Career Center

General Summary: At USM, we are grounded in the belief that children are competent and capable learners. Our Preschool vision is to create a community where children approach each day with wonder, joy, and curiosity. Along with passionate teachers, children embark upon intentional explorations, balanced with purposeful play and meaningful academic skills. Within a safe and nurturing environment, children build relationships and develop the social-emotional competencies of kindness, empathy, and respect. Through the strong collaboration of our families and teachers, children will grow to be successful learners, leaders, and citizens.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Experience with engaging children to explore, discover, construct, represent, and convey new knowledge.
• Lead small group projects in which children co-construct knowledge.
• Organize spaces to spark ideas allowing children to explore, discover, and represent new learning in many ways.
• Collaborate with assistant teacher and team to build a strong learning community in which children thrive.
• Partners with faculty to collaborate in world language, outdoor education, physical education, music, and library.
• Access outdoor spaces on over 120 acres with children to develop language, critical thinking, and an appreciation of the natural world.
• Maintain a classroom environment that is carefully created with natural, recycled, and open-minded materials that invite creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and self-expression.
• Develop and maintain relationships with each child and family.
• Create a strong collaboration with families, teachers, and the greater USM community, so children can flourish in an environment where they are known and loved.
• Increase the academic performance of all children by creating a classroom environment that is conducive to learning and appropriate to the maturity and interest of the children.
• Plan instruction consistent with the School’s approved curriculum.
• Prepare for classes as assigned and shows evidence of lesson preparation upon request.
• Establish appropriate plans for substitute teachers.
• Develop appropriate formative and summative assessments to guide instruction and assess learning.
• Provide regular feedback to children and parents through conversations, reports, and conferences.
• Work collaboratively with administrators to strengthen the preschool curriculum.
• Initiate, implement, and coordinate a variety of program components which will further enrich the Preschool.
• Use technology to document learning through photographs, dictation, and work samples.
• Communicate ideas, projects, and learning within classroom news pages and media approved by Administration.
• Complete other tasks as deemed appropriate by the Preschool & Lower School Administration.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:                          

• A passion for early childhood education and understand the needs of young children.
• Strong content knowledge in early childhood elementary education, including best teaching practices.
• Ability to interpret data in order to improve student learning.
• Strong classroom management skills with the ability and desire to work with a diverse student body.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others and maintain positive professional relationships.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with a strong degree of self- direction and motivation.
• Ability to work outside of the normal school day hours when necessary.
• High level of maturity, confidentiality, and assertiveness.
• Capable of competently operating technology.

Education and Experience:

• Experience with Reggio Emilia Approach in a classroom setting
• Pedagogical understanding of constructivist education for children ages 2-5 in a classroom setting
• Bachelor’s Degree in Education or Early Childhood; Master’s Degree preferred
• WI DPI License 777 preferred

3-5 years teaching experience in an early childhood classroom setting