Located in Seattle at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Fiddleheads Forest School is looking for a lead teacher!  Lead teachers foster learning in the beautiful forest classrooms by creating opportunities for exploration, play, and curiosity. 

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG) educational mission is to: Provide meaningful educational experiences that enrich participants’ and visitors’ connections with plants and the natural world.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, we value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, fairness, and opportunity for all. We see implicit and explicit exclusion from green spaces like botanic gardens as an injustice that shapes our past and present and must be countered as we move into the future.

As a community, we believe that working to achieve equity and promote inclusion is both crucial and complex; we embrace the continuous commitment, the collective growth mindset, and the humility required to make meaningful transformation.

For the full statement of commitment, visit https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/about/

Botanic Gardens has an outstanding opportunity for a part time, 85%FTE FIDDLEHEADS Lead Teacher.  This position will serve as the Lead Teacher in one of two partial day classroom in the FIDDLEHEADS Forest School, an entirely outdoor, nature-based preschool program serving 60-80 students and families in the Washington Park Arboretum.  This position will report directly to the FIDDLEHEADS Head of School.

Teachers at FIDDLEHEADS act as guides, helping children to cultivate senses that are attuned to the affordances of their surroundings during a developmentally crucial time. Daily observation and experimentation on an individual and group level foster a love of science as well as social and emotional development. By providing structure in the environment, teachers encourage children to guide their own learning experience in a way that fosters the development of responsibility, independence, and executive functioning skills in order to create a strong foundation for future growth.

Administratively, this position is responsible for assisting with the development and implementation of: age-appropriate curriculum and lesson plans for 3-5 year olds; internal and external communication to keep families well-informed.

Operationally/Programmatically, this position is responsible for: ensuring the health and safety of students; delivering appropriate lessons and activities that support students' social, emotional, and physical growth; modeling a healthy relationship with and curiosity for the natural world; maintaining teaching supplies and supporting materials in an organized and efficient manner.

This position serves as an important bridge between the general public whose support is crucial to the University's relations within the greater Seattle community.  This position works specifically with the youngest members of our community to encourage and develop life-long relationships with both the University and the natural world.  The nature-based preschool program for which this position will be overseeing will be promoted to families with UW affiliation and seek to engage University students with internship opportunities thereby enhancing the work/life experience for UW employees and students.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Teaching and developing culturally responsive and place-based curriculum, lesson plans, and activities that support the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of 3-5 year olds enrolled in a part-day, mixed-age classroom 5 days/week year-round. Using developmentally-appropriate practices that are respectful of all children while modeling a healthy relationship with and curiosity for the natural world. Acting in a professional and compassionate manner at all times as a representative of the University of Washington and a role model for future generations.
• Ensuring the health, safety and well-being of students through site surveys and daily check-ins with students. Developing and implementing on-going evaluation methods designed to aid in the creation of individualized growth plans for each student that can be shared with parents. Documenting the learning and development that occurs in the classroom using a variety of methods for both internal and external use. Maintaining clear communication with fellow staff, interns, students, and their families to achieve common goals and avoid potential conflicts.
• Promoting a close relationship with parents through daily, weekly, and monthly communication; regular meetings and phone calls; home visits and parent conferences; and regular family events during and outside of class time. Ensuring families feel that their traditions, experiences, and individual needs are reflected through all aspects of the program.
• Assisting with the training, coordination, and mentorship of associate teachers and student interns; reporting on their participation in the classroom.
• Preparing, cleaning up and maintaining teaching supplies and supporting materials in a well-organized and efficient manner.
• Following all established policies, procedures and protocols related to internal and external communications, child safety, crisis management, and risk management. Supporting the development of new classroom risk and hazard assessment and response procedures as needed.
• Other related duties as assigned.
• As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website: https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academi-staff-20210208.pdf

Requirements:

Minimum of three years of experience as a lead teacher of preschool-age children. Bachelor's degree in Early childhood education, environmental education, or a related field. Education can substitute for experience and visa versa.  ECE Short Certificate or ECE Initial Certificate and willingness to obtain an ECE Short Certificate within 2 years.  Ability to communicate effectively with children at an age-appropriate level. Understanding of cultural competency in the context of early childhood education. Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal skills. Ability to work as part of a team and make contributions through collaboration. Ability to problem solve and maintain a sense of calm as unforeseen situations arise. Outstanding planning, organizing, and time-management skills. Ability to stand, stoop, bend, and sit for 15-20 minutes at a time. Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds. Ability and willingness to work outdoors in all types of weather.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Desired:

Demonstrated knowledge of the natural world and experience sharing that knowledge with children in an environmental education setting. Experience supervising and mentoring volunteers.