Preschool Teacher's Aide

Job Description

Job Description

Start your career at a school where children are known, not managed.

My name is Luna Pecoraro. I am the founder of Bella Daycare — San Diego’s Italian-English daycare, loved by families with five-star reviews — and the creator of The Bella MethodTM. Now I am opening Bella Preschool in Pacific Beach: a licensed center for 70 children, from infants through pre-kindergarten. I am looking for Teacher’s Aides to help me build it from the very first day.

Maybe you are early in your career. Maybe you are studying child development. Maybe you have simply always been the person little kids run to. What I care about most is not the length of your resume — it is your heart, your patience, and your joy. Everything else, we will teach you.

And I mean that: this role is a doorway, not a dead end. Aides at Bella work alongside experienced teachers every day, and as you complete your early childhood education units, there is a real path here — Aide to Teacher to Lead Teacher. We are a brand-new school with a brand-new team, and the people who grow with us will grow far.

Why Bella is different

Everything we do rests on The Bella MethodTM, our framework for caring for and teaching young children:

• Bring positivity — fun, smiles, eye contact, excitement. We are playful and joyous, and we start every day by asking, “What can we do to bring joy into our childcare?”
• Empathy — every child feels safe, because we put ourselves in their shoes.
• Listening — active listening, confirming we understand each child’s desires and frustrations.
• Love — warmth and human connection. A hug has never hurt a child who is suffering.
• Aptitude — every child has a unique natural gift. We don’t dictate what it is. We celebrate it, encourage it, and reward it — kindness, humor, building, anything.

Academics matter here, and so does something more: we teach children to be good humans. Please and thank you. Patience. Empathy. Being ready to help when someone is hurt. Children will forget many of the lessons we teach, but they will never forget how we made them feel.

What you will do

• Support your classroom teacher throughout the day — circle time, small groups, art, music, outdoor play, meals, and rest — always under a teacher’s guidance.
• Greet children by name, at their level, with a smile. When a child is attempting something, cheer them on.
• Help with the caring work that makes a preschool run: hand-washing, meal times, diapering and toilet learning (patiently and without shame), and keeping the classroom safe, clean, and inviting.
• Comfort children who are having a hard morning — at Bella, that child gets a warm hug and an extra minute, never a hurried push through the door.
• Be a warm, respectful presence for families at drop-off and pick-up.
• Learn The Bella MethodTM from the inside, with mentoring from your teacher, the Director, and me.

Who you are

• Patient. Children do not develop on a schedule that is convenient for adults, and you would never hurry them.
• Fun and positive. You bring smiles, energy, and playfulness into the room with you.
• Understanding. With children, with parents, and with your teammates.
• A communicator. Clear, kind, honest, and respectful — good communication and mutual respect are how our team works.
• Here for the long term. You want to grow in early childhood education, and you want a school worth growing in.

What you will need

• You must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent, and you will always work under the direct supervision of a qualified teacher, as California Title 22 requires.
• No college units are required to start — but units in early childhood education or child development are a plus, and if you are working toward them, we will cheer you on the same way we cheer on our children.
• Experience with young children — professional, volunteer, or family — is welcome.
• Criminal background clearance (Live Scan), TB clearance, current immunizations, and mandated reporter training; pediatric CPR and First Aid are a plus. We will help you complete any outstanding items after an offer.

Pay, schedule, and benefits

This is a full-time, on-site position, Monday through Friday, at our Pacific Beach campus (center hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Pay is $20.00–$22.00 per hour depending on your experience, with a competitive benefits package and a real growth path as you earn your ECE units. We believe children are cared for well only by adults who are cared for well — that is written into our objectives, and it starts with how we treat you.

“Children will forget many of the lessons we teach, but they will never forget how we made them feel.” — Luna

Why Bella is different:

Everything we do rests on The Bella MethodTM, our framework for caring for and teaching young children:
Bring positivity — fun, smiles, eye contact, excitement. We are playful and joyous, and we start every day by asking, “What can we do to bring joy into our childcare?”

Empathy — every child feels safe, because we put ourselves in their shoes.
Listening — active listening, confirming we understand each child’s desires and frustrations.
Love — warmth and human connection. A hug has never hurt a child who is suffering.
Aptitude — every child has a unique natural gift. We don’t dictate what it is. We celebrate it, encourage it, and reward it — kindness, humor, building, anything.

Academics matter here, and so does something more: we teach children to be good humans. Please and thank you. Patience. Empathy. Being ready to help when someone is hurt.

Children will forget many of the lessons we teach, but they will never forget how we made them feel.

Company Description

Why Bella is different:\r\n\r\nEverything we do rests on The Bella MethodTM, our framework for caring for and teaching young children:\r\nBring positivity — fun, smiles, eye contact, excitement. We are playful and joyous, and we start every day by asking, “What can we do to bring joy into our childcare?”\r\n\r\nEmpathy — every child feels safe, because we put ourselves in their shoes.\r\nListening — active listening, confirming we understand each child’s desires and frustrations.\r\nLove — warmth and human connection. A hug has never hurt a child who is suffering.\r\nAptitude — every child has a unique natural gift. We don’t dictate what it is. We celebrate it, encourage it, and reward it — kindness, humor, building, anything.\r\n\r\nAcademics matter here, and so does something more: we teach children to be good humans. Please and thank you. Patience. Empathy. Being ready to help when someone is hurt. \r\n\r\nChildren will forget many of the lessons we teach, but they will never forget how we made them feel.