Assistant Teacher, Early Learner Class (Part-time)

Description

Position/Title:  Assistant Teacher, Early Learner Class (Part-time) 

Appointment:  School Year 2025/2026

Reports To:   Associate Director of Early Childhood  

Laurel School seeks talented faculty and staff who will put our students first and strive to make a difference in their lives.  We seek to attract faculty and staff who thrive on being engaged participants in our community and are committed to developing young women as authentic learners and leaders.  The most successful candidates are solutions-driven, are willing to listen to learn, embrace iteration and practice as a necessary part of the product, see opportunities before problems, and thrive in a fast-paced, forward-thinking educational environment. Laurel lives our mission: to inspire each girl to fulfill her promise and to better the world. 

Position Summary:

The assistant teacher is responsible for supporting the lead teacher in all aspects of running the classroom: instruction, classroom management, and administrative tasks. S/he will assist and co-develop engaging, thoughtful and developmentally appropriate lessons. S/he will provide an Early Childhood setting that is nurturing, cognitively rich, positive, and cross-culturally sensitive.  S/he will set a tone in which the intellectual, developmental, and affective needs of children are met in his/her classroom.   S/he must have an unwavering love and respect for young children and their development. The assistant teacher takes over the lead teacher’s responsibilities when the lead teacher is out for a short time.

Duties and responsibilities include:

• Guide children in exploration and discovery
• Provide families with clear and informed communication that is organized and timely
• Coach children to develop curiosity, persistence, creativity, problem-solving, confidence and resilience
• Encourage children to make choices independently and to listen to their body signals
• Work with children individually and in groups
• Assess the learning of each child continually
• Participate as a member of the entire Early Childhood team and collaborate with colleagues school-wide
• Attend divisional and all-school meetings and events as needed
• Supervision of children during lunch and dismissal as assigned
• Support divisional and school-wide initiatives
• High comfort level educating and being with children in the outdoors, both on the playground and in the woods
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

The successful candidate must have an associate’s degree at a minimum, preferably in Early Childhood Education. Candidates with experience working with children are preferred. S/he must have a positive attitude, excellent written and verbal skill, solid organizational skills and demonstrate success in a work-setting requiring collaboration, cooperation, and collegiality.  Experience with the Reggio approach is preferred. The candidate must possess or acquire and maintain a State of Ohio issued teaching certificate. Ability to lead one or more co-curricular activities, or to coach a sport, is desirable. The school welcomes the opportunity to continue to find ways to diversify our faculty.

Salary:

Laurel offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.

To Apply:

Please see www.laurelschool.org for further information and a job application.

Work Environment:  

Laurel School is a dynamic, forward-thinking, K-12 girls’ school with a co-ed early childhood division, where every child is well known.

Laurel teachers are committed to:

• The study of research on girls’ education and integration of this knowledge into classroom practice
• Creating a culture of belonging in which every member of the community feels valued 
• The academic and social development of girls
• Working with each girl to fulfill the school’s mission
• The creation of a classroom community
• The integration of community-based learning projects at the classroom level and as a part of the whole school community
• Involving parents as partners in the educational process
• Outdoor education and sustainability
• Flexibility and openness to new ideas

Laurel enjoys an outstanding local and national reputation and is home to the Laurel Center for Research on Girls. In a highly competitive school landscape, Laurel is fortunate to be a school of choice in Cleveland. Our emphasis on the whole child and our legacy of excellence in the teaching of girls set us apart. Located in Shaker Heights, OH (15 minutes from downtown Cleveland) with an additional rural campus 17 minutes away, the school has a suburban/rural advantage. The work environment is noted for being family-friendly and flexible. The feeling in the school is joyous, collaborative and innovative. Our curricular philosophy emphasizes community-based, interdisciplinary and experiential learning. Collaboration and reflective practice are key to pedagogy at Laurel. The school is fully committed to a culturally diverse faculty and student body. 

Laurel School is dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities to all personnel and applicants for employment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; gender identity; national origin; handicap or disability; sexual orientation; or status as a veteran, Vietnam era, or special disabled veteran.