Position Title: Primary Lead Guide
Classification: Full-time, 10 months, exempt, benefits
Hours: 40 hrs/week, Monday-Friday
Location: Onsite
Annual Salary: Competitive salary, commensurate with education and experience
Reports to: Head of School

ABOUT SUNGARDEN
SunGarden Montessori School is dedicated to the education of the whole child within purposeful, respectful environments based upon the insights and inspiration of Dr. Maria Montessori.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Primary Guide develops and maintains a beautiful, orderly, and purposeful learning environment that supports the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development of children ages 3 to 6. The Guide uses clinical observation to inform the prepared environment, invites the child to engage in constructive activity, and protects that engagement in ways that both support the child’s concentration and models respectful social interaction. The Guide fosters independence, concentration, and a love of learning by presenting lessons and offering individualized support in accordance with Montessori principles. As the Assistant’s direct supervisor, the Guide sets clear expectations for their performance in the classroom and cultivates a supportive, nurturing, and collaborative relationship with the Assistant.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
PRIMARY JOB FUNCTIONS:

Teaching and Child Guidance

Employs clinical observation of individual children and the community to guide development and generate targeted interventions

Delivers clear lessons in practical life, sensorial, language, and mathematics, and enriches the curriculum with cultural presentations and discussions

Maintains a peaceful, respectful classroom environment where children feel physically and emotionally secure and can work independently without unnecessary disruption

Project a sense of wonder, curiosity, and excitement about each lesson; is fully present; models grace and courtesy; is flexible in response to children’s needs

Maintains awareness of the classroom while working with individual children; uses a soft conversational voice; does not interrupt children who are concentrating; waits to offer assistance until independent problem solving fails; is ready to support as needed

Ensures materials and furnishings are orderly, clean, in stock, and arranged to nurture concentration; rotates materials and images to keep the environment dynamic; participates actively in light cleaning and organizing

Cultivates a language-rich environment with age-appropriate print-materials, reading, materials for learning names of a wide range of concepts and objects, and conversation is substantive and ongoing
Identifies student needs early, makes necessary adjustments to the environment and/or presentations to meet the unique needs of individual students

Treats families as essential partners in the child’s development, evidenced by frequent two-way communication; submits email and newsletter updates

Planning and Record Keeping

Devotes approximately two weeks before the school year and a few days after school ends to preparing, organizing the environment, and collaborating with colleagues

Clearly and consistently uses a reliable system of documenting lessons presented, observations, and each child’s progress; submits reports to the administrator as scheduled or requested

Conducts parent conferences twice per year

Collaboration and Supervision

Supervises and guides the Classroom Assistant to ensure consistency with Montessori principles and optimal support for the children

Meets with the Room team at least once a week to prepare, plan, and provide feedback and guidance

Meets 1:1 with the Head of School regularly

Participates actively in team collaboration, sharing observations, questions, and insights with colleagues and the administrator

Communicates classroom needs and any concerns about children, families, or staff to the administrator in a timely and professional manner

Community Engagement and Professional Development

Attends and contributes to school events, including parent education evenings and community gatherings

Actively fosters home and school partnerships through timely, pro-active, and responsive communication

Observes in at least two other classrooms (internally or externally) each year to support ongoing growth and alignment

Professional Development

Completes a minimum of 15 hours of documented training each school year. 8 hours in Child Development (CD) and 1 hour in Health, Safety, and Nutrition (HSN). All staff members must submit documentation to Oregon Registry Online

Health & Safety

Ensures children are supervised at all times
Responds promptly to accidents, injuries, or behavior incidents, including timely completion of written reports and parent notification

Bears responsibility for the physical and emotional well-being of all children in their care
Interprets the education program, the philosophy, policies, and procedures of the school to parents and other interested persons in a professional manner

Adheres to AMI guidelines and standards for the purpose of maintaining the quality and excellence of the Montessori experience for the children

Serves as a mandatory reporter of child abuse and neglect (1-855-503-7233)

Responsibilities of Every Employee

Maintains punctual, regular, and predictable attendance in compliance with Offer Letter terms

Practices self care and prepares themselves to be present and focused on the child’s experience in active collaboration with team members

Possesses a strong work ethic, excellent organizational skills, and good time management

Conducts themselves in a professional, respectful, positive, and collaborative manner, and observes grace and courtesy in interaction with all members of the school community

Observes agreed-upon rules and boundaries in all forms of communication and provides appropriate feedback

Shows commitment to professional growth and stays abreast of best practices in support of child development

Understands and takes initiative to accommodate for the legal and logistical constraints of a small staff. Administrator may at times assign tasks that are outside of the main job description

Attends and actively participates in staff meetings, Guide meetings, In-Service Days, and community events as collaboratively decided with the administrator

Maintains a professional appearance and dress as appropriate for their job duties

Abides by the policies of SunGarden Montessori School as outlined in the Employee Handbook

Follows licensing guidelines as outlined by DELC

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

Certification (or near-completion of Diploma) from AMI (preferred), AMS, or another MACTE-accredited Montessori program

Knowledge of child development and an understanding of the needs of children ages 3 to 6

Excellent communication, organizational and prioritization skills; ability to manage unpredictable workflow and flexibility to respond thoughtfully and in a timely manner

Ability to work collaboratively in a small school community

Ability to read, write, speak, and understand verbal and written English

Proficient in Google Suite and Microsoft Office Suite

Pass a criminal background check

Preferred:

Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field

Prior work experience in a Montessori environment and with children ages 3 to 6

Bilingual in English and Spanish

CERTIFICATIONS AND COMPLIANCE

Present or complete within 30 days of hire:

Enrollment in the Central Background Registry (CBR)

Food Handler Certification

Pediatric and Adult

CPR/First Aid and EpiPen training

Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect (RRCAN)

Introduction to Child Care Health and Safety (INCCHS)

Foundations for Learning (FFL)

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Indoor/outdoor work in a variety of weather conditions

Normal noise levels range from quiet to loud during typical activities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Ability to frequently move between standing, sitting, squatting, kneeling, and crawling

Must be able to quickly move to or with a child as needed

Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds; occasionally lift children up to 75 pounds for safety and care

Vision requirements include close, distance, and peripheral vision necessary for supervision and safety

BENEFITS

8 days of PTO, plus an additional 2 days of PTO designated for professional development

$200 of professional development funds; additional funds may be available in consultation with and upon approval by the Head of School

9 paid holidays per year (whenever any of the following falls on a weekday: Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, MLK Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day.)

Opportunity to participate in group health insurance (currently with Providence), effective after 30 days

Absence of less than 1 hour at the beginning or end of your work day for a doctor’s appointment once a month does not count towards your PTO, but needs to be communicated and be approved by the Head of School

Opportunity to participate in Oregon Saves IRA (available to employees after one full calendar year of employment)

Participation in our Employee Assistance Program

SunGarden Montessori will provide a laptop for your use as a Lead Guide

16 prep days per year for Guides

Paid time off for all closures (including inclement weather)

A 50% tuition discount for employee’s children enrolled at SunGarden.