Primary Teacher, Preschool Classroom
Role: Primary Teacher, Preschool Classroom
Team: Child Development
Scope: Individual Contributor, Childcare Centers, P2
Reports To: Classroom Manager
Years of Experience: 2+
Location: Reno, NV
Age Group: Preschool with children ages 2-3.5 years
Compensation Range: $23.25-$26.50
A primary teacher is responsible for all aspects of teaching the children in their care and works closely with the classroom manager to ensure a high-quality childcare environment. Classrooms are typically structured with children from birth to two years, or two to three and a half years or three and a half years to kindergarten. Responsibilities include: physical caregiving, child development assessments, implementation of age-appropriate, individualized curriculum, facilitating supportive relationships with children, parents, and colleagues, and communicating regularly with parents in person and through the Educa software platform.
Great Pacific Child Development Center was founded in 1982 by Malinda Chouinard and Jennifer Ridgeway to provide childcare to employees of Patagonia. What the company has learned over the decades about children, childcare, and supporting working families is chronicled in the book: Family Business and in a series of videos - https://www.patagonia.com/family-business/. Currently, Patagonia provides on-site childcare for employees in three locations: Ventura, CA Main Campus, Ventura, CA Brooks Campus, and Reno, NV at the Distribution Center. Patagonia’s mission and values are put into practice every day throughout our child development centers.
What You’ll Do
The responsibilities of this position will include, but are not limited to the following:
Primary Caregiving
At our Child Development Centers, we understand the importance of a meaningful bond between child and caregiver. These relationships are foundational to our program and they are an integral piece of high-quality group care. A primary caregiver is a role within the classroom that is specific to classroom managers and primary teachers. Typically, a primary caregiver will adhere to a target ratio of 1:3 for infants, 1:7 with preschoolers, and 1:9 with pre-kindergarten.
Track the development of your primary students, managing their classroom transitions, and coordinate their integration hours.
Complete routine assessments of your primary students’ development including learning stories, facilitate parent input using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and share information during regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences.
Classroom Management and Practices
The learning that takes place at our Child Development Centers extends beyond the four walls of the classroom. Our children are immersed in emergent curriculum and outdoor exploration that fosters curiosity, joy, and self-expression.
Co-create and organize a stimulating and developmentally appropriate learning environment both inside and outside.
Ensure visual supervision and child safety at all times.
In partnership with your team, design emergent curriculum that meets the needs of the individual learning style of the children in your care.
Form relationships with parents, children, and co-teachers that are respectful of individual differences and culture, family styles and cultural/socioeconomic diversity.
Ensure a structured routine that allows for scheduled meal and rest breaks for the teaching team and maintains a flexible yet consistent daily schedule and routine for the children.
Communication Skills
The staff at the Child Development Centers are responsible for building meaningful relationships with children, families, and their coworkers. We believe transparency, professionalism, and empathy are critical in sustaining these bonds.
Foster a safe, inclusive environment for children, parents, and teachers.
Communicate with children using developmentally appropriate language.
Create an environment that embraces open communication and trust between staff to ensure a high-quality environment for children and families.
Treat each child with dignity and respect.
Guide children in becoming responsible integral members of the group and community.
Establish regular communication with parents about special moments that happen throughout the day, or specific issues as they occur on a day-to-day basis.
Partner with parents to create an easy transition into the classroom.
Provide Early Childhood/community resources and share information through a variety of mediums: bulletin boards, newsletters, Educa, and emails.
Physical Requirements
The educators at the Child Development Centers are responsible for the health and safety of their students as well as hands-on caregiving. Please review the physical requirements to ensure you are qualified to perform all job duties.
Observe and respond to children’s needs, emergencies, and/or conflicts that might occur during the day.
Kneel down to maintain eye contact at child’s level.
Sit on the floor to engage with your students.
Respond to a child’s first aid needs which may include cuts, bruises, and bodily fluids.
Lift or move 1-35 pounds and occasionally 35+ pounds as needed.
Who You Are
Our staff at the Child Development Centers are a diverse group of educators who bring authenticity, experience, and passion to their job every day.
High school graduate.
Passionate about child development and supporting our company mission to save our home planet.
Excellent customer service skills in person, via email, and on the phone.
Comfortable with team-based work structure; ability to demonstrate flexibility on the job.
Demonstrates initiative, is conscientious and provides complete follow-through on areas of responsibility.
Expert in your classroom age-group and best practices in early childhood.
Dedicated to life-long learning and the betterment of the early childhood education.
Experience You Bring
We are seeking educators who are dedicated, life-long learners and practitioners of early childhood best practices.
Two years’ experience working with young children (At least 150 hours working/volunteering with children within the last 6 months).
Proven history of building trusting, nurturing and responsive relationships with young children and families.
Successful collaboration and partnering experience with a direct team.
Track record of implementing and supporting classroom practice in accordance with established educational philosophies.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Bilingual proficiency in Spanish preferred.
Demonstrated ability to receive and act on feedback for improved classroom instruction and care.
Working knowledge of personal computers with experience in the use of such programs as Word, Excel, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook.
Successful completion of the fingerprinting process and/or successful transfer of fingerprints from another program. It is a job requirement to have a successful criminal background check as well as clearance by obtaining a Memo of Eligibility in NV to meet State childcare licensing requirements. If you have, or later obtain an exemption from Licensing, please know that you may still not qualify for employment as Patagonia has its own rigorous internal standards and review process given the nature of the work with children.
Successful completion of the hiring packet.
Preferred Experience
Our philosophy is rooted deeply in the R.I.E. approach to caregiving, as well as the Outdoor Classroom and Anti-Bias Education. We are deeply committed to Patagonia’s mission to save our home planet, and our practices and program are informed by these cornerstones.
Fifteen (15) units in Early Childhood Education (Growth and Development, Child-Family & Community, Administration in ECE, and two Program/Curriculum courses). If you are working in an infant classroom, three (3) infant/toddler units.
AA or BA in ECE or related field
Understanding of Family Business, Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Learning Stories, Pyramid Model, Outdoor Classroom, Anti Bias Education, Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE), and Educa.
Teacher Commitments
Building genuine and trusting relationships takes time; we are seeking a Teacher who is dedicated to being a long-term member of our educational and care team. Recognizing the important role that caregivers play in early childhood development, we ask our Teachers for an informal commitment to spend at least one year working at the CDC before pursuing other permanent career opportunities at Patagonia and to engage in a meaningful dialogue with their manager about the potential impacts on ratios and classroom stability before applying for short-term employee development positions. We encourage and support life-long learning and development and also want to ensure we are creating a consistent learning environment for the children in our care.
Employee Conduct
We are a strong community of educators, staff, parents, and children. It is the responsibility of every employee to create safe, professional work environment.
It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive, inclusive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, customers and vendors.
Equal Employment Opportunity
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.