• Department:  Early Learning Center
• Status: Non-Exempt (Hourly), Full-time position
• Reports To:  Early Learning Center C0-Directors
• Pay Scale: $21.00-$28.00 depending on experience
• Location:  Carpinteria, CA

To apply: Please submit your cover letter, resume and a list of all previous school or educational institution employers, including city and state, in accordance with CA SB 848 through  this link.

About our program

The Cate Early Learning Center is guided by a developmentally appropriate curriculum and practices in an indoor and outdoor setting. Developmentally appropriate practice, often shortened to DAP, is an approach to teaching grounded in research that promotes young children’s optimal learning and development. DAP involves teachers meeting young children where they are by stage of development, both as individuals and as part of a group, and helping each child meet challenging and achievable learning goals.

We believe children learn through play. While engaged in play, children are not only expressing their creative nature, they are also making discoveries in their environment and attaching meaning to their experiences. They are associating words with objects, building on their vocabulary, and stimulating cognitive growth.

Our program enhances children’s play and learning experiences by providing routine and structure throughout the day, allowing children to organize and feel in control of their day. We provide a balance of teacher-supported activities with plenty of child-directed choices.

Our Infant and Toddler program is heavily influenced by the RIE philosophy. RIE encourages respectful interactions through caregiving routines while following the cues of each child.

At Cate School, we pride ourselves on fostering a community where our employees truly thrive. As a member of our team, you’ll enjoy full access to our premium campus facilities, including our library, gym, pool, and athletic track. We also provide complimentary meals in our campus dining hall during the academic year. Tucked away in the foothills, our campus offers breathtaking mountain views and serene walking trails—perfect for a peaceful break or an outdoor adventure with students.

Position Overview

As an ELC Teacher, you will be responsible for creating a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment for a small group of children. This role requires a genuine passion for outdoor education, a deep understanding of early childhood development, and the ability to inspire a sense of curiosity, creativity, and a positive attitude towards learning. We want to create a group of lifelong learners through holistic development, cognitive ability, and self-care.

Health and safety

• Supervise children closely to ensure their safety and well-being in any setting and weather conditions.

• Administer first aid and respond to emergencies, documenting all incidents accurately.

• Teach children about risk management while encouraging them to take age-appropriate risks.

• Model and enforce personal hygiene practices, including proper hand-washing.

• Maintain a precise headcount of students at all times. Ensuring each child is signed in and out each day.

Interactions with children

• Strive to create a language-rich program, encouraging positive and respectful interactions.

• Treat each child with dignity and respect.

• Help each child to become aware of his/her role as an integral member of the group.

• Help each child to become comfortable with him/herself.

• Encourage active involvement in problem solving in the environment.

• Encourage children to be responsible for their actions to support the development of their roles as effective decision makers.

Parent and community relations

• Communicate effectively and professionally with families, sharing observations about their child’s development through conversations, emails, and a parent portal. 

• Represent the program’s philosophy and core values at community and school events.

• Collaborate with co-teachers and staff to support the program’s goal.

Administrative functions

• Complete all assigned paperwork (daily information sheets/daily attendance, shopping lists, child injury reports, lesson plans, etc.) in a timely manner.

Professional development

• Maintain current certifications, including CPR and first aid.

• Attend staff meetings and professional development opportunities.

• Engage in regular self reflection and seek to grow as a teacher of young children.

Qualifications

• Experience: A minimum of 2 years experience working with young children in a preschool setting.

• Education: At least 12 of the core ECE units, an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or a related field or a Bachelor degree is preferred.

• Successful completion of the finger printing process Successful completion of background check.

Skills and abilities

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

• Creativity and flexibility in curriculum planning.

• Ability to work collaboratively and maintain a positive attitude.

• Strong problem solving and observational skills.

• Continually able to observe and respond to children’s needs, emergencies, and/or conflicts that might occur during the day.

• Able to work with age groups 3 months-5 years.

Physical requirements

• Continually able to kneel to maintain eye contact at child’s level.

• Continually able to sit on the floor to work with children. 

• Continually able to react to a child that is 20-30 feet away within 30 seconds.

• Continually able to carry a child (1-50 lbs), up to 50-100 feet.

• Continually able to respond to the children’s first aid needs (inside and outside), which may include cuts, bruises, blood/bodily fluids.

• Continually able to communicate clearly and calmly to children, parents, and co-workers.

• Continually able to deal effectively with the stress involved in working closely with children, parents, and co-workers. 

• Continually able to do fine and medium hand manipulation.

Job Benefits:

This role includes a generous benefits package with Health, Dental, and Life insurance, Retirement and PTO plans, plus meals enjoyed on campus as part of our school community.

Employee Conduct:

It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, children, and parents.

All Cate Employees live up to the following Essential Expectations:

• Overtly support and act according to the school’s mission and values.

• Foster a safe, predictable, and supportive environment for employees and students.

• Interact with colleagues in a respectful and collegial manner that fosters a healthy culture for living, learning, and working together.

• Demonstrate commitment and courage in service of building our school culture where diversity is affirmed and supported.

• Demonstrate appropriate planning and preparation to meet the complex and evolving needs of your role.

• Uphold professional standards of predictable presence, reliable responses, and relational trust.

• Appropriately steward strategic and special projects associated with role or team.

• Honor the confidentiality of School, student, and family information.

• Comply with policies and procedures as articulated in the School’s Employee Handbook.

• Authentically engage in self-reflection in service to professional growth and adapting to the evolving needs of the school.

At Cate, we often talk about the deep sense of community that attends the “spirit of this place.” While the “spirit” manifests in many ways, it is rooted in the full recognition of the dignity of each person. We encourage all members of the Cate community to share their background, interests, identities, and beliefs so that we can collectively work to broaden our perspectives, deepen our capacity for empathy, and strengthen our resilience. In doing so, we can continue the daily work of creating and building community.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Cate School is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition including genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender, gender identity, genetic information or any other category protected under federal or local law.

About Cate School

For over a century, Cate School has been blending together the tradition of the East Coast with the innovation of the West Coast in the service of a dynamic, diverse, and close-knit community. A four-year college preparatory school with a low student-to-faculty ratio, small class sizes, and inviting residential spaces, Cate’s inquiry-based program is designed to challenge, inspire, and support boarding and day students whose interests, abilities, characters, and aspirations make them individually and collectively exceptional. Join a professional community that is celebrated for its transformational pedagogy that fosters curiosity. Here, our faculty thrives within a dynamic culture driven by an unwavering dedication to the greatest growth possible, a spirit of innovation and progress, and a core of care and support for each member of this community.

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