacher pool , offering a wonderful opportunity to get to know our school, build relationships with students and colleagues, and experience our community firsthand. For educators seeking a long-term position with us, substitute teaching can be a meaningful first step toward joining our team.

We are looking for nurturing, creative, and collaborative educators who enjoy working with young children and are excited to embrace a nature-immersive approach to early learning. Our ideal candidate:

• Has experience working with young children in a group setting.
• Provides warm, individualized care while confidently supporting and supervising a group of children.
• Believes in the value of Developmentally Appropriate Practice, play-based learning, and experiential education.
• Is enthusiastic about spending time outdoors in all kinds of weather.
• Brings a calm, patient, and nurturing presence to the classroom.
• Communicates openly and works collaboratively as part of a teaching team.
• Is passionate about building lasting relationships and contributing to a strong, connected community.
• Loves the outdoors and sees nature as an important and exciting part of children's learning.

If you are energized by children's curiosity, believe in the power of play and exploration, and would love to help children learn and grow through meaningful experiences in nature, we would love to hear from you!

We encourage you to apply even if you are interested in a future opportunity. Your application allows us to get to know you and consider you for substitute, current, and future teaching positions as they become available. We look forward to learning more about you!

Teachers will be responsible for the following and more as listed in Job Description:

• Maintaining audio/visual supervision of a group of 8-10 children as needed
• Maintaining Health and Safety standards through routine diapering, wellness checks, and environmental cleaning/maintenance
• Taking direction from Lead Teachers regarding developmentally appropriate practice
• Giving Lead Teachers breaks for lunch, bathroom, etc.
• Follow curriculum as directed in the occurence of teacher absence
• Communicating with a teaching team needs, wants, etc. at monthly meetings
• Substitute Teaching

• Must be healthy and have the stamina for a full day with children
• Ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with the students, public, supervisors and co-workers 
• The ability to multitask, assess children's needs & prioritize these
• An up-to-date Merit Account
• Current "Portable Background Check" from WA State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
• Proof of Negative TB Testing (per WAC 170-295-1120)
• Current CPR & 1st Aid - certification includes pediatric and adult (per WAC 170-295-1100)
• Bloodborne Pathogens/HIV Training (per WAC 170-295-1110)
• The Department of Children, Youth, and Families' Child Care Basics

• Higher Education in field related to Early Childhood Education
• Experience with Google Workspace
• Experience with Curriculum Development
• Experience with Teaching Strategies Gold
• Experience with Outdoor Schooling
• Experience with Gardening

• 5% one time hourly raise after one year of Full Time Employment to contribute towards a Health Savings Account to be set up independent of employer
• 40 hours maximum of vacation pay at current state minimum wage after one year of employment and each year thereafter (accrued at a rate of 1 hour per 40 hours worked)
• Unused paid vacation time can be paid out in the last paycheck of each year each year after two years of employment (paid December 15th) OR accrued to a max amount of 80 hours
• Vacation pay can be cashed out upon Parental Leave after two years of employment and each year thereafter
• Paid Holiday Time per WCC subsidy payment for the following days (if we are closed) after one year of employment and each year thereafter paid for 8 hours at current wage.
• Each employee is assigned 3 unpaid Personal Days per year - unpaid personal days expire at the end of each year with no option to accrue
• Accrued Sick Pay per Washington State Guidelines (1 hour per 40 hours worked)