Supply teacher - Micro-School

We have unexpectedly found ourselves running a small micro-school - The Village School, and we're looking for a supply teacher - someone who could be available on short notice if someone (our regular helper, or us) is sick or unavailable...

We wouldn't need you to be a qualified teacher - just a caring adult who can help supervise and nurture kids. To be honest, our micro-school doesn't look like "school" as most people know it.

For now, we have 6 kids in our little group: 3 kids of our own (aged 8, 8, and 11), two other "full-time" aged 9, and one who is part-time (not every day), age 10. So basically, grade 3-6 is the range.

All the kids are funny, fun, and creative. They love reading, sharing stories and jokes. They like to build, create, and do art.

Unfortunately, all the kids went through some tough (traumatic?) incidents at school, and they're all unwinding. Most of the kids have extra needs (neurodiversities) - but are also capable of independent academic learning. The goal right now is to guide them towards learning, with still a lot of rest in their day.

We envision a "progressive academic learning environment" - where we teach towards mastery, and use online resources (like Khan Academy) to provide a really individualized experience, combined with lots of hands-on projects and outings! But - we also believe that in order for kids' brains to learn, they need to feel safe and have their physical and emotional needs met.

I am a former teacher, a mediator, and conflict coach. I worked in camping, and I am the primary "support" for this microschool approach. Our assistant teacher Sofia has a background in Child Studies, art, and overall expert in calming vibes!

We have one other part-time helper right now, but we'd love to have another person or two who could be involved if someone is sick or if we just need extra help. It would likely be one day a week on average.

Ideal hours would be about 9-3 (or 4). That's potentially flexible if you need a later start or earlier finish... sometimes we take whatever we can get. But 9-3 is ideal.

Because you're working with kids, we'll need you to get a Vulnerable Sector Screening.

A good candidate will be able to:

Follow the kids' lead, while also creating boundaries and structures that will work for everyone.

Get lunch and snacks ready.

Drive - Take kids on outings (they enjoy flying squirrel, skating, etc.)

Do some projects and online learning with the kids.

Work with their levels of energy, trauma, and needs to provide a fun and safe learning environment.

We would like the candidate to be:

• Neuroaffirming
• Open to learning about low-demand caregiving/education.
• Open to learning about their challenges
• Comfortable with kids having more decision-making power than normal.
• Comfortable with higher levels of screen time than most parents allow. (It's working VERY well for these kids...)
• Attune to heightened sensory issues.
• Grounded and calm most of the time.
• Flexible

We imagine this being a great fit for someone who is usually at home (because we need you to potentially be available on short notice). OR - Potentially it'd be a good fit for someone who's still in school, so long as you have flexibility in your schedule - especially in the 9am-3pm range.

I've put $20-$30 per hour... potentially negotiable based on qualifications and experience.

To apply: Write us a note about why you're interested and what your potential availability is. We're looking for someone (or a couple people) to start asap in September (or maybe even in August), but let us know your situation.

Thanks for considering! ..Joel, Kathleen and family!

Job Types: Part-time, Fixed term contract, Casual, Seasonal, Freelance, Internship / Co-op

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule

Pay: $20.00-$30.00 per hour

Expected hours: 3.0 – 12.0 per week

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Flexible schedule

Work Location: In person