Young children need and deserve inspiring adult role models to help them discover the world and their place in it, to nurture and sustain their innate passion for learning and to encourage them to develop their limitless potential to effect change through leadership and the sense of responsibility, community and agency that child-centered Reggio programs inspire! Make an impact: become a CWO teacher!
About CWO
The Children’s Workshop Oakland is a diverse, welcoming and inclusive school community of approximately twelve teachers and fifty students. We are a small, highly creative and intensely collaborative program where staff, students and families feel respected, accepted, valued and encouraged to fully participate in helping our program fulfill its mission to provide young children with an engaging and challenging critical and creative education worthy of their tremendous capacity for learning and growth.
Our teachers are passionately committed to the use of responsive Reggio, anti-bias and antiracist pedagogies which aim to foster a campus-wide culture of child-centered learning and inquiry with an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We believe that–like our young students–all human beings learn best when they feel safe, supported and empowered to authentically engage with others in ways that meaningfully reflect their whole selves, their interests, their values and their lived experiences.
As an organization focused on teacher apprenticeship and mentoring, we appreciate diversity of thought, experience, age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, creed, physical ability, neurological make up, citizenship and socioeconomic status and remain dedicated to recruiting, training and developing aspiring early childhood educators of all backgrounds and ability levels.
As a team we focus on training new and seasoned preschool teachers to facilitate in a style that is proactive, nurturing, responsive and culturally aware. We are a hard working group of educators from diverse walks of life united in our passion for:
Caring for young children (ages 18 months to 5 years);
Working in a Reggio, child-centered pedagogical style that positions our students’ own interests, questions and experiences at the center of all learning;
Viewing young children as innately capable beings who deserve to be treated with kindness and respect;
Creating a supportive and personally and professionally growth-oriented collegial environment that views teacher quality of life as critically important to achieving optimum student learning outcomes.
We promote from within and it is our goal to provide all CWO employees with equality of access to numerous opportunities for professional advancement. All persons interested in exploring the joy and benefits of working in an early learning classroom are encouraged to apply.
BIPOC candidates are especially welcome, as we are actively committed to ensuring that our teaching team continues to reflect the diversity of both our school community and our local geographic area.
Our intimate four classroom campus is conveniently located within short walking and biking distance from the Lakeshore side of Lake Merritt and BART/AC Transit routes and features beautiful and historic interior spaces flooded with natural light and covered in student art and project work reflecting the children's latest interests and investigations. Our natural classroom areas enable teachers to spend a significant portion of the school day working and playing with students outdoors.
Full Time Mid to Senior Level Toddler & 2s Position for Experienced Teachers:
Monday-Friday on site; full time closing shift schedule, 9:30am-6:00pm - $24-28 x hour + 8 weeks paid vacation, 401K w/ 3% employer contributions and comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits.
Full time mid and senior level teachers function as hands on co-learners, working side by side with students in small, age specific cohorts of 10-12 students to 2 co-teaching partners or 18-24 students to 3 co-teaching partners. They use specific language that respects young children’s capabilities and invites them to play an active role in co-constructing knowledge and in shaping the learning process. Full time mid and senior level teachers use observation, documentation and analysis of their students’ emerging interests, questions and ideas to design, plan, prepare and implement original play- and project-based curriculum on a weekly basis.
Required skills and qualifications:
Minimum of 12 ECE units completed or willingness to participate in back to back eight week sessions online (6 units each) to obtain the necessary units required by the State of California to teach in a child care center. CWO will reimburse full in state tuition for any required units undertaken and passed with a grade of “B” or better;
Genuine interest in caring for young children;
Imaginative, nurturing, creative and flexible personality;
Collaborative and team-oriented mind set;
Strong written and verbal communication skills;
Strong work ethic;
Physical fortitude and mobility needed to lift up to 50lbs and spend significant periods of time standing, sitting on the floor and/or lifting and moving bins of curricular materials and preschool age children’s bodies when they are in need of physical assistance;
Ability to multitask and fulfill duties energetically, efficiently and with an appropriate sense of speed/urgency;
Willingness to assist children with toileting, hand washing, diapering, changing of soiled clothing, etc.
Willingness to engage in shared daily cleaning and sanitizing duties;
Ability to design, plan, implement and facilitate original play- and project-based curriculum;
Ability to effectively organize and manage a classroom, sequence activities and routines and maintain safe supervision;
Ability to plan and lead whole and small group activities, including circle time;
Ability to document the children's learning and produce weekly parent newsletters;
Ability to support bi-annual student learning assessments and help prepare detailed written evaluations of the children's interests and developmental progress for parent-teacher conferences;
Ability to exhibit understanding of developmentally appropriate practice, master the discourse of early childhood education and write professionally and reflectively about teaching, curriculum and student learning goals for an education-related audience.
Desired qualifications:
Familiarity with Reggio pedagogy and project-based learning;
Experience teaching within and designing curriculum for a collaborative learning environment;
Creative or performing arts background;
DIY/maker/crafter spirit;
Ability to play a musical instrument;
Experience leading cooking, farm and garden curriculum.
CWO is an equal opportunity employer.
How to apply
When applying for any position, please include the following information:
1) The title of the position you are applying for in the subject line of your message; and
2) A resume and detailed cover letter explaining your interest in the position and any relevant child care experience you may already have.
Please note that any applications submitted without a detailed cover letter will not be considered. Taking the time to write a thoughtful note explaining why you are interested in the position that you are applying for and providing information about your qualifications, experience and interests is the most important thing candidates can do to increase their chances of being called for an interview.
Teaching is a writing intensive career path and–in addition to helping candidates to introduce themselves–cover letters provide a relevant sample of each candidate’s existing written communication skills. No candidates will be disqualified based upon their existing writing skills, however, candidates must be interested in and willing to learn how to write professionally for an education-related audience. CWO will provide written and verbal communication skills training.