Teacher position

The Trails School for Early Learning is seeking a Teacher to work with all age groups, including Infant (6 weeks-15 months), Toddler (15-24 months), Preschool (2-3 years) and Junior Kindergarten (3-5 years). Trails School Teachers passionately support young children’s play, exploration, inquiry, and creative/critical thinking, while working collaboratively to provide the highest quality childcare to our families.

The Teacher is responsible for setting and maintaining the physical environment of the classroom, planning an exciting and dynamic curriculum and working collaboratively with co-teachers and coaching Assistant Teachers.

The Trails School is a year-round program with faculty working between the hours of 7:30am-5:30pm. Full-time faculty work 40 hours per week in shifts coordinated with the Director.

Job Responsibilities

●  Model developmentally appropriate and professional early childhood teaching practices and set a positive, fun and collaborative tone for the classroom.

●  Provide nurturing, sensitive and individualized care to children and create an inviting classroom environment (i.e. diaper changing, bottle feeding infants, supporting family style eating, keeping the classroom clean and tidy).

●  Coach Assistant Teachers by providing feedback, delegating responsibilities and supporting Assistant Teacher’s professional growth.

●  Communicate effectively and openly with parents, administration and colleagues and develop mutually supportive relationships.

●  Ensure the classroom meets DCFS and City of Chicago standards at all times in areas of health, sanitation and safety.

●  Create an effective environment for learning through daily provocations, invitations and intentional presentation of materials.

●  Collaborate with classroom team to develop large and small group investigations arising out of thoughtful reflection of children’s interest and promote opportunities for creative thinking, skill-building, playful experiences, and meaningful relationships.

●  Advocate for the learning, theories and ideas of young children and yourself as a teacher through documentation, display and presentation in daily photo posts, a weekly newsletter and in children’s portfolios.

●  Conduct parent/teacher conferences.

●  Support and model positive discipline.

●  Participate in reflective supervision and incorporate feedback into teaching practice.

●  Demonstrate a working knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practice, and take initiative to seek out professional articles and training opportunities to build on knowledge.

●  Participate in all school activities, including professional development, staff meetings and events, social events, special projects, field trips, and class celebrations.

Employment Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree required with a minimum of 6 semester credit hours in child development or early childhood education required. Master’s degree or working towards a Master’s degree preferred. CPR/First Aid certified. Familiarity with an emergent curriculum and relationship based early childhood programs is desired. A commitment to securing continuing education related to employment at Trails is required.

Experience:

A minimum of one year working with young children in a school or child care setting is required.

Benefits

Competitive salary which is commensurate with education and experience. Benefits include health insurance, matching contributions to a retirement savings plan, paid time off, holiday pay, professional development and subsidized tuition for employees’ children to attend Trails.

To apply for a position, click below and send your cover letter, resume and unofficial college transcripts to the Director, Jessica Horak (jessica.horak@trailsschool.com)
No phone inquiries, please.