Nature Preschool Teacher

Chicago Botanic Garden•Glencoe, IL

6h•$22 - $26•Onsite

About The Position

Teach in a high quality, mission-based, early-childhood educational program. Implement developmentally appropriate lessons for children ages 3 to 5 in a nature-based preschool setting. Duties are different for lead and assistant teachers.

Requirements

Associate’s degree in early childhood education or equivalent experience required.
At least three years of experience working with preschool-age children required.
CPR/First Aid required. Willingness to attain after hire.
Newly hired staff must become members of Gateways to Opportunity Registry within 30 days of hire.
Newly employed staff must submit a report of a physical examination completed no more than six months prior to employment that provides evidence that they are free of communicable disease, including active tuberculosis and physical and mental conditions that could affect their ability to perform assigned duties. This examination must include a test for tuberculosis by the Mantoux method.
Newly employed staff will be subject to background checks, will submit fingerprinting, and must authorize the background checks required by 89 Ill. Adm. Code 385, Background Checks.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or equivalent experience preferred.
Type 04 certification is preferred.
Background knowledge in nature-based and/or play-based education. Experience in either is preferred.
A love of nature and teaching outdoors. Experience in and knowledge of informal education, science, horticulture, and environmental education is preferred.

Responsibilities

Skill and competence necessary to contribute to each child's physical, intellectual, personal, emotional, and social development.
Emotional maturity when working with children
Cooperation with the purposes and services of the program
Respect for children and adults
Flexibility, understanding, and patience
Physical and mental health that do not interfere with childcare responsibilities
Frequent interaction with children
Listening skills, availability, and responsiveness to children
Sensitivity to children's socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds, and individual needs and capabilities
Use of positive discipline and guidance techniques
Ability to provide an environment in which children will feel comfortable, relaxed, happy, and involved in play and other activities
Possess skills to help children meet their developmental and emotional needs
Possess skills in planning, directing, and conducting programs that meet the children's basic needs
Continue to grow by participating in professional development related to child development, and nature-related early-childhood training; participate in a minimum of 15 hours per school year
Maintain work records: medical, CPR/First Aid, all training and documents determined by DCFS on Gateways
Work with others that are part of the school community in a collaborative manner
Attend meetings during the school year as they relate to the position
Teach with a qualified assistant teacher and/or volunteer or interns.
Supervise assistant teacher, volunteers and interns as needed.
Manage the day-to-day activities including and not limited to accurate records of attendance, emergency information, current email list, all daily communication to families.
Communicate with assistant teacher, volunteers, or interns about up-to-date allergy and food sensitivity information. This includes making the class allergy list to be posted in classrooms and snack cabinet.
Plan activities that are developmentally appropriate, nature-based, and are driven by the interest of the class. Turn in plans weekly to the director.
Weekly recap of activities for parents. CC director on this note.
Bi-weekly uploading photos to SmugMug site. Add appropriate documentation including standards for the parents to better understand nature-based learning and how we meet state early learning standards.
Assessment of children regularly via established method.
Make sure all children are making progress in their learning, allowing for differences in abilities. Teachers are responsible for but not limited to: making observational notes about a child’s learning, communicating with parents about observations, or brainstorming and implementing strategies to support learning.
Carry out curriculum indoors and outdoors incorporating the natural world and seasonal changes.
Submit weekly lesson plans to the director and teaching team, outlining activities, materials, and objectives for each class day.
Prepare items to be used in the day-to-day curriculum/clean up materials at the end of class day with the assistant teacher, volunteers, and interns.
Monitor safety and perform risk assessments.
Prepare documentation for each child during the school year for conferencing with parents by method determined with director.
Substitute teach for other staff members in any class as needed, within your schedule. Lead will act as lead or assistant in these situations, dependent on need.
Willingness to gain knowledge about best practices in nature-based settings and early childhood education.
Assist the lead teacher and/or volunteers and interns.
Implement activities that are developmentally appropriate for the class with direction of the lead teacher.
Carry out curriculum outside and inside.
Prepare and clean up materials used during the day.
Monitor safety and perform risk assessments.
Support all children in making progress in their learning, allowing for differences in abilities, under direction of the lead teacher. Support may include providing one-on-one student support, implementing calm-down strategies identified by the lead teacher, providing breaks, or individualized instruction.
Prepare snack for class each day, taking allergies and food sensitivities into account.
Substitute teach for other staff members in any class as needed, within your schedule. In most cases, assistant will act as assistant in these situations.
Be willing to learn about best practices in nature-based settings and early childhood education.
Exhibit flexibility and be able to work with different teaching teams. Float is expected to support all classes during their float schedule but may be assigned to specific days or specific classes depending on need.
Assist the lead teacher, assistant teacher, and/or volunteers and interns.
Implement activities that are developmentally appropriate for the class with direction of the lead teacher.
Carry out curriculum outside and inside.
Prepare and clean up materials used during the day.
Monitoring safety and doing risk assessments.
Support all children in making progress in their learning, allowing for differences in abilities, under the direction of the lead teacher. Support may include but is not limited to: providing one-on-one student support, implementing calm-down strategies identified by the lead teacher, providing breaks, or individualized instruction.
Substitute teach for other staff members in any class as needed, within your schedule. In most cases, float teacher will act as assistant in these situations.
Be willing to learn about best practices in nature-based settings and early childhood education.
Laundry (keep it moving)
Track supplies to be ordered, reorganize and replenish classroom supplies and storage 7 supplies, alert teachers when new supplies arrive
Snack inventory and occasional snack shopping
Steramine, soap, and bubble replenishment
Put clothing that has been washed in the right classroom weekly (these are the NPS items that we lend to children)
Library: shelving and recording acquisitions
Plants: create care sheets, alerting teachers when plants will be delivered, learn the delivery method in Brahms
Tool and potting organization: seasonal change-out
Outdoor classroom organization: seasonal change-out
First Aid/PPE supply inventory, wipes, and tissues
Train interns, including teaching them how to make playdough, colored ice, loading and unloading dishwasher, folding laundry, meeting with them before the school year starts during their training week (usually the week before we start school) to get them working on classroom cleaning, routines in the classroom that teachers might like, check in with teachers to see how freshman and sophomores are doing their jobs
Celebration wizard, especially for intern gifts at holidays and end of year
Other jobs as identified when need arises to help make the school run smoothly.