Lead Preschool Teacher

JOB SUMMARY

The Farm & Forest School Lead Preschool Teacher will plan, design and lead curriculum and activities that support children in fostering an intimate connection to the natural world and local community while developing cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. The Lead Preschool Teacher is responsible for the supervision and care of students, ensuring their safety in our outdoor preschool program. The Lead Teacher is responsible for planning and implementing our curriculum, rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach, in accordance with licensing and agency practices, policies, and procedures. They are expected to engage parents and families throughout the year.

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ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Teaching (Philosophy and Beliefs):

• Treat children as competent and capable human beings.

• Understand that children learn best through play.

• Respect and practice curiosity about children’s interests and play.

Teaching (Instruction & Curriculum Development):

• Enhance play with thoughtfully designed activities, language, and materials, including preparing lesson plans and the materials for activities.

• Work with the Director and other preschool staff to plan engaging activities that incorporate all learning domains and support our emergent curriculum.

• Acknowledge student feelings with sensitivity and model appropriate social behavior.

• Support and manage student behaviors so that all students can engage meaningfully in learning in a calm, regulated environment.

• Design the classroom spaces (indoors and outdoors) to promote positive social interactions and meaningful play experiences.

• Observe, assess and document students’ growth and development, using the portfolio method as directed by the Preschool Director.

• Document children’s learning and play daily by taking photos & videos.

• Utilize the Seesaw app to share photo & video documentation with families throughout the day.

• Upload photo & video documentation to Ketcha’s SharePoint weekly (by end of day Thursday).

• All photos and videos of students must be deleted from your personal devices at the end of each week.

• Hold parent-teacher conferences in the Fall & Spring to communicate with families about their child’s growth & development.

• Participate in family meetings as necessary outside of conferences. (These may be scheduled outside of your regular work hours).

• All other tasks as assigned.

Student Care:

• Actively supervise all students in your care.

• Ensure students’ daily needs are met, including (but not limited to): sunscreen, bug spray, water, food, warmth, and physical comfort.

• Manage risk and always stay aware of student safety.

• Document any behavior incidents and/or injuries with an incident report to be signed by parents within 24 hours of the incident.

• Take student attendance each day and communicate absences with the Preschool Director or office staff so that they can make attendance calls.

• Utilize email and the Seesaw app to write messages to families and communicate about their child’s day and needs.

• Communicate with all Ketcha staff, students, and families in a positive and respectful manner.

• All other tasks as assigned.

Classroom Care:

• Visually assess the classroom and playground environments to detect hazards. Remedy or report unsafe conditions immediately. Reports can be made to the Preschool Director.

• Organize indoor and outdoor environments daily to keep the spaces safe, clean, and accessible for children to use independently.

• Clean and sanitize the classroom spaces (indoor and outdoor) at the end of each day per licensing requirements and Ketcha policies and procedures.

• Communicate supply needs to the Preschool Director.

• All other tasks as assigned.

Professional Development:

• Be a lifelong learner by engaging in regular professional development to expand, improve, and refine your teaching practice. (Licensing requires full-time teachers to complete at least 30 hours of training per year).

• Attend all scheduled professional development days during the school year.

• Attend all staff meetings (8:00-9:00) on Friday mornings.

ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL: This position belongs to a class of employees referred to as Essential Personnel. Essential Personnel are those needed on site to meet the needs of our students or general maintenance operations. Essential personnel must report to work during their regularly scheduled hours unless otherwise directed by a supervisor.

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JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Background:

• Fingerprinting-based background check through the Maine State Department of Health & Human Services.

• Complete a background check, which will include the National Sex Offender Registry, that is sent to you byKetcha Outdoors upon offer of employment.

Education & Experience:

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or similar is preferred. High School Diploma, GED, or HiSET is required.

• Preferred: Level 5 or higher on the MRTQ Direct Care Career Lattice.

• You must be 18 years of age or older.

• Understanding of early childhood development, stages of growth, and an awareness of young children’s needs isrequired.

• First Aid/CPR Certification or willingness to get certified.

• Mandated reporter training certification or willingness to get certified.

