Lead Lower Elementary Guide

Blacksburg, VA

MINE, ME & US Montessori School educates and cares for children ages 6 weeks through 12 years, founded in 2013. It is a unique Montessori school offering all-day, all-year Montessori education and care. During the summer months, the Montessori curriculum continues with a much stronger emphasis on wonders of nature and the world of food.

MMUMS is located in Blacksburg, Virginia in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and home to Virginia Tech, a public, land-grant university. Blacksburg has vibrant art, organic farming, outdoor recreation, and academic communities. It continues to be voted one of the ten best places to raise a family. Blacksburg is surrounded by quaint towns that offer antique shopping, local cuisine, hiking, biking, and running trails, kayaking, mountain climbing, and much more. Our children enjoy an abundance of time in the outdoor environment with our elementary students taking excursions to local sites of interest, including the Moss Arts Center, nearby caverns, and the Appalachian Trail.

About the Opportunity
Our well-established Lower Elementary program is part of a comprehensive Montessori education. The Lower Elementary teacher will work with both Primary and Upper Elementary Montessori-certified lead teachers to streamline the program through all phases of grade school development, with an adolescent program developing on the horizon. The Lower Elementary program is currently limited to 25 students who join us from the entire surrounding community in the New River Valley, including communities such as Giles, Pulaski, Radford, Floyd, etc.
The Lead teacher will report directly to the Head of School and oversee an assistant teacher with ownership and responsibility being given to the full teaching team. The teaching team will establish a standard of operation and care for the classroom environment, resources and materials, and contributions to the greater MMUMS community.

Roles & Responsibilities
The Lower Elementary Lead Teacher will perform the following duties:

Philosophically

• Have a steadfast commitment to the Montessori Philosophy and Method for the youngest children
• Truly enjoy the world of food and feel compelled to share with even the very young the joys of planting, tending, harvesting, preparing, and eating organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs
• View all young children as human beings deserving of the highest respect for their unique wisdom, thoughts, feelings, and intuition

Classroom Environment

• Design and maintain a well-resourced, welcoming and orderly Montessori classroom environment that nurtures community, academics, and respect for self, others, and environment.
• Build strong relationships with each of your students and help nurture a keen sense of equity, inclusion and belonging for every student in your classroom.
• Incorporate authentic opportunities for children to do the important work of social development, personal growth and introspection, empathy development, and environmental stewardship.

Observation & Program Progression

• Work with assistant teachers and parents/families to regularly observe and report on student development and establish plans for progression through a curriculum aimed at developmentally-appropriate skills and personal interest.
• Design and deliver quarterly progress reports to parents/guardians through parent-teacher conferences.
• Utilize child observations and your data and records to inform daily choices regarding each child’s support and program.

Family Connection

• Communicate regularly with parents/guardians about a student's progress and developmental plans.
• Support parent inquiry about their child’s development, authentic needs, and additional support for the child’s success.
• Maintain daily observation records and provide written progress reports to parents on a quarterly basis.
• Design activities and events to include parents/guardians in the classroom community including spotlight curriculum, special guest readers, field trips, and materials contributions.
• Maintain a daily observance and response to parent/guardian communication and questions.
• Design and host Parent Education Events about Montessori Elementary education, in collaboration with other Lead teachers.
• Open the classroom to families and attend all MMUMS community events, such as food pairings and festivals, Open House, and Back-To-School Night.

Culinary Curriculum, Seed to Table

• Participate in community dining in the classroom environment, providing guidance and support for the development of dining norms, respect for a broad palette, and conversation around diversity of food and food culture.
• Plan and execute seasonal planting and seed dispersal curriculum making use of the school’s natural environment and harvesting spaces.
• Collaborate with the MMUMS culinary team to design and deliver culinary experiences to support cultural exploration of food and food culture.

Outdoor Education and Environmental Stewardship

• Support the upper elementary program’s burgeoning outdoor education programs by serving as a trip chaperone, championing our approach and bringing in outside guests, programs and opportunities to build up the program.

