The Montessori Infant & Toddler Guide will lead the classroom caring for infants three months through 24 months. The Montessori Guide must communicate effectively with infants, toddlers, their parents, and other staff. Provide quality, nurturing care to infants enrolled in the school. The Montessori Guide must demonstrate skills to properly address developmental needs of infants and help direct the children in their care with activities the support the child academically, emotionally, and physically in a prepared Montessori environment in accordance with Montessori philosophy and methods.

 

Qualifications:

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• Bachelor’s degree or 120 semester hours of approved college credit or a Bachelor’s degree equivalence as determined by an independent agency authorized to evaluate foreign credentials.

• Certification from AMS or AMI, MACTE-accredited training facility appropriate for the Infant-Toddler Certification.

• Must be a self-motivated, self-directed team player that has the ability to establish and maintain wonderful relationships with staff, parents, and children.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Evidence of continuing education and professional growth to include meeting all necessary requirements as established by state law and regulatory agencies.

• Must be able to pass a background check.

• Within first 30 days of employment must be able to meet all necessary requirements as established by state law and regulatory agencies.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

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Curriculum, Materials, and Classroom Management 

• The Montessori Guide will have knowledge and use the Montessori/RIE method to create an environment that promotes independence and optimal emotional, physical, and intellectual development. 

• Develop a curriculum that sets the foundation for learning language, sensory, motor skills and social skills. 

• Promotes parent-child bonding and nurturing parent-child relationships. 

• Promotes feelings of security and trust in infants and toddlers. 

• Greets infants and their parents warmly and with enthusiasm each morning. 

• Assures that each infant and toddler is warmly greeted upon arrival; each infant is held; and each child is gradually assisted to become a part of the community. 

• Talks, sings, and reads to infants frequently. 

• Responds quickly in a soothing and tender manner to infants' cries or calls of distress. 

• Responds consistently to infants' needs for food and comfort. 

• Implements individualized feeding plans for children; respects individual preferences and eating styles; sits with infants and shares family-style meal; models manners and good nutrition. 

• Tends to children's personal hygiene needs, remaining especially attentive to them during routines such as diaper changing, cleaning, feeding, and changing soiled or wet clothes. 

• Respects infants' curiosity about each other; ensures that children treat each other gently. 

• Organizes each day's activities to provide children with a variety of experiences and opportunities that allow them to develop curiosity, initiative, problem-solving skills, and creativity, as well as a sense of self and a feeling of belonging to the group. 

• Maintains a safe, clean, care-giving environment, practices good personal hygiene and hand washing, and assures the well-being and safety of all of the children in that environment. 

• Maintains a positive, calm attitude and a pleasant, soothing voice, and models this attitude and voice for parents and others working in the environment. 

• Maintains a neat, well organized, and attractive prepared environment consistent with Montessori pedagogy. 

 

Parent Education, Meetings, and Conferences 

• Works to develop close and effective relationships with parents, including opportunities to discuss and understand the child’s individual progress.

• Assisting in the development of and participates in school functions, including but not limited to open houses, orientation meetings, parent education, and school-wide activities. 

• Preparing documents and reports necessary to facilitate parent teacher conferences or other meetings requested by parents or school administration. 

• Oversees and participates in school-wide and parent communication as required by administration.

 

Record-Keeping and Data Assessment 

• Follows the school’s policies and procedures for student evaluation, report preparation and record keeping, meeting all due dates as required by administration.

• Maintaining student records, reports, and evaluations.

• Completing all progress monitoring and benchmark assessments on time as scheduled by administration. 

• Participating in all assessment-related trainings. 

• Preparing student progress reports and assessment reports as required by administration. 

 

Supervision of Classroom Assistant 

• Collaborate daily with classroom assistant and provide direction for classroom maintenance, classroom management, and students’ academic and social progress. 

• Provide guidance in data collection tools as well as Montessori philosophy. Participate in assistant’s annual employee review. 

 

Professional Responsibility

• Participates in all required professional development.

• Participates in the establishment and maintenance of a school-wide atmosphere of collegial support and adherence to professional standards.

• Has a firm commitment to uphold the school’s mission.

• Required attendance and participation in all staff meetings.

• Other duties, as assigned.

 

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to stand, bend, lift and work in an outdoor playground environment for extended periods of time while supervising children.

• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.