Assistant Montessori Preschool Teacher

Our Children’s Center Montessori is seeking a qualified individual with a love for children to work as an Assistant Teacher in our Primary (3 to 6 years old) community. Looking to join a team of passionate, collaborative Montessori educators in an environment with opportunities for professional growth? Then Our Children's Center (OCC) might be your new home! Qualified applicants must be 18 years of age and have a minimum of 2 years of experience working with young children. Applicants with advanced certifications and experience preferred. An understanding of, respect for, and love of young children is essential to working successfully in this child-centered environment.

Monday through Friday, 7:30 to 4:00, 7:45 to 4:15, 8:00am to 4:30pm (slight schedule negotiations available)

Job Requirements:

• Must be 18 years of age
• Experience working with children (2 years minimum) is required
• Experience working in a Montessori classroom is a plus

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $17.50 - $22.00/hour based on education and training (Montessori teachers starting at $20 )

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid personal/PTO time
• Paid sick leave
• Short-term disability
• Paid Parental leave
• 401K retirement with company matching
• Tuition discount for children
• Paid professional development
• Paid Montessori certification training

Education: Associates or Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field preferred. Montessori Certification a plus.

About Our Children's Center Montessori:

Our Children’s Center Montessori School is conveniently located in State College, Pennsylvania, just minutes from the Pennsylvania State University. Our Children’s Center (OCC) is a private, non-profit corporation governed by a board of directors composed of parent volunteers and community members. OCC is licensed by both the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare. OCC welcomes families from diverse religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds. OCC offers early childhood programs for children from 15 months through six years based on the Montessori Philosophy and Method of teaching young children, which encourages individual, whole-child development and fosters a life-long love for learning.

Job Scope and Purpose:

The responsibility of the Assistant Teacher is to aid the Lead Teacher in all phases of the classroom activities. The role of the Assistant Teacher is to maintain the prepared classroom environment such that children may engage in self-directed learning. The Lead Teacher and the Assistant work as a team to provide an authentic Montessori experience where children grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Positive Discipline and effective classroom management skills are critical to be successful in this position. A successful Assistant must be calm, confident, firm but gentle, and respectful of the children. They must always be observant of what is happening throughout the classroom, even when working with children on an activity. The assistant must be committed to learning about and practicing the Montessori philosophy and passionate about our mission. Our mission at OCC is to provide children with an educational program rooted in Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy that nurtures a love of learning and fosters respect for self, others and the environment.

Duties and Responsibilities Include (but are not limited to):

• Engage positively and professionally with staff and families, model behavior for children
• Observe and provide student assistance as necessary throughout the day and supports documentation of student needs
• Maintain a peaceful and prepared environment to foster student directed learning
• Maintain the clean and attractive learning environment associated with the Montessori philosophy according to daily and weekly cleaning schedules
• Communicate effectively with the Lead Teacher regarding classroom management and all aspects of student performance
• Read and adhere to the guidelines of the Staff Handbook
• Attend and participate in school functions, including weekly level (age group) meetings, monthly staff meetings, parent workshops, and school social events
• Complete and document all required Professional Development and training to support OCC certifications and affiliations
• Assist the Lead Teacher in planning regular field trips to enrich the classroom learning experience, including regular opportunity working outside in nature

Skills and Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate will be engaged in the culture and community at OCC, passionate about working with children, flexible in doing what is needed to meet the needs of the day, and open to feedback and growing with our school
• Experience working with children is a must, education in child development is preferred
• CPR, First Aid, and Mandated Reporter training are required. Training can be arranged for candidates who do not hold these qualifications
• Hires new to Montessori are required to complete a two-day assistant training program before starting as well as a positive discipline training
• All members of the OCC team are positive ambassadors of our school community

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $17.50 - $22.00 per hour

Expected hours: 35 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person

Salary : $18 - $22