Lower Elementary Guide

Breakthrough Montessori PCS • Washington, DC

8h

About The Position

Under the direction of the Principal and the Assistant Principal, the Lower Elementary Guide plans and provides appropriate learning experiences for students. They prepare a structured, student-centered high-fidelity Montessori learning environment conducive to all children's intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development. As a public school, our diverse population of students must have equitable access to instruction, social-emotional support, and opportunities for self-development. The guide plays the central role in creating a prepared environment in which this is possible.

Requirements

• Have a firm commitment to Montessori pedagogy and implementation, and upholding the school’s mission and anti-bias/anti-racist pedagogy.
• Commitment to upholding the confidentiality of students and parents
• Proven ability to work as a member of a diverse team of educators
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build meaningful relationships.
• Excellent verbal and written skills.
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail.
• Time management skills (such as punctuality, timeliness, the time management skills to complete lesson plans, reports, record-keeping, assessments, emails, newsletters, and data collection in a timely manner).
• Fulfill duties in accordance with the Elementary Guide appraisal
• Openness to feedback, desire to continue development as a professional, and willingness to take responsibility for student outcomes and the classroom team.
• Experience working with diverse populations of students, parents, and families.
• Experience collaborating and working as a teacher
• Bachelor’s degree required
• AMI or AMS Montessori Elementary diploma required

Nice To Haves

• Montessori experience preferred
• Experience in gardening/environmental education with youth

Responsibilities

• Plan, implement and coordinate the Montessori classroom
• Maintain a prepared learning environment according to the developmental and curricular specifications outlined in the Montessori Scope & Sequence
• Follow required procedures and practices and monitor appropriate use and care of equipment, materials and facilities
• Attend weekly Elementary Assistant Principal meetings, level meetings, and PD sessions
• Train classroom team to help maintain consistent standards, freedoms, and limits for children through use of the Montessori method
• Set limits and boundaries and maintain appropriately high standards for child behavior in the Montessori context self-discipline independence responsibility grace and courtesy respect for others care of environment care of self community building
• Observe student activity and base weekly lesson planning on observed needs and interests
• Work within the Montessori pedagogical scheme to develop and modify weekly instructional plans to meet the needs of all students
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records for all students using Transparent Classroom
• Monitor and evaluate student development and outcomes
• Prepare and present progress reports on all students
• In collaboration with Principal and Elementary Assistant Principal, prepare, administer and reflect on formative and summative assessments including iReady and DC CAPE
• Use data from assessments to help inform lesson planning and schoolwide in-class interventions (such as Orton Gillingham)
• Communicate effectively with students to ensure instruction and holistic development
• Communicate effectively with colleagues and the school leadership team
• Communicate effectively with parents/families to help them understand the details and implementation of the Montessori approach (including newsletters, phone calls, etc. as directed by Elementary Assistant Principal)
• Lead classroom team in working together to implement high-fidelity Montessori programming, through: conducting weekly classroom team meetings, collaborating with classroom team to draft a plan to manage varied student needs including behavior challenges, and creating weekly and daily cleaning/restocking schedule with classroom team to maintain the prepared environment.
• Provide a spirit of hospitality at school gatherings, occasional public events, and ongoing family engagement events
• Supervise Montessori assistant
• Attend and participate in school events outside of regular school hours, including but not limited to conferences, Lesson Share Day, etc.
• Must participate and contribute to IEP, eligibility meetings, Child Study Tier 1-3, and 504 plans
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Paid personal time off
• Paid family leave (in addition to DC paid family leave)
• Paid bereavement leave
• Paid leave for the observation of a religious holiday
• A weekly early release schedule with professional development and collaborative planning time from 1:30-4:30 pm every Monday
• An individual professional development budget of $250/year to pursue additional PD opportunities
• Conference participation
• A Continuing Education grant application program that provides grantees up to $20,000 to complete Montessori teacher training, an advanced degree or other license.
• Health, dental, vision
• Retirement (Vanguard Retirement)
• AFLAC
• Educator wellness groups, facilitated by a clinical psychologist.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level