Lead Infant Teacher

Summary

Little Star School is seeking a Lead Infant Teacher for our Winthrop Campus.

Our infant teachers talk and sing with the babies, rock them, hold them and support their unique development at each stage, celebrating and sharing milestones along the way. As our infants get older, teachers offer art projects, sensory experiences, and other similar activities as well as spend time outside exploring the natural environment. As a Lead Infant Teacher, you lead your team of assistant teachers, ensuring the safety and development of the infants by organizing feeding and sleeping systems, daily classroom flow, and team communication. You build relationships with families, tracking student development and initiate conferences twice yearly. As part of the Infant teaching team, you attend level meetings, staff meetings, and annual in-service days, as well as participate in school-wide events and celebrations.

Across our Twisp and Winthrop Campuses, Little Star serves over 116 children ages 0-6, and has been in operation for over 43 years. We are a Montessori-inspired school, utilizing Positive Discipline to guide our students.

Duties

• Guides daily activities including: preparing bottles and food, dressing and undressing, diaper needs, nap time, and offering regular sensorial, gross and small motor work to promote healthy development of each infant in the program.   
• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate, Montessori-inspired curriculum including classroom materials that are rotated frequently
• Oversee the daily flow of the classroom, including following a daily routine; checking in with parents at beginning/end of day; daily setup and clean up
• Facilitate a respectful environment for children by supporting the unique social-emotional learning that happens in an infant classroom and using an age-appropriate Positive Discipline approach for conflict resolution.
• Ensure a respectful and open line of communication with families, including answering emails daily, participating in conferences, and writing a monthly newsletter.
• Comply with all continuing education requirements including annual training hours required through Washington State for licensed childcare providers.  

Requirements

• 3 years experience working in a setting with infant-aged children, preferably in a child-centered environment. 
• Can lift 30+ lbs
• Basic computer literacy (ability to check and send emails, word processing)
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with children, parents and other staff members.
• Nurturing, calm, kind and respectful, with an open attitude towards all children and families. 
• Is creative, flexible, loving and patient.

Upon Hire:

• Ability to fulfill all Washington State's Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) requirements (TB test, MMR vaccination & pass a portable background check)
• Food Handler’s certificate, Pediatric First Aid/CPR, HIV/AIDS and Bloodborne Pathogens Certificate, and Safe Sleep certificate.
• Completion of initial 30 hour STARS training (completed within 6 months of hire).
• Completion of Positive Discipline training (completed upon hire).

Nice To Haves

Montessori Certification or Bachelors or Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Development or related field 

Benefits

• Wages: $21-$24 an hour DOE, with annual wage increases
• Healthcare: $750 annual health stipend
• Time off: Accrued PTO and one week of paid vacation after 6 months of hire
• Retirement: 4% retirement matching program
• Enrollment Discount: 50% discount on your child’s enrollment
• Career development: Regular training and development

About Us

At Little Star, we spark children's curiosity, compassion, and sense of community through joyful learning and discovery. We are a Montessori-inspired school that provides outstanding early childhood education for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners.