Assistant Preschool Teacher Pay:

$16.00-$18.00 per hour, based on experience and education

Schedule:

Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Lunch:

30-minute unpaid lunch break

Position Type:

Full-time Primary Classroom:

Ages 2-5 Position Overview The Orchard School is seeking a dependable, warm, and engaged Assistant Preschool Teacher to join our early childhood team. Your primary assignment will be our preschool classroom serving children ages 2-5. Because The Orchard School is a close-knit, mixed-age early childhood program, teachers also interact with children across age groups and may occasionally assist with younger children during shared parts of the day. This position is a strong fit for someone who genuinely enjoys working with young children and wants to grow in the field of early childhood education . We are ideally looking for someone with at least one year of experience working with children , although we are open to a promising candidate who demonstrates maturity, reliability, initiative, and a strong willingness to learn. This is a hands-on position. Our teachers spend their days playing with children, supporting learning activities, helping children through emotions and conflicts, spending significant time outdoors, assisting with toileting and diapering, serving meals, cleaning, and working together to keep the classroom running smoothly. We are especially interested in someone looking for a stable, long-term position who would like to develop as an early childhood educator and take on greater skills and responsibilities over time. About The Orchard School The Orchard School is a small, relationship-centered early childhood program where children learn through meaningful relationships, active exploration, play, and hands-on experiences. Our approach emphasizes learning by doing, with a balance of child-directed and teacher-supported experiences across art, music, dramatic play, language, science, math, outdoor exploration, and everyday classroom routines. Relationships are central to our program. We want teachers who take the time to truly know the children in their care—their personalities, interests, strengths, needs, and ways of communicating—and who enjoy being active participants in children's learning and development. What You'll Do As an Assistant Preschool Teacher, you will work alongside other educators to care for and teach young children.

Your responsibilities will include:

Building warm, responsive relationships with children and getting to know their individual personalities, interests, and needs Actively playing and interacting with children rather than supervising primarily from the sidelines Supporting teachers during small group, large group, stories, projects, art, sensory experiences, and other hands-on learning activities Spending significant time outdoors with the children throughout the year and actively participating in outdoor play and exploration Maintaining active supervision and awareness of the children and classroom environment Helping children navigate emotions, peer conflicts, transitions, and classroom expectations using positive guidance Supporting children's growing independence with dressing, handwashing, meals, cleanup, toileting, and other daily routines Changing diapers and assisting with toilet learning as needed Preparing, serving, and cleaning up meals and snacks as needed Following food-safety procedures and children's allergy or dietary requirements Cleaning and sanitizing tables, toys, classroom materials, eating areas, nap materials, and other classroom spaces Setting up and resetting activities and learning areas throughout the day Working collaboratively with other teachers and stepping in where support is needed Participating in required training and ongoing professional development What We're Looking For You may be a particularly good fit for this position if you: Genuinely enjoy spending your day with young children Are warm and nurturing while also able to maintain consistent expectations and boundaries Want an active, hands-on job where you will regularly move, play, clean, organize, and assist children Are comfortable getting on the floor, getting messy, changing diapers, cleaning spills, and handling the everyday realities of preschool Enjoy being outdoors and are comfortable spending extended periods outside in a variety of weather conditions when it is safe to do so Take children's safety and supervision seriously Are dependable, punctual, and consistent in your attendance Can take direction and feedback, ask questions, and apply what you learn Notice when something needs to be done and are willing to step in and help Work well as part of a collaborative teaching team Want to continue learning about child development and early childhood education Are looking for a workplace where you can stay, develop your skills, and grow over time

Qualifications Required:

High school diploma or equivalent At least 18 years old Comfortable caring for and working closely with young children Comfortable with diapering, toileting, cleaning, food preparation, and other caregiving responsibilities Able and willing to work indoors and outdoors throughout the year Able to meet the physical demands of an active early childhood classroom, including getting on and off the floor and lifting/carrying children or classroom materials as needed Reliable transportation and ability to consistently work Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Ability to complete required background checks, health clearances, and staff training

Preferred:

1+ year of experience working with children in a professional or caregiving setting Experience in a preschool, childcare center, daycare, camp, after-school program, nanny position, or similar setting Previous experience working with preschool-aged children Coursework, a CDA, or a degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field Formal early childhood credentials are not required for the right candidate. We are also interested in candidates who want to continue their education and develop professionally in the field. Grow With Us We are not looking for someone who simply wants to complete a list of assistant tasks. We want to help the right person become a stronger early childhood educator. In this role, you can continue developing skills in child development, classroom management, curriculum and learning activities, observation, positive behavior guidance, and collaboration with other educators. As your skills and experience grow, there may be opportunities to take on greater classroom responsibilities over time. The Orchard School values continuing education, professional development, and educators who are interested in building a long-term career working with young children. Compensation $16.00-$18.00 per hour , depending on relevant experience, education, and early childhood qualifications. The Orchard School is an equal opportunity employer. We value a respectful and inclusive workplace and welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Pay:

$16.00 - $18.00 per hour Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

Employee discount Paid time off Professional development assistance

Work Location:

In person