Preschool Lead Montessori Teacher

LEAD TEACHER (AGES 2.5-6)

Language Garden Montessori School - Bellevue, WA

Language Garden Montessori School is a Montessori early childhood program in Bellevue, WA, serving children from birth through age 6. We are a small, close-knit school with a highly international staff and family community. We are seeking an experienced and dependable Lead Teacher to guide a primary classroom of children ages 2.5 to 6.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE APPLYING

The following conditions are firm and non-negotiable. Please apply only if all of them work for you. This protects both you and the children from a difficult transition later.

• SCHEDULE: This is a full-time, in-person, Monday-Friday position. [Daily start and end times to be confirmed and added before posting.] The set hours, once finalized, are fixed and apply every workday. Please apply only if you can commit to a consistent full-time weekday schedule.
• CLASSROOM STAFFING: The Lead Teacher manages the classroom independently and works alone with up to 10 children. A Teaching Assistant is added to the classroom only once enrollment reaches 11 to 20 children.
• PERSONAL CARE: Assisting children with personal care routines -- including toileting assistance and accident cleanup -- is a standard, shared, and non-delegable part of this role.
• EXPERIENCE: Prior professional childcare experience in a licensed early childhood setting is REQUIRED. Applicants without this background will not be considered.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead a Montessori primary classroom serving children ages 2.5 to 6
• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate, hands-on learning experiences
• Observe and document each child's progress and adjust support as needed
• Foster a calm, respectful, and predictable classroom culture that supports independence
• Supervise and guide a classroom assistant, when one is assigned, with clarity and professionalism
• Assist children with personal care routines, including toileting assistance and accident cleanup, as a standard and shared part of the Lead Teacher role
• Communicate openly and respectfully with families
• Participate in parent education events
• Assess prospective students during school visits
• Provide basic first aid as needed
• Attend staff meetings and collaborate with colleagues
• Prepare typed student report cards and other written documentation using basic computer tools

WHO YOU ARE

• Brings prior professional experience caring for young children in a licensed childcare or preschool setting
• Works well in a highly international, multilingual, and multicultural environment
• Adapts comfortably to a workplace that values hierarchy, mutual respect, and indirect, relationship-based communication
• Follows the school's established curriculum, routines, and teaching practices, and is receptive to direction and feedback from school leadership
• Is organized, observant, and steady under pressure
• Understands that leadership includes consistency, fairness, and emotional regulation
• Understands that in a multicultural team environment, all classroom staff share equally in the full scope of child care -- including personal care routines such as toileting assistance and accident cleanup -- and that these responsibilities are not delegated based on role or personal preference
• Is open to learning Montessori philosophy and practices through formal training
• Values collaboration and shared responsibility in a small-team setting

WHAT YOU BRING

• Prior professional childcare experience in a licensed early childhood setting (REQUIRED). This is a firm requirement. Applicants without hands-on experience in a licensed childcare or preschool program will not be considered.
• Reliable availability for a full-time, Monday-Friday schedule
• Comfort leading a classroom of up to 10 children independently
• Willingness to assist with all personal care routines as described above
• Physical ability to actively supervise, lift, and care for young children throughout the day
• Ability to pass a background check, as required for licensed childcare staff in Washington State
• Basic computer literacy, including the ability to prepare typed reports and documentation

COMPENSATION

$25.00-$27.00 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. The upper end of this range is reserved for candidates with substantial, directly relevant professional experience in licensed early childhood settings. Applicants who do not yet have a strong professional background should expect placement toward the lower end of the range.

TRAINING COMMITMENT

Candidates who are not already Montessori certified will complete Montessori training online and outside of scheduled work hours. If the school sponsors the cost of training, the selected candidate will be asked to sign a two-year employment agreement upon successful completion of the training.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit your resume through Indeed. In your application, briefly confirm that you have read and can meet the schedule, classroom staffing, and personal care conditions described above.

• Work Location: In person -- Bellevue, WA 98007

Pay: $25.00 - $27.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Early childhood education: 1 year (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Bellevue, WA 98007 (Required)

Work Location: In person