Hiring Outdoor Educators in Central PA!

Job Details

We are hiring educators to lead nature-based, cross-curricular lessons for children aged 5-12+. Lead Teachers will work with groups of 12-14 children in an outdoor setting, with the help of a Support Teacher.

• Location: Harrisburg, PA
• Dates: September 6 - May 30
• Position: Lead Teacher
• Hours: Fridays 9am - 3pm (additional teaching hours may be available upon request)
• Compensation: rate equivalent to $20-$22/hour + paid planning time

Qualifications

• Education: Degree in Early Childhood Education, Education, Special Education, Environmental Education, or related field.
• Experience: Minimum 2 years teaching experience; experience leading mixed-age learners, experience implementing an alternative education model such as Forest School, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, Reggio, or Tinkergarten.
• Successful completion of CPR/First Aid training, background checks, and clearances.

Responsibilities

Class Planning 

• Plan nature-based, cross-curricular, multi-sensory lessons that are accessible to children with a variety of needs; guide learning experiences with an inquiry-based, collaborative approach.
• Use a supply stipend to order all supplies; organize and prep supplies.
• Collaborate with other teachers to coordinate schedules, bathroom breaks, and sharing of learning spaces. 
• Arrive at least 30 minutes before class start-time to direct support teacher, perform risk assessment, and set up your outdoor classroom.
• Work with your class to establish rhythms, routines, and expectations.

Risk Management

• Be familiar with the park, trails, and waterways; perform a risk assessment before each class; monitor weather conditions; establish and communicate safety guidelines and physical boundaries to co-teachers and children.
• Manage ongoing risks in the environment and in play 
• Follow check-in and check-out procedures per school policy
• Supervise and keep count of children at all times. 
• Ensure all safety guidelines are consistently maintained, per school policy 

Communication

• Communicate with parents and staff during class, via brightwheel, and be responsive to messages 
• Know how to utilize the brightwheel app for messaging, logging hours, taking attendance, filing incident reports, sharing photos, and building newsletters
• Share stories weekly, via the school’s instagram account
• Share class newsletters monthly, via brightwheel
• Create a class portfolio to document learning, using a template provided by the school, and share it with families by April 1st 

Our ideal candidate will..

• Be familiar with local flora and fauna.
• Be comfortable working in a child-centered, collaborative learning environment.
• Trust children to follow their curiosities, and respect them as capable learners.
• Support risk-taking, problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, inquiry, and self-awareness.
• Be a skilled communicator, able to set and maintain boundaries with others.
• Celebrate diversities in the natural world and within our community.
• Enjoy hiking and be comfortable spending hours outdoors, in all weather.
• Be physically able to hike, carry gear, and carry a small child if needed (50lbs).