• Primary (grades pre-K 3 through kindergarten)
• Lower Elementary (grades 1st-3rd)

 

Blazing Stars Montessori School in Dade City, FL is seeking caring, nurturing and enthusiastic Assistant Guides and Helpers for our Primary (PreK3-Kindergarten) and Lower Elementary (1st-3rd grade) communities. This is a minimum ten-month commitment that starts in late July. We have many opportunities for growth within our organization, including Montessori training and certification for high-performing assistants. Additionally, there will be opportunities to grow into a role as a Lead Guide.

Come share your talents with us, develop your abilities as a national leader of education reform, and help us build a movement for educational equity.

Who We Are

Blazing Stars Montessori School is a Primary and Lower Elementary school serving children ages 3-9 in Dade City, FL. Blazing Stars Montessori School opens in January 2023 and will serve 47 children at maximum capacity. 

In Tampa Bay, there are dozens of private Montessori schools providing opportunities for children to reach their extraordinary potential within an environment that promotes innovation, creativity, critical thinking, academic rigor, and peace. These options tend to be in more affluent areas, and they are too expensive for the majority of families living in East Pasco. 

Blazing Stars Montessori School seeks to change that. We are opening a high-performing, authentic Montessori school that partners with families to help children in diverse communities reach their extraordinary potential intellectually, emotionally, socially, creatively, culturally, and physically, so that they can pursue lives full of meaning and joy.

The Montessori approach is a child-centered, hands-on-learning pedagogy rooted in peace education and global mindedness. The holistic approach of Dr. Maria Montessori helps all children become truly capable and productive individuals by focusing on their moral, behavioral, emotional, and intellectual development. 

Our Network

Blazing Stars Montessori School is part of Wildflower Schools, a network of 1-2 room, teacher-led, authentic Montessori learning environments serving children from infancy through high school. The Wildflower model combines time-tested Montessori methods with promising new practices in family partnership, teacher empowerment, and intentional diversity. At Wildflower, we believe that embracing equity is an essential part of our work. We are committed to deeply engaging in what Maria Montessori called “the preparation of self” as it pertains to understanding our implicit biases, blind spots, and prejudices. 

How We Work

The Wildflower network is decentralized and nonhierarchical, rooted deeply in our values of Connectedness and Growth; our norms of Anti-Bias Anti-Racist and Unity, Autonomy with Support, and Awareness and Compassion; and our purpose and principles that guide our schools’ design. 

To learn more about the ideas that drive us, check out The Wildflower Collection and Reinventing Organizations.

Your Role 

As an Assistant Teacher, you will be a critical member of our school community, supporting the maintenance of the Montessori prepared environment and reinforcing Montessori’s philosophy of whole child education. 

Your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Preparing the environment, including caring for and repairing curricular materials and supplies
• Monitoring students and supporting positive classroom behaviors
• Maintaining an inventory of classroom materials
• Supporting with all aspects of the daily routine, including
  • student learning, 
  • supervising lunch in the classrooms, 
  • leading activities during P.E./recess. 
  • dishes, 
  • nap time, 
  • bathroom duties to support children still learning to use the restroom independently by cleaning up accidents and coaching the children through adequate hygiene procedures (e.g., how to flush, how to wipe, how to wash hands, etc.), 
  • and classroom laundry
• Observing children, completing documentation and sharing questions and observations with teacher leaders
• Attending parent conferences as needed
• Initiating growth and change in your own intellectual and professional development; participating in opportunities for professional growth and learning
• Completing other duties as requested

Schedule

• The work day is from 8:00am-4:00pm Monday through Friday.  
• Assistants Guides arrive by 8:00am. Once a week, they check-in with their lead guides from 8:00am-8:30am.
• Each day, family arrival time is from 8:30-9:00am. Children head directly to their classrooms to greet their community and begin the day.
• Departure time is from 2:30-3:00pm. On Teacher Planning Days, school departure is at 1:30pm, so that staff can meet in Professional Learning Communities from 2:00-4:00pm. 
• School starts approximately the same time as the local school district at the beginning of August.
• We follow a modified schedule with 1-2 week breaks in October, December, and March, as well as 6-7 weeks of summer break for guides and assistants. Approximately 1-2 days of Fall Break and Spring Break may be devoted to Professional Development. 

Requirements & Qualifications

• Florida DCF 40 hour training required
• Previous experience working with children strongly preferred (in a childcare setting or an in-home/nanny setting) 
• Previous Montessori experience preferred but not required 

Additional:

• Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Members of the Global Majority and native Spanish speakers are strongly encouraged to inquire.

Mindset

• Committed to Equity: You are eager to expand access to quality early education for racially and socioeconomically diverse communities; you are ready to engage in anti-bias, anti-racist self-work and community-work
• Generous: You live with kindness, practice gratitude and lead with love. You seek advice openly and are comfortable working in a non-hierarchical organization.
• Growth Oriented: You are eager to stretch beyond your current experience, to develop new skills and expertise, and to more fully explore your purpose and potential. 

Hours & Benefits 

This is a full-time position. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Blazing Stars Montessori School offers the following benefits, opportunities for ongoing professional development, and connection to the wider Wildflower community and supports. 

• A family-friendly work environment with onsite childcare (for a fee) and automatic enrollment for children of staff into the Primary through Lower Elementary communities (if a spot is available). 
• Ample time for professional development that is built into the week and year.
• Vacation time spread out through the year, including a Fall Break, Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer Vacation.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• A collaborative, supportive, and joyful team and community.

Application Process

1. Step One: Submit an application that includes the following components:
   • Resume 
   • Notes: Please submit the resume and application to info@blazingstarsmontessori.org with the subject line: YOUR-LASTNAME – Assistant Guide Application. 
2. Step Two: Selected candidates will be invited to interview, which includes completing a performance task related to the roles and responsibilities of the position. Final details of what to expect during this round will be sent to selected participants.

Blazing Stars Montessori School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, sex or gender, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, status with regard to public assistance, or in any other way based on personal identity markers that do not relate to the capacity of an individual person to carry out the responsibilities of a role.