Preschool Assistant Teacher

The Intro Part

Hello! My name is Shannon, and I'm the acting director for Thrive Golden, a play-based learning preschool located in Golden, Colorado. We're looking for enthusiastic, explorative teachers to join our team!

The About Us Part

Thrive is a nurturing and supportive community of early childhood professionals that are passionate about the importance of, and interplay between, play and discovery. We currently have five locations, and as we continue to grow as an organization, our desire is to build a team of educators that can grow with us and expand into new roles, experiencing both professional and personal growth.

The How Much Will I Make & How Many Hours Will I Work Part (aka the First Thing You Are Probably Reading Part)

We are looking to hire a full-time assistant teacher (Monday-Friday, 8 hours/day) for an hourly position paying between $20.86 and $23.36 per hour plus benefits.

The Benefits Part

We have strong beliefs about keeping harmony between work and life for all of our staff, and those beliefs drive all of the benefits we offer.

We believe that time is our most valuable resource:

• 6 weeks of paid holidays and breaks with additional non-student contact days ( you can visit our website, thrivepreschool.com, to see the school year calendar)
• 80 hours of paid time off each year in addition to the regular school holidays and breaks

We believe in caring for others now and into the distant future:

• Employer contributions toward group medical, dental and vision coverage
• 401(k) plans with employer contribution matching

We believe in providing the best opportunity for an educator to do her/his/their best work:

• Classroom supplies and materials budget provided every month
• Time out of the classroom to plan and execute quality learning experiences

We believe every human being has the right to continued personal and professional growth:

• Professional development and continuing education opportunities as you grow with the school

The Are We a Great Fit Part

Compatibility means everything to us. If you are dedicated to the future of our children, have experience as an early childhood teacher, and believe in the power of play-based learning, you're probably in the right place. But let's get the usual qualifications out of the way first.

Just to make sure we're on the same page, let's start with the basics:

• A positive attitude and passion for working with young children, families, and co-teachers
• Strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills
• Intentional and reflective in professional practices
• Meets or exceeds minimum qualifications for employment as an Early Childhood Lead Teacher in the state of Colorado, including training, experience, and background check requirements
• Experience as a teacher at a large childcare center in the state of Colorado
• Ability to work occasional weekends and evenings (open houses, family-teacher conferences, seasonal holiday celebrations, etc.) We pinky promise to make these as rare as possible
• A Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a major area of study in early childhood education, elementary education, special education, family and child development, or child psychology is preferred.

And here are some of the philosophies and lifestyle choices we share with our educators that make Thrive a special place to learn and grow:

• A love of nature and spending time outdoors in all weather
• Dedication to play-based learning
• Experience, training, and/or knowledge of Reggio Emilia educational practices and philosophies
• A special talent, skill, or hobby (artistic, multi-lingual, play an instrument, sing, puppetry, storytelling, woodworking, knitting, cooking, gardening etc.) that you would enjoy sharing with the children and fellow teachers. We take the “play” part very seriously.

The Responsibilities Part

As an assistant teacher you will work closely with the program director (that's me, Cari!) and the rest of our incredible leadership, teaching, and support staff.

Your responsibilities to the children will be…

• Assist the lead teacher in development and implementation of inquiry-based curriculum, documentation, and work projects of children in accordance with our guiding educational philosophy.

• Partner i n learning with children as a collaborator and co-creator, investigating alongside children and actively engaging with them in the learning process

• Support a safe and nurturing environment for children in your assigned classroom that builds a secure attachment as a foundation for learning and healthy development, establishing a child's sense of trust and wellbeing.

• Establish and enforce classroom rules for behavior, and procedures to maintain safety and order

• Conduct ongoing observation, assessment, and developmental screenings of students

Your responsibilities to the parents will be…

• Support families as partners in their child's learning by: maintaining an open, friendly, and cooperative relationship with each child and family; providing regular and frequent communication about their child's progress; responding to child and family needs in a timely manner; creating opportunities for family involvement in the classroom; encouraging family participation; and conducting family-teacher conferences

Your responsibilities to the school and your fellow educators will be… ****

• Contribute to the development, implementation, and review of school-wide policies, procedures, and activities in conjunction with the program director, as appropriate
• Plan for equipment and supply needs in conjunction with lead teachers and other program staff ( using the budget provided by the school, we don't believe in educators paying for supplies out of their own pockets )
• Attend all training opportunities and staff meetings as provided and scheduled
• Perform other tasks and duties as deemed necessary by the program director to create an incredible educational environment for the children and families

The Goodbye Part

If you're interested in providing a brighter future for our children, please reach out right this moment! When we find incredible new educators to join our community, we always wish we could have had you with us from the very beginning, but we'll have to settle for the joy of having you now and growing with you for many years to come. Any questions? Of course, go ahead and ask. That's what we're here for. That's what we're all here for: to question.

Sincerely,

Shannon Jaramillo

Acting Director, Thrive Golden