Forest School Guide/Lead Teacher

This position requires a blend of qualifications that span having sound knowledge about early childhood education as well as nature-based pedagogy. Candidates should possess curiosity, if not deep understanding, of the local ecosystem with a commitment to helping young children develop their ecological identities through inquiry and play. 

Position requires personal and programmatic reflection, collaboration with teachers and parents, open dialogue about children’s progress, and interfacing with Glen Meadows Retirement Community partners and residents. Position may also include writing content, providing data, or other supplemental information to assist in the grant-writing process. Specific targets and goals for grant tracking and evaluation may also be required. 

The ideal candidate will: 

• Be passionate about educating children in nature.
• Be self-motivated and self-directed with the flexibility to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Have strong leadership abilities and excellent interpersonal skills, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Be a skilled communicator, guided by a desire to listen to and speak compassionately with both children and adults.
• Feel comfortable and confident about meeting the needs of children outdoors in all seasons.

Primary Job Responsibilities: 

• Responsible for planning and facilitating immersive outdoor experiences for young children. This includes maintaining a safe, loving environment with safety routines that protect yet empower children, including policies to safeguard against the spread of illness.
• Nurture individualized needs of children while managing whole group experiences and unstructured play in the forest.
• Daily set-up/break-down of forest classroom (hands-washing station, fire ring, toilet tent, etc.).
• Utilize an emergent curriculum plan, daily ‘sketch of the day’ based on children’s and seasonal interests, and refer to Maryland Early Learning Standards as relevant.
• Participate in various community-building initiatives with staff and local partners.
• Manage materials and equipment; request/order new materials as needed.
• Participate in authentic child assessment, self-evaluation, and program evaluation.
• Other duties that support families, children, and staff will also be assigned as needed.

Collaborative duties with fellow staff: 

• Document learning processes in many formats (written documentation, photos, videos, Storypark app, content for blog/FB posts, Instagram, ANBE website, etc.).
• Provide positive guidance to children in navigating their social interactions with peers and adults.
• Maintain friendly yet professional interpersonal communication skills with children, families, fellow staff and volunteers.
• Participate in staff meetings and on-going professional development.
• Implement community events (IE. Open Houses) for prospective families.
• Facilitate or lead professional development opportunities for the larger organization based on your work with Notchcliff Nature Programs.