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| Title: | Nature Preschool Educator |
| Reports To: | Education Director |
| Status: | Non-Exempt; 36-40 hours a week Jan.- Mid-June 2025 |
| Wage: | $18.50 / hour |
| Posting Date: | December 16, 2024 |
| Start Date: | January 27, 2025 (preferred) |
| Apply now! |
About Eagle Bluff’s Nature Preschool:
Founded in 1978, Eagle Bluff is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As a year-round residential environmental learning center, we provide accredited education programs and outdoor adventures to over 16,000 children, adults, and families each year. We are located in rural southeastern Minnesota, just a few miles from the small historic town of Lanesboro in Fillmore County. Through hands-on learning in nature, we aim for people to leave Eagle Bluff with experiences that stick with them and inspire them to become lifelong stewards of the environment by:
- Fostering a sense of respect, stewardship and community
- Imparting life skills such as teamwork and problem-solving
- Increasing environmental awareness & academic literacy
- Promoting positive outdoor experiences
- Sparking curiosity and appreciation for the natural world
Eagle Bluff’s newest program is a Nature Preschool is a partnership with Semcac Head Start. Our classroom is a mix between 10 students enrolled through Head Start and 7-10 students enrolled through Eagle Bluff. Our kindergarten readiness program for children ages 3-5 uses environmental education to support the development of the whole child. Head Start is in session Monday-Thursday and Eagle Bluff students are enrolled Monday-Friday.
Purpose:
The Nature Preschool Educator will be responsible for sharing the planning and leading of purposeful nature-based activities for preschool students (ages 3-5) during their morning sessions and providing support and supervision during the afternoon.
Summary:
Eagle Bluff is seeking a highly collaborative preschool educator to share their passion for the outdoors with the students enrolled in Eagle Bluff’s nature preschool.
The Nature Preschool Educator has various roles within the Nature Preschool. They will create and lead age-appropriate outdoor activities for the preschoolers (typically from 9:15-11:30) and will be supported by two to three other preschool teachers who assist with behavior management, redirection, and provide general support. In the afternoons, the Nature Preschool Educator will transition into a supportive role, assisting with daily routines and contributing to the overall smooth operation of the preschool. It is expected that this position will collaborate with the other preschool teachers to ensure planned outdoor experiences are thoughtfully integrated with the creative curriculum, weaving environmental education topics seamlessly into activities when possible. Our Nature Preschool aims to nurture a child’s relationship with the outdoors through play, trail walks, games, off-trail exploration, animal encounters, song, and art.
An ideal candidate will have a variety of life experiences, patience, a sense of humor, and comfort in the natural world.
Essential Functions:
- (Co) Lead nature-based learning experiences (on and off trail) to groups of no more than 20 preschoolers in mixed age classes of 3-5 each morning, Monday-Thursday.
- Collaborate with the other preschool teachers in preparing lessons and materials to support learning opportunities.
- Approach teaching as a facilitator/guide, allowing children to take the lead when appropriate.
- Help create an environment of joy, appreciation, and wonder through words, actions, and presence.
- Foster problem solving, collaboration, confidence building and imagination by providing just enough scaffolded assistance to children.
- Regularly observe children during all activities to assess growth and inform future planning.
- Develop strong positive partnerships with families, students, and co-teachers.
- Collaborate with co-teachers to conduct on-going risk analysis and hazard-mitigation.
- Maintain supplies through routine cleaning, including possible state-mandated disinfection.
- Document learning and activities to share in program specific manners with families.
- Attend required on-going professional development courses as required by MSDE.
- Participate in special Preschool events.
Minimum Qualifications:
- A Preschool CDA credential, or a state-awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirements for a CDA credential, or a Certificate or Credential for a 2-year program in Child Development or Early Childhood Education from a Minnesota community college or Technical college, or a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Early Childhood Special Education, Teach for America, or Equivalent Coursework
- Self-motivation, flexibility, enthusiasm, creativity, collaboration, and patience.
- Strong emotional intelligence, including empathy and listening skillset.
- Demonstrates working knowledge of hazards and risk assessment as related to the environments of young children.
- Current First Aid and CPR/AED certification (or willingness to obtain prior to start date) from a nationally recognized provider (AHA, ARC, ASHI, NSC). Must include instructor-led skill session.
- Physically able to walk up to 2 miles a day, in all weather, and lift objects of up to 50lbs.
- Comfortable with meeting children where they are on a given day at their pace.
- One’s own reliable transportation.
- Must clear a background check.
An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
To Apply:
Email a PDF of your resumé to Cheryl Krage, Business Manager: cherylk@eaglebluffmn.org. Please indicate which position you are applying for in the email subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Benefits:
- Please see our benefits document here.
Work Environment, Physical Requirements, and Employment Conditions
Work Environment:
Regularly works around adults and children and in outside conditions that include inclement weather, heat, and humidity. Irregularly uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines. The noise level may be loud at times.
Physical Requirements:
Communication, detecting, traversing, and operating skills are needed. The physical demands of this job will vary but typically require:
- Constant movement and use of limbs including but not limited to typing, hauling, bending, pushing, and pulling
- Frequent traversing to a significant degree (2 miles) up/down hills
- Navigating a variety of surfaces, sit, kneel, stoop, crawl, twist, reach above head, climb stairs or ramps, and carry up to 50 lb.
- Frequent communication (speaking and hearing) and information exchange in person and digitally on computers, phones, and radios.
- Frequent interaction with non-living and living creatures not limited to birds, insects, reptiles
- Frequent exposure to weather elements, such as low and high temperatures, precipitation, wind
Eagle Bluff ELC does not sponsor work visas, thus, in compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required I-9 form upon hire. Employment will require the selected candidate to pass all background, criminal record, fingerprinting, and reference checks.
Eagle Bluff ELC is an equal opportunity employer that promotes and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability.
All employees are required to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of their positions. The essential functions listed above are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. However, no accommodations will be made which may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or other or which impose undue hardship on the organization.
Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.
