Forest Preschool Teacher

Position Overview:

The Forest Preschool at Carrie Murray Nature Center provides children with a first school experience that is playful, explorative, and immersed in nature! The forest Preschool Co-Teacher is responsible for facilitating programming for children ages 2-5 years old. In this position, co-teachers are committed to providing daily experiences for their students to explore the forest through unstructured play, intentional learning, and hands-on interactions in nature, which supports implementing a nature-based curriculum informed by developmentally appropriate practices as recognized by MSDE licensing and NAEYC standards. Co-teachers are responsible for maintaining safe, developmentally appropriate environments both inside the classroom and when learning outdoors. Implementation includes observation, scaffolding learning, and documentation of children’s skills, interests, and growth as well as close collaboration with the Forest Preschool team to best meet all children’s needs. Co-teachers are responsible for regular communication with families, co-workers and administrators, and all communication should be guided by a desire to listen to and speak compassionately with both children and adults. Position includes professional development and on-going evaluation.

The position includes embodying a commitment to nature education and requires thoughtful planning for learning experiences (primarily outdoors) to prepare Baltimore’s youngest stewards for kindergarten.

You can learn more about the Forest Preschool at Carrie Murray Nature Center, a Baltimore City Recreation and Park facility at: 

 www.carriemurraynaturecenter.org

 Knowledge:

• A Lead Co-Teacher should be familiar with child-led approaches and philosophies that support holistic learning environments.
• Working knowledge of local flora, fauna, and seasonal changes is a plus!
• Demonstrates working knowledge of hazards and risk assessment as related to the environments of young children

Minimum Qualifications:

• Strong emotional intelligence, including empathy and listening skill set
•  Loves working with young children and is energetic and passionate about working one-on-one with children, as well as with groups of children
• Able to work cooperatively and collaboratively in an all outdoor, forest setting, and open and flexible to new ideas
• Dedication to play-based education and a passion for exploring the natural environment
• Physically able to walk up to 2 miles a day, in all weather, and lift objects of up to 50lbs.
• Comfortable with meeting children where they are on a given day

Certifications:

•  Lead teacher must possess current MSDE-required credential to teach in a licensed childcare setting. This includes the 90 hours for Preschool-Aged Children (45-hour Child Growth and Development + 45-hour Curriculum) **Candidates without this certification may still be considered if they obtain this credential within 6 months of hire
• Current Emergency First Aid and Child CPR certificate; (or willing to obtain quickly)

Experience:

• Experience in early childhood education and/or outdoor/nature education programs preferred
• Experience working with children between the ages of 2 – 5 years old is preferred
• Experience in play- based AND/OR emergent, nature-based, outdoor preschool settings is a bonus

Responsibilities:

• Collaborates to implement site-specific nature-based, emergent early childhood curriculum for children ages 2 – 5 years old.
• Make sure children are safe and supported
• Observe children’s behavior and learning, and foster problem solving, collaboration, confidence building and imagination by providing scaffolding experiential learning based on those observations
• Maintain visual and auditory supervision of children at all times to ensure their safety in the forest and on any field trips
• Help children resolve and negotiate conflicts when they arise; support development of self-regulation, impulse control and coping mechanisms through supporting conflict resolution; use consistent techniques in guiding children’s behavior
• Develop strong positive partnerships with families, students, and co-teachers
• Use positive, appropriate and supportive language with children
• Responsible for authentic assessment of children in program though observation and record keeping: Produces documents (written, photo and video) and manages materials (child artifacts and work samples) that document child learning
• Preparation of individual child portfolios of work that are presented at parent teacher conferences twice a year
• Communicates regularly with current families about the children’s progress and individual needs of children via weekly emails, daily notes home, and in-person conversation
• Responsible for collaboration with Forest Preschool team and Carrie Murray Nature Center naturalists to ensure delegation of tasks as it relates to efficiency of class
• Implements and evaluates extended events for childcare and preschool families

Other Duties:

• Takes children outdoors for daily forest exploration, balancing unstructured nature play with intentional teacher-oriented lessons
• Taking children outdoors every day, in all types of weather: rain, snow, cold, heat, etc. (the only exceptions being thunder/lightning storms and high winds exceeding 24 miles an hour)
• Assisting children in self-care skills such as: dressing/undressing, gearing up (zipping jackets, putting on shoes), toileting
• Cleans shared spaces including outdoor classroom, bathrooms, diapering areas, kitchen, outdoor classroom, bathrooms, etc.