What are the responsibilities and job description for the Atelierista position at Urban Sprouts Child Development Center?
Urban Sprouts is searching for an enthusiastic team player for our Artelierista role. We are a Reggio Inspired school that has adapted Reggio principals to fit within our own community. The Artelier, or Art Studio, It is a designated room where students come to create, explore and experience themselves through art. Children use A Hundred Languages to express themselves. Words, symbols, sounds, music, technology, paint, clay, etc. It is through those languages we learn about our children and what is important to them.
The role of the Educator in the Art Studio is to observe and document children’s idea’s, offer interesting provocations that introduce new materials to children, and help scaffold and delve deeper into children’s theories. The Art Studio is a place of exploration where children have the autonomy to choose materials that speak to them in that particular moment. It is the job of the educator to allow them space to work, pose questions that promote deeper thinking and offer suggestions that may lead to greater discovery.
The Atelierista plays a key role in the overall curriculum. The Atelierista is a professional with unique expertise who supports their atelier and collaborates with other teachers to provide a space and materials for students to continue their inquiry into certain topics in the atelier. For example, a study of water may be introduced by reading a book in a classroom or by the interest of students in water; it may then be demonstrated in the garden atelier, illustrated through art in the art studio, and written about in the writing center. Our students enjoy asking questions and relish in the search for answers. They love working together with their peers, teachers, and the atelierista to express themselves in a myriad of ways. In doing so, they learn how to work with diverse perspectives and skills and develop a genuine interest in tackling problems to make change possible.
Our ideal candidate will love working with young children, have a professional, nurturing demeanor and dedication to the profession, to young children, and to their families. Must have experience in emergent curriculum, an appreciation and understanding of co-learning with children, DAP and knowledge of NAEYC standards. Candidates should enjoy working in a team-approach, with the belief that children deserve to be with adults that live with integrity, honesty and respect for others. Educators must display confidence, poise, professionalism, good communication skills, and the ability to be highly flexible. Must be able to multi-task, pay attention to detail, have a good sense of humor, and be a self-starter.
Key Responsibilities:
● Responsible for the Atelier (and its budget), designing and maintaining an organized, inspiring, and aesthetically appealing learning environment.
● Works with teachers to create thriving mini-atelier spaces in each classroom that offer a variety of materials and tools to provoke inquiry and support ongoing learning.
● Works with children in the Atelier and classroom, facilitating and supporting small-group research, project work, and materials exploration.
● Supports educators in designing classroom provocations and invitations that are rich with potential and align with the values of our school.
● In partnership with the Pedagogista, meets with classroom educators to plan, implement, and support long-term, intentional research and project work.
● Actively documents and interprets children’s learning processes, making learning visible through written narratives, photographs, videos, posts, documentation, etc.
● collaborates with our team on professional development training and offers resources to support staff’s learning and fluency with a variety of expressive materials and tools.
● Communicates and champions the vision and value of the Atelier and the 100 Languages through parent education, faculty meetings, documentation, etc.
● Exhibits a strong commitment to ongoing professional development by reading current publications, working closely with the school’s mentors/consultant, attending workshops, and actively participating in the local network of Reggio-inspired educators.
● Covers staff absences or provides staff to child ratio coverage in classrooms as needed.