Position Responsibilities

Summary:

The Early Childhood Assistant provides support to the Early Childhood Lead Teacher. This job operates in a professional The Early Childhood Assistant provides support to the Early Childhood Lead Teacher. This job operates in a professional environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and scanners. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing. The employee must frequently lift and/or move items up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Essential Functions:

• • Daily Preparation:
  • • Prepare classroom for the daily activities and rhythm
  • School Time Functions:
  • • Prepare and oversee daily activities with children involvement
    • Attend to disruptive children and encourage appropriate social interaction
    • Supervise and ensure all children are safe and treated fairly by their peers
    • Assist children with bodily care needs
    • Help children participate in Lead Teacher led activities
    • Assist Lead Teacher where needed
    • Assume lead role when lead teacher is out of room or absent
  • After School Functions:
  • • Washing dishes and straightening toys and cubbies
    • Prepare class room for the next day’s activities
    • Inventory food items
    • Assist lead teacher with aspects of teaching that extend beyond the classroom: sorting artwork, completing crafts, shopping for supplies and various administrative work
  • Mentorship:
  • • Work with mentor in ongoing weekly sessions regarding class, children, child development, and planning
  • Meetings:
  • • Attend Section and Class meetings as requested by Lead Teacher

• Expected Hours of Work:

• • Refer to current school calendar for the Academic Year.
  • The school work calendar includes two weeks before and two weeks after the close of the academic year, or such time as the school deems necessary. Employee will work normal hours during work weeks, unless otherwise directed by the Lead Teacher.
  • Employee will work from 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., or as directed by the Lead Teacher. Fulfilling the conditions of employment will sometimes extend beyond regular school hours to include but not be limited to classroom preparation, meetings, school events and festivals. As such, completion of these responsibilities is the standard for meeting or exceeding job requirements

• Having a quiet presence in the class and when involved in parent work
• Referring parent questions and concerns to lead teacher
• Having a flexible mindset and the ability to receive direct guidance
• Engaging in observational learning and in study
• Having a love of young children and joy in teaching them
• Having patience to help children gain independence
• Displaying good time management without rushing or multi-tasking
• Serving as a “model”, in word and deed, for the children to follow
• Showing consistency in how work is performed

Experience

Required:

• Previous experience working with children

Preferred:

• Previous experience working with children in a school setting
• Experience in Waldorf education
• Virginia Department of Education Child Care Services certification
• CPR/AED certification

Compensation and Benefits

The hourly rate for this part-time, non-exempt position is $16 to $18 per hour, depending on exact experience and qualifications. This is a 10-month school year position beginning on or around August 19, 2024 and expected to end on or around June 13, 2025.

To apply

Interested applicants should complete the application and submit their resume and cover letter. Priority consideration will be given to candidates that apply by April 30th; the position will remain open until filled.

Richmond Waldorf School was founded in 1996 with a passion for providing children a holistic education that falls in alignment with their natural human development through hands-on, nature-rich, and play-based experiences. We are dedicated to providing a learning environment that cultivates creative thinking, genuine inquiry, and a love of learning. RWS has grown from a single Kindergarten classroom to a campus that serves over 185 students from Pre-K through 8th grade. Our specialty program includes Movement Arts, Russian, Spanish, Biking, Handwork, Woodwork, Visual Arts, and Latin. Richmond Waldorf School is a Candidate School of AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America), SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools) and is a member of WECAN (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America). We have a College of Teachers, Board of Trustees, and Parents Association that help ensure support for the health of the school.

Our school is located on a beautiful, urban campus in the Northside of Richmond, Virginia in close proximity to Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond, and only a few hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Washington, DC, and the coastal beaches of Virginia and North Carolina. Richmond is a rapidly growing city with amazing restaurants, a thriving art and music scene, and a plethora of outdoor parks and walking trails. The James River winds its way through the heart of the city, offering four seasons of adventure and beauty.

To read more about our school, please go to our website at www.richmondwaldorf.com.