Toddler Teacher

T

Thriving Wildflowers

Toddler Teacher

Portland, OR
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    Thriving Wildflowers is looking for an experienced Toddler Teacher to join us as the lead for the Meadow room (1- 3 years).

    Schedule: This position is full time, Monday through Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm.

    We are looking for someone interested in committing to at least two full school years with this group to provide consistency and nurture deep relationships between children and teachers.

    Compensation: $24-29/hr depending on education, experience, and certification (including ORO step)

    Location: Thriving Wildflowers is a single location, certified in-home childcare and preschool in the SE Woodstock neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. We are also a Multnomah County Preschool for All provider.

    Who we are:

    Thriving Wildflowers is a multi-generational, in-home childcare and preschool founded, owned and operated by a mother and daughter team and a small, wonderful staff of teachers. We are nature-inspired, play-based, and child-led. We believe kids thrive with respect, age-appropriate independence, creative exploration, uninterrupted play, and plenty of time outside. Our philosophy and emergent curriculum are the culmination of our founder's many years in early childhood education from infants through elementary school, and inspired by a variety of play-based styles including RIE, Reggio Emilia, and Montessori.

    Who we are looking for:

    • You have experience working with, and genuinely enjoy exploring the world with, groups of children as young as 12 months old with an emphasis on ages one to three years old.
    • You are curious, creative, and excited to guide children in discovering their own passions through interest-led, play-based learning opportunities.
    • You are a collaborative person who believes it truly takes a village to raise a child and are enthusiastic about building relationships with parents and other caregivers as part of our community.
    • You are comfortable spending most of your day at toddler level—on the floor, at low tables, and out in the yard.
    • You are comfortable frequently spending 50-75% of your day outside with children in almost all weather (with appropriate clothing/gear and access to indoors for breaks).
    • You enjoy singing silly songs, dancing, and telling stories enthusiastically.
    • You see caregiving routines as rich opportunities for connection and learning.
    • You stay calm, grounded, and emotionally available, even when the environment sometimes gets loud or hectic (especially when children are having a big feelings).
    • You are comfortable guiding children in learning to interact respectfully with others, our equipment, the environment, and our community as a whole by modeling the behavior you expect and consistently enforcing firm, yet compassionate boundaries.
    • You value a home-based environment rather than a traditional “center” feel and are comfortable with flexible routines, and shared spaces, and see the value in a mixed-age setting.
    • You have experience planning and leading a wide range of activities that are safe, developmentally appropriate, and child-led for ages one to three years.
    • You are comfortable and excited about adapting and leading the majority of those activities outdoors when opportunity allows.
    • You are experienced with and passionate about respectful, child-led and play-based early childhood education approaches (e.g. RIE, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Waldorf). You are also comfortable using a responsive blend of philosophies in practice.
    • You are comfortable and able to successfully communicate with parents and other staff in English, both written and verbal. Multilingual abilities are also valued and appreciated.
    • You are comfortable leading other staff or volunteers when they are assisting your group (formally or informally), including asking for help, delegating duties as needed, and offering constructive feedback as appropriate.
    • You are able to understand and respond to a variety of non-verbal and pre-verbal communication styles.

    Benefits:

    • Paid lunch breaks
    • Paid time off during program closures
    • Paid Time Off (for sick days and vacation)
    • Staff discount
    • Annual performance based raises
    • Employer-paid required training including First Aid/CPR
    • Employer-paid continuing education to meet annual professional development license requirements
    • Access to additional professional learning opportunities including a robust lending library to support your long-term career growth
    • Paid Leave Oregon for short term disability and parental leave
    • Roth IRA offered through OregonSaves

    Requirements:

    • Must meet Teacher level requirements as defined by the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care prior to beginning work as a Teacher;
    • At least 21 years of age;
    • Currently registered with the Central Background Registry;
    • Preference for Step 7+ in ORO (Oregon Registry Online).
    • The following certifications are either current or able to be obtained within 30 days of beginning work: * First Aid and infant and child CPR * Food handler certification approved by the Oregon Health Authority of DELC (Department of Early Learning and Care); * Training on child abuse and neglect; health and safety; foundations of learning, and safe sleep approved by the DELC (Department of Early Learning and Care).

    How to Apply: You may submit an application including a resume through job boards when available, or by visiting thrivingwildflowers.com and navigating to our career page.

    Thriving Wildflowers is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to creating an inclusive and welcoming work environment regardless of age, sex, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.