Nature Preschool Teacher

Position Title: Nature Preschool Teacher

Exemption Status: Non-exempt

Department: Education

Reports to: Director of Early Childhood Programs, Preschool Director

Year-round, part-time, Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (41-week position for the school year, from mid-August-end of May)

Supervises: Depending on position

Year-round Part-time employees are eligible for the following Benefits:

• Wellness initiative benefit, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Retirement plan
• Vacation, Sick time, Personal days, Holidays, Holiday Thank you pay
• Garden membership - free to employees at Household Plus level
• Discounts to Garden Shop, Cafe, Garden-sponsored educational classes
• Employee events such as Orchid show, Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns, Lightscape employee & friends preview night

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview: Teach in a high quality, mission-based early childhood educational program. Implement developmentally appropriate lessons for children ages 3 to 5 in a nature-based preschool setting.

Duties are different for lead and assistant teachers.

Responsibilities for all:

Skill and competence necessary to contribute to each child's physical, intellectual, personal, emotional, and social development.

This includes:

• Emotional maturity when working with children
• Cooperation with the purposes and services of the program
• Respect for children and adults
• Flexibility, understanding, and patience
• Physical and mental health that do not interfere with childcare responsibilities
• Frequent interaction with children
• Listening skills, availability, and responsiveness to children
• Sensitivity to children's socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, and individual needs and capabilities
• Use of positive discipline and guidance techniques
• Ability to provide an environment in which children feel comfortable, relaxed, happy, and involved in play and other activities
• Skills to help children meet their developmental and emotional needs
• Skills in planning, directing, and conducting programs that meet the children's basic needs
• Continue to grow by participating in professional development related to child development, and nature-related early-childhood training; participate in a minimum of 15 hours per school year
• Maintain work records: medical, CPR/First Aid, all training and documents determined by DCFS on Gateways
• Work with others that are part of the school community in a collaborative manner
• Attend meetings during the school year as they relate to the position

Duties of assistant teachers:

• Assist the lead teacher and/or volunteers and interns.
• Implement activities that are developmentally appropriate for the class with direction of the lead teacher.
• Carry out curriculum outside and inside.
• Prepare and clean up materials used during the day.
• Monitor safety and perform risk assessments.
• Support all children in making progress in their learning, allowing for differences in abilities, under direction of the lead teacher. Support may include providing one-on-one student support, implementing calm-down strategies identified by the lead teacher, providing breaks, or individualized instruction.
• Prepare snack for class each day, taking allergies and food sensitivities into account.
• Substitute teach for other staff members in any class as needed, within your schedule. In most cases, assistant will act as assistant in these situations.
• Be willing to learn about best practices in nature-based settings and early childhood education.

Additional school community duties:

Throughout the school year, teachers will be assigned additional duties not listed above to help the school run smoothly. These duties may add additional hours, and you will be compensated for this work. Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Laundry (keep it moving)
• Track supplies to be ordered, reorganize and replenish classroom supplies and storage 7 supplies, alert teachers when new supplies arrive
• Snack inventory and occasional snack shopping
• Steramine, soap, and bubble replenishment
• Put clothing that has been washed in the right classroom weekly (these are the NPS items that we lend to children)
• Library: shelving and recording acquisitions
• Plants: create care sheets, alerting teachers when plants will be delivered, learn the delivery method in Brahms
• Tool and potting organization: seasonal change-out
• Outdoor classroom organization: seasonal change-out
• First Aid/PPE supply inventory, wipes, and tissues
• Train interns, including teaching them how to make playdough, colored ice, loading and unloading dishwasher, folding laundry, meeting with them before the school year starts during their training week (usually the week before we start school) to get them working on classroom cleaning, routines in the classroom that teachers might like, check in with teachers to see how freshman and sophomores are doing their jobs
• Celebration wizard, especially for intern gifts at holidays and end of year
• Other jobs as identified when need arises to help make the school run smoothly

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• Bachelor's degree in early childhood education or equivalent experience preferred. Type 04 certification is preferred. (Transcripts will be requested.)
• Associate's degree in early childhood education or equivalent experience required. At least three years of experience working with preschool-age children required.
• Background knowledge in nature-based and/or play-based education. Experience in either is preferred.
• A love of nature and teaching outdoors. Experience in and knowledge of informal education, science, horticulture, and environmental education is preferred.
• Ability to communicate with parents professionally in person and via electronic means.
• Ability to handle situations tactfully and with confidentiality.
• Ability to work as part of an educational team.
• Ability to work outdoors with children for several hours a day in all types of weather conditions.
• CPR/First Aid required. Willingness to attain after hire.
• Newly hired staff must become members of Gateways to Opportunity Registry within 30 days of hire.
• Newly employed staff must submit a report of a physical examination completed no more than six months prior to employment that provides evidence that they are free of communicable disease, including active tuberculosis and physical and mental conditions that could affect their ability to perform assigned duties. This examination must include a test for tuberculosis by the Mantoux method. Newly employed staff will be subject to background checks, will submit fingerprinting, and must authorize the background checks required by 89 Ill. Adm. Code 385, Background Checks.

Physical Demands:

Must be able to lift 40 pounds, enjoy working primarily outdoors in all weather, and be comfortable standing for long periods of time. Must be able to assume postures in low-level positions that allow physical and visual contact with children, bend to perform numerous tasks, stoop, and sit on the floor. Must be able to sustain a high level of energy and have agility to perform all activities with children (jump, dance, walk, run) for extended periods of time. Work may include some evenings and/or weekends, as needed.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.