• Knowledge of natural sciences and outdoor education or willingness to learn.

Skills and Abilities:

• Basic computer skills, including word processing, email, and messaging via an app.

• Classroom management skills.

• Organizational skills for classroom materials and curriculum planning.

• Excellent skills in verbal and written communication with families and other staff members.

• Ability to ensure proper implementation of Ketcha Outdoors policies and procedures.

• Ability to respond appropriately to any special needs, medical conditions, dietary concerns, and/or behavioral needs of the students according to directions provided by the Preschool Director, Nurse, Ketcha Leadership Team, and/or parent/guardians.

• Detail-oriented.

• Able to work efficiently independently, while multitasking, and collaboratively in a group of other staff at all levels.

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively to all program participants.

• Ability to positively redirect and modify instruction and/or the classroom environment when confronted with challenging student behaviors.

• Ability to maintain calm, patience, and understanding with all students in our programs.

• Able to convey joy, curiosity, and wonder outdoors in all weather (e.g. sun, rain, snow, wind, etc.)

• Must be able to spend multiple hours outdoors in all weather (e.g. heat, cold, rain, snow, etc.), hike up to 4 miles per day keeping pace with the students in your care, and engage in sustained physical activity throughout the day.

• Must be able to hear children who may be out of direct sightline and have 20:20 vision (with corrective lenses) to provide oversight during outdoor play and activities.

• Ability to think creatively and flexibly to adapt to quickly changing needs and environments.

Personal Attributes:

• Strong commitment to the organization's mission, vision, and culture of positive attitude, teamwork, and respect.

• Passionate about outdoor, nature-based, and place-based education in early childhood.

• Friendly and approachable to children and families.

• High degree of personal integrity and professional conduct.

• High degree of dependability.

• Strong work ethic.

• Displays initiative and proactive, solution-oriented problem-solving skills.

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WORKING CONDITIONS

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential job functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This position requires the employee to work outdoors for long periods of time and in rain, heat, cold, and snow. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, run, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, talk, see, and hear. The employee occasionally must lift and/or move up to 50lbs. While performing this job, the employee is exposed to any weather conditions present. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. This position is subject to several inherent risks associated with preschool, summer camp, and equine/farm activities. There is a potential exposure to the dander of animals.

Compensation: 

Pay range is $21-24/hour. Full-time, year-round staff are eligible for benefits, including healthcare, short-term disability, dental, vision, ETO, and more. All childcare workers at licensed facilities in the State of Maine also receive a monthly salary supplement, currently ranging from $240-540/month.

Benefits:

• 95% off camp, preschool and after school program fees

• Significant discounts on bikes and gear

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage begins after completing one month of employment. Ketcha Outdoors pays 100% of the monthly premium for dental and vision and 80% of the monthly premium for health insurance. Coverage for spouses and dependents is offered for dental, health and vision paid 100% by the employee.

• Short-Term Disability Insurance

• Paid Time Off

• Earned Paid Leave

• Simple IRA Plan: Eligibility for our Simple IRA plan begins after one year of employment. Ketcha Outdoors matches up to 3%.

Apply

Ketcha Outdoors (Ketcha / Gear Hub) is an equal opportunity employer. Ketcha is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all applicable laws regarding equal employment opportunities. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex (including gender identity or expression), sexual orientation, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), HIV status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed service member status, or any other status protected by law. Ketcha is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy regarding all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.

The information contained in this job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities to successfully perform this role, nor is it intended to be an all-inclusive list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes required to successfully perform this role. Management may, at its discretion, assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The duties and responsibilities in this job description may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. Further, this document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, or the expectation of continued employment. Ketcha Outdoors is and will maintain an “at-will” employment relationship with all employees. The employment relationship may be terminated at any time by either party for any reason, or for no reason, with or without cause and with or without notice.

We require a background check for all staff. 

To Apply: 

Please email your cover letter and resume to: Kailina Mills, Farm and Forest Preschool Director: kmills@ketchaoutdoors.org

Application deadline: August 10th or until candidate is found.

If this role sounds interesting to you, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every qualification! We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to apply.