Early Childhood Teacher

Early Childhood Teacher

Columbus, OH (In-Person) 

Full-time and Part-time available | Program

Reporting to: School Director

At SproutFive (formerly South Side Early Learning), we believe every child deserves a holistic, high-quality early education. Our goal is to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to thrive during their first five years of life. With a century of history and a startup mindset, SproutFive is looking to position itself as a national leader and reimagine the field of early learning. 

Possibly the most important position in the organization, your role in this early childhood nonprofit will put you at the forefront of a movement to ensure every young child has access to holistic learning experiences they need to develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically during those critical first five years of life. Your work will go beyond supporting “just child care,” as you will be helping to support the people who support the children. The families. The teachers. The communities. Because, like they say, “it takes a village.” And we’re here to empower that village. To ensure the very best starts for our children.

As an Early Childhood Teacher, you will work to maximize a child's first 2,000 days using developmentally appropriate and child-centered teaching practices in either an infant/toddler (ages six weeks to 3 years) or preschool (ages 3 to 5 years) classroom. Along with your teaching team, you will align curricular outcomes with individual child needs to support each child's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. 

You will help manage the day-to-day operational activities of your classroom and ensure a safe and stimulating learning environment where children are actively engaged and encouraged to succeed. As a teacher, you should be skilled in communicating with both children and adults to meet the needs of the young learners and work collaboratively with our social work team in the Family Resource Center to support parental concerns