Blazing Stars Montessori School in Dade City, FL seeks an Extended Day Teacher to lead our extended day program.

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

The responsibilities of the Extended Day Teacher  include, but are not limited to:

• Planning and managing the Extended Day Program, keeping in mind the nature of the child and the time of day 
• Working collaboratively with the Montessori Guides and Teacher-Leaders 
• Assisting in the end of school day transition 
• Sharing informal monthly updates with Heads of School regarding Extended Day program 
• Managing administrative tasks for the Extended Day Program (attendance records, incident reports, replenishing first aid supplies, etc.)
• Observing children and sharing questions and observations with teacher leaders
• Initiating growth and change in your own intellectual and professional development; participating in opportunities for professional growth and learning

Experience

• DCF 40 hours 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 

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 part-time position, commensurate with experience. Blazing Stars Montessori School offers opportunities for ongoing professional development, and connection to the wider Wildflower community and supports.

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.