Preschool Lead Mentor

We are the Village Nest Cooperative, a new program based out of the John F Hall Grange Hall in Eliot, ME. Our philosophy is that “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!” We are outside regardless of the weather and spend the majority of our time there. We do all of our teaching without the four walls of a classroom. At the Village Nest Cooperative, we believe that it takes a village to raise well-rounded young naturalists and inspire future confidence in learning environments. 

The Lead Preschool Mentor is responsible for the well-being of the children under their care. They must monitor the children all day using Active Supervision and Risk Vs. Hazard Assessments to ensure that they play and interact with one another in a safe and appropriate manner.

“We strive to nurture children in a child-led Emergent environment. We emphasize play-based learning with a focus on environmental education to creates a diverse opportunity for children to learn.”

Mentors work to ensure that children have fun and receive proper attention. Their job is to lead crafts and activities, oversee outdoor time, perform first aid for cuts and scrapes and administer medication to children with medical conditions or allergies. They may also change diapers of children between the ages of 2.5 to 5.

Some daily Lead Preschool Mentor duties include:

Ensuring all Mentors are:

Overseeing that the children have good hygiene and changing diapers as necessary
Cleaning interactive areas throughout the day/changing areas when needed
Maintaining a schedule and routine for the children to maintain throughout the day
Adjusting day plan based on the weather/call outs
Planning and facilitating emergent curriculum activities
Oversee the documentation of those activities with photographs/videos and nature journals
Positively communicating with parents and fellow Mentors

· Keeping records of each child’s progress, interests and any problems that may occur (Portfolios, Incident/Accident Reports, Facebook, and Brightwheel Messaging)

VNC Lead Preschool Mentors skills and qualifications

A Lead Mentor must be skilled in interacting with and providing care to children of various ages. Some of the most important skills and qualifications they should have include:

· Behavioral analysis and cognitive recognition abilities for anticipating and addressing potential interactions or issues as well as caring and compassionate attitude when interacting with and caring for children

· Strong verbal communication and listening skills to converse with children, fellow professional caregivers and parents or guardians

· Excellent patience and stamina for keeping up with the demands of children of all ages coupled with advanced multitasking and organizational skills to handle multiple children at a time

· Must be able to lift and maintain 40 lbs, able to run and physical endurance, be on your feet for a long period of time and okay with being outside in all types of weather.

VNC Mentor experience requirements:
3+ Years of Early Childhood Education experience preferred, will train the right candidate

VNC Mentor education and training requirements:
· BS or BA in Early Childhood Education preferred
· Must have a GED or Higher
· Must obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid certifications
· Must be willing to complete 30 Hours of Professional Development training annually

VNC Mentor salary expectations:
Hourly: Starting at $20/hour with room for growth
Hours: 7:00am-:3:30pm
Benefits: Paid time off, Mental Health days, Trainings paid for, etc.

How to apply:

Please send letter of interest and resume to: Katie Clark, katie@villagenestcooperative.com