Progressive, parent-run cooperative preschool seeks a Lead Teacher for the 2016-2017 school year. West Philadelphia Cooperative School (WPCS) is a mixed-age preschool where children ages 2-6 engage daily in play-based, experiential learning.
The Lead Teacher will collaborate with another Lead and an Assistant Teacher to create opportunities for child-focused, child-led discoveries that support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive development via emergent curriculum. Because emergent curriculum arises from children’s interests, teachers must be prepared to shift curricular plans to best scaffold students’ developing questions in meaningful ways.
Every candidate must have:
2+ years experience working with children ages 2-6
demonstrated knowledge of early childhood development
experience working in an educational setting, such as a school, daycare, or camp
Ideal candidate has:
knowledge of emergent curriculum
a degree in early childhood education
experience and/or knowledge of special education
experience in or knowledge of cooperatives
experience or interest in leading exploration for young children in nature/science, music, movement, pre-literacy skills and/or visual arts
Teacher responsibilities:
planning and executing developmentally appropriate curriculum
ensuring the physical and emotional well-being of students
managing up to 16 children at a time with support of teachers (1:6 ratio maximum)
writing evaluative reports and conducting conferences with parents twice per year
documenting children’s work via anecdotals, photographs, and video
communicating regularly with parents/guardians of students
building year-long portfolios of student work
using positive reinforcementand scaffoldingdevelopmentally appropriate conflict resolution skills
creating a respectful environment by honoring the individuality of all students
diapering and assistance with dressing
Desired traits:
love of young children
adaptability
attention to detail
strong written and verbal communication skills
organizational skills
knack for both small- and big-picture thinking
presence of mind coupled with strong multitasking ability
Additional requirements:
must be available Monday – Friday from 8:00am-2:30pm, plus 1 hour/week (flexible) for a staff meeting outside of school hours, with additional hours available in our after-school care program if desired
must be willing to work within a highly collaborative, co-teaching model
must have current PA Child Abuse clearances, PA Criminal Background Check and FBI Fingerprinting
must be certified in infant/child CPR and first aid (or become certified within 3 months)
WPCS hires without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.
Pay rate is $17/hr with monthly health stipend. After a 90-day probationary period, employees are eligible for PTO and professional development opportunities.
Interested candidates please send a resume and cover letter to: WPCS.personnel@gmail.com.
Interviews are being scheduled through August 19, 2016.
Position start date: August 30, 2016