Hourly Rate Range $19.00 - $23.00 DOE
At Growing Seeds, we believe that children are social beings. Children enter the culture of their family at birth and have the opportunity to create a culture within their classroom while at Growing Seeds. This socio-cultural perspective of human development stresses that we are each unique in our cognitive development and as such there are not universal ways to characterize children everywhere and within every developmental realm. We believe in the capabilities of human beings to arrive at understandings of the world in their own time and place, with an emphasis on creating those understandings from and with other social beings.
Children learn from hands-on experiences that are intentionally provided by teachers who are skilled observers. We provide an assortment of natural materials, provocations and proposals to invite children to make connections between facts and hands-on investigation. We trust that children are capable and support them to initiate in their environment, viewing them as competent, powerful individuals who have the right to explore.
If you agree, we would love you to work with us!
We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace, and we are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We believe that having staff, interns, and volunteers with diverse backgrounds enables us to better meet our mission and encourage BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, and disabled individuals to apply. We acknowledge that our work to build safe spaces and better systems for traditionally marginalized groups is ongoing and will require constant vigilance and expect all employees to be part of our DEI journey.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Growing Seeds Assistant Teacher, under the supervision of the Lead Teacher, is a full time classroom teacher responsible for fostering an environment that inspires curiosity, exploration, and creativity.
They are an integral part of the Growing Seeds North’s mission to empower learners. They create space for students to actively participate in creating unique learning experiences through observation, invitation, and provocation. They are the magic that brings our ever-growing community to life.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Community Development [Child and Family Responsibilities]:
-Knows and understands Growing Seeds policies & procedures, School Handbook, and Child Care Division Rules
-Fosters a welcoming environment for all community members - learners, parents, team members, collaborators-.
-Ensures confidentiality of all personal information of children, families, and colleagues.
-Practice open and direct communication in order to build collaborative relationships with children, families, colleagues, and other institutions.
-Understands and maintains all required safety and sanitation responsibilities of the Lead Teacher role
Childhood Growth & Development:
-Plans, implements, and maintains a developmentally appropriate classroom in collaboration with an Assistant Teacher
-Continuous learning and implementation of the RIE philosophy, SocialConstructivism and Reggio Emilia philosophies
-Provides opportunities for learning, which promote critical thinking and problem solving skills, negotiation, and collaboration skills.
Curriculum Development:
-The curriculum must meet the emotional, physical, cognitive and social needs of both the individual child and the group.
-Is sensitive to the unique needs and differences of all children and adjusts the program and curriculum to meet those needs.
-Nurtures the development of the social/emotional well being in each child.
-Guides children’s behavior using positive management techniques, never punishing, criticizing, humiliating, or shaming children.
Management and DEI:
-Upholds and contributes to Growing Seeds DEI commitments by participating in ongoing professional development
-Collaborates with Support Teacher to evaluate and assess individual children's growth over time (anecdotal records, developmental milestone checklists, conference forms) and to support the learning goals of individual children.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (other duties may be assigned):
-Attends a minimum of 20 clock hours of continuing education in the field of early learning.
-Lift up to 50 pounds.
-Bend, stretch, stoop, squat, push, and pull items repetitively.
-Have the mobility required to ensure the safety of the children.
-Work with children on the floor.
-Comfortable with moderate to loud continuous noise levels.
-Work outdoors in all weather conditions.
-Maintains licensing safety requirements.
-Performs a wide variety of cleaning and maintenance tasks, including laundry, garbage collection on exterior of premises, cleaning all bodily fluids (blood, vomit, etc), to paint walls, move or haul sand, soil or bark chips.
QUALIFICATIONS:
-Educational philosophy and practices aligned with school mission and values.
-Experience working with young children (birth through age 5) and their caregivers, or comparable education experience.
-Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks.
-Second language fluency a plus.
-Be registered and actively enrolled in the Oregon Central Background Registry or be willing to do so before start date.
-Current First Aid and CPR card
-Current Oregon Food Handler’s card
-Certificate of completion of Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Training.
-Certificate of completion of Introduction to Childcare Health and Safety training.
-Certificate of completion of Safe Sleep for Oregon's Infants training.
-Foundations for learning training
Benefits
IRA
Dental insurance
Employee discount
Health insurance
Paid time off
Professional development assistance
Vision insurance
Job Type: Full-time
Schedule:
8 hour shift
Ability to commute/relocate:
Portland, OR 97211: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
Experience:
-Childcare: 1 year (Required)
-Teaching: 1 year (Required)
License/Certification:
-Central Background Registry Certification (R Number/Required)
-Work Location: In person