Earth Friends Outdoors Educator
Overview
Irvine Nature Center is an environmental education non-profit based on over 200 acres in Owings Mills, MD. In addition to its educational programming, Irvine has an interactive exhibit hall and hiking trails. Earth Friends Outdoors Homeschool is a suite of programs offering nature-enrichment classes for children 5-12 years old engaged in unschooling, wild schooling, traditional homeschooling, or remote/hybrid learning. Forest Explorers is an exclusively outdoors forest school program for children 5-7 years old. Earth Friends themed classes are weekly classes for children 8-12 years that balance teacher-led investigation with child-led nature play and exploration.
Position Summary
We are currently hiring part-time educators to assist in Forest Explorers and the older Earth Friends classes for the 2021-22 school year. With their co-teacher, Earth Friends guides will facilitate mainly outdoor classes that nurture a child’s connection with and understanding of the natural world through developmentally appropriate play, trail walks and games, land art, nature-study, and child-led discovery. Guides will create communities in which students feel safe to be themselves, take risks, and develop skills at their own pace. They will encourage students to ask questions, explore, and lead their own learning.
The ideal candidate will have a variety of life experiences and skillsets in local naturalist knowledge, nature-based learning, emergent curriculum, and practical outdoors skills. This individual must also be dedicated to personal self-reflection and evaluation of their pedagogy while ECE staff begin their journey in anti-bias work to improve ourselves and programming.
Time Commitment
Approximately 30 hours a week, September through early June, varied days and times. Classes run on a trimester schedules of 12 weeks in Fall and Spring and 5 weeks in Winter. Please note, we prefer a commitment for the full year. Additional hours may be available.
Responsibilities
- Co-teach groups of no more than 14 children in mixed age classes of 5-7 and 8-12 yr olds.
- Plan and implement a nature-based curriculum which includes handling live animals, trail walks, and unstructured nature exploration and play alongside a co-teacher
- Encourage and supervise child-led wild nature play
- Create an environment of joy, appreciation, and wonder through word, action, and presence
- Embrace the beauty of each moment in all types of weather through vigorous outdoor play
- Approach teaching as a facilitator/guide and allow children to take the lead
- Foster problem solving and collaboration through just enough scaffolded assistance
- Regularly observe students to inform future planning and to share learning with families
- Develop strong positive partnerships with families, students, and co-teachers
- Communicate clearly, empathetically, and regularly with other staff, families, and interns
- Collaborate with supervisors to conduct on-going risk analysis and hazard-mitigation
- Maintain supplies through routine cleaning
- Authentically reflect and evaluate self-practice and programs
- Attend and contribute to regular program and ECE staff meetings
- Contribute to/participate in special Earth Friends Outdoors events (roughly 2 a year)
Qualifications
- Experience working with children 5-12 yrs old and an understanding of child development
- Experience working in an outdoor setting with children
- A college degree or pursuing a college degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Elementary Education, Environmental Education, or related fields
- Comfortable with meeting children where they are on a given day, flexing to allow engagement in a variety of forms
- Flexibility to deviate from a lesson plan
- Willingness to get dirty and handle live creatures (small and large)
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Basic computer experience (i.e., Word processing, Outlook, digital photos, etc.)
- Current First Aid and CPR certification or Wilderness Survival First Aid and CPR or the ability to complete by end of September, 2021
- Dedication to self-reflection and continuously striving to improve your craft
- Physically able to walk up to 2 miles a day, in all weather, and lift object of up to 50lbs
- Your own reliable transportation
The ideal candidate:
- Is curious, flexible, and creative
- Has a strong base knowledge of local flora and fauna or a willingness to learn
- Has completed coursework in forest schooling, nature-based education, or similar
- Has practical skills in fire-making, bush craft, and/or similar
- Is experienced with emergent curriculum, planning loosely, and teaching “off script”
- Has a back pocket of ideas for engaging students, redirecting behavior, and activities
- Approaches challenges with calm and a sense of humor
Salary: part-time hourly starting pay of $16 an hour
To Apply: Send cover letter, resume, and three professional references to: Stephanie Holzman, Head of Homeschool, Irvine Nature Center, 11201 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117 or email HR@ExploreNature.org
Please note, employment is contingent upon completing and passing a criminal background check and fingerprinting.