Professionalism and Collegiality

• Consider themselves a Montessorian as well as a Montessori Teacher
• Promote the integrity of the Montessori Method
• Maintain patience with positive energy
• Sustained interest in personal and professional development
• Maintain a professional and positive demeanor at all times

Daily and Yearly Schedule:
MMUMS is a year-round program that is available from 8 am - 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Children arrive daily at 8:00 am and the Lower Elementary work period begins at 8:45 am. Lead teachers are expected to arrive by 8:00 am and remain at the school until 5:00 pm. They are given a one-hour personal break and a one-hour planning time during the afternoon work period and outside time.

Qualifications:
We seek candidates who have both the experience and the mindset of a Montessorian. We look for candidates with some or all of the following qualifications:

Experience & Professional

• A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university
• A Montessori lower elementary teaching credential from a MACTE-accredited training center or a willingness to obtain your credential
• Experience working in a Montessori classroom or school
• Strong and effective written and verbal communication skills
• Have a clear criminal record and obtain a clear criminal history, sex-offender registry, and fingerprint analysis (service provided by MMUMS and Virginia DSS)

Mindsets

• Commitment to the MMUMS mission, vision and core values
• Passion for serving children of all learning styles and abilities
• Commitment to living out principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
• Sound professional judgment and decision-making skills
• Capacity to share, receive, and implement feedback with grace and agility
• High level of emotional intelligence, integrity, and humor
• High level of personal organization, planning, and follow-through

Physical Requirements
MMUMS strives to provide an effective accommodation, unless doing so requires significant difficulty or expense, changing fundamental job duties, lowering production or performance standards, or tolerating misconduct.

The job requires certain physical capabilities to support duties performed during a typical day. These capabilities include: 

• Stamina, physical and mental, to work with school-aged children.
• Physical ability to engage in walking, sitting on the floor/ground, kneeling, navigating outdoor terrain, using stairs frequently, etc.
• Ability and stamina to hike up to 5 or 6 miles over a period of 5-6 hours several times per year.  Ability to move and respond to emergencies quickly in order to maintain the safety of children.
• Tolerance for, and preparation of equipment for, extreme weather conditions including cold, snow, rain, heat, and sun. Teachers must be prepared with weather-appropriate gear to accommodate the regularly changing seasons, temperatures, and other weather conditions.
• Immune system tolerance for constant contact with children, germs, and other environmental allergens (e.g. dust, pollen, seasonal and outdoor conditions).
• Must hold a valid driver’s license and have the ability to drive and board/ride public transportation.

These physical and mental requirements are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. MMUMS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with this commitment, MMUMS will take steps to ensure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations.

Compensation and Benefits
MINE, ME & US Montessori School is committed to providing a collegial, stimulating, and respectful environment with ample opportunities for professional growth. To this end MMUMS faculty enjoy:

• Funded tuition for Montessori Certification training and other professional development
• 100% faculty tuition waivers for dependent children (after 6 months of quality performance)
• Health insurance (after 3 months of quality performance)
• 6.5 paid weeks off per year*
• Merit-based raises throughout the year
• Salary offer is commensurate education, certification, and experience.
• Organic, vegetarian lunch and snacks provided during the school day.

* PTO days are pre-populated into the school calendar, centered around term breaks and holidays. Additional time off may be made by request and is subject to approval by the Head of School.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed upon receipt until the position is filled. Please submit the following materials to apply:

• Cover letter
• Professional Resume
• Educational transcripts/diplomas
• Three references who can speak about your commitment to high-quality Montessori education, including current and former employers or colleagues

Once application materials are reviewed candidates will be invited to begin the three-phase interview process, including a phone or Zoom interview, in-person interview, and classroom observation.

Please submit inquiries and/or application materials to Rachel Brunsma, Head of School - [email protected].