Job description

Explorer Parent Participation Preschool is hiring a PreK Lead Teacher and 3's-5's Assistant Teacher (that can be combined into one position) for the 2023-2024 school year. Join our amazing community of parents, teachers and students as we learn through play, exploration and parent education.

Accepting applications through March 17, 2023

Lead PreK Teacher Schedule:

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 12pm-3:15pm (class time:12:30pm-3:00pm)
• Classes currently run September through mid May.
• Additional hours per month: 4 to 7 (including board meeting, parent meeting, and extracurricular activities)

Assistant Teacher 3's-5's Schedule:

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30am-11:45am (class time: 9:00am-11:30am)
• Classes currently run September through mid May.
• Additional hours per month: 4 to 7 (including board meeting, parent meeting, and extracurricular activities)

Required Qualifications:

• A Bachelors Degree with a minimum of 12 Early Childhood Education units.
• Prior experience teaching preschool-age children
• Previous cooperative school experience preferred
• Experience developing and implementing an age-appropriate, play-based curriculum
• Excellent communication skills with children and adults
• Energetic, enthusiastic, and warm personality.
• Must be comfortable working with children and parents in a diverse cooperative classroom setting.
• A desire to be part of an inclusive, dynamic, community-based program.
• Submitting to ADA requirements, including being able to lift and carry 35-60 lbs.
• CPR Certification

We Offer:

• A competitive salary range
• Opportunities for growth
• Enthusiastic parent support in a well-established school with a strong cooperative community
• A large, well-equipped facility in the general Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California
• An all-inclusive environment which values diversity and each individual in our community

PreK Job Description:

The open position is for the Lead Teacher of our afternoon PreK class, which provides a creative and child-centered learning environment for our 4-5 year old students entering Kindergarten the following school year. The Lead Teacher will plan and teach a developmentally-appropriate Pre-K curriculum as well as facilitate monthly on-site Parent Education Classes with a strong focus on Positive Discipline strategies and child development knowledge. The PreK class is supported each day by an Assistant Teacher and approximately 6 alternating working parents who assist with facilitating classroom activities.

The PreK class has a strong nature component and the class spends a cumulative 10 weeks (6 weeks in Fall, 4 weeks in spring) of annual class time learning on-site at a local outdoor nature park. The outdoor classroom curriculum is emergent and based on the children’s interests while also providing enriching outdoor experiences rooted in the seasonal happenings of the natural world. Class study is guided by topics related to the natural world around us such as the science of the seasons, life cycles of native animals, water and all its uses, study of the creek, native plant study, and other appropriate lessons relating to the environment. Our goal is to foster and develop each child’s curiosity and appreciation for the natural world while also increasing their confidence as learners. The outdoor science program has been a major component of our Pre-K class experience for over 35 years.

The remainder of the school year is taught at our Booksin site which provides a rich learning environment in our indoor and outdoor classrooms. Our indoor classroom includes facilities to provide daily lessons in a variety of areas including art, music, science, literacy, nutrition, and dramatic play. Our outdoor classroom includes spaces dedicated to literacy and art, a sensory/music garden, dramatic play and sand areas, water play, a play structure, and more. There is flexibility to develop your own curriculum within the school’s philosophy as well as mentorship from other teachers and 60 years of history and rich tradition to draw from for support.

Explorer Preschool is centered around the use of Positive Discipline. Training and certification (provided by the Positive Discipline Association) is required, within the first 6 months of employment. Cost of this training will be covered by the school if not already attained.

The Lead Teacher is required to attend monthly staff meetings as well as 2-3 evening events per month to support the Board of Directors, evening Parent Education Classes, and other important school functions.

3’s to 5’s Class Assistant Teacher Job Description:

The open position is for an Assistant Teacher of our 3’s-5’s class, which provides a positive and supportive learning environment for our 3-5 year old students. This role may be a combined position with the PreK Lead Teacher. The Assistant Teacher works closely with the head teacher who leads the class. The Assistant Teacher is not required to generate a curriculum or provide lesson plans for the 3s-5s class, however such involvement is encouraged and both teachers meet regularly to discuss the class curriculum, classroom dynamics and parent and/or child development. This class is supported each day with approximately 6 alternating working parents who assist with facilitating classroom activities.

Application packet must include:

1) Letter of introduction /Cover Letter

Please answer the following questions:

What experience do you have with play-based curriculum and preschool outdoor education?

What is your educational philosophy?

Please share about any past or current experience you have partnering with parents and/or any parent education experience

2) Resume

3) College/University Transcripts

4) 3 professional references with contact information

Submission information can be found at www.explorerpreschool.org/hiring

Explorer Parent Participation Preschool is an EOE employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national or ethnic origin, and welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds. Please note that we are not an ADA accessible facility.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $25.00 - $40.00 per hour

Schedule:

• 4 hour shift

Work Location: One location

thepredictables.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, thepredictables.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, thepredictables.com is the ideal place to find your next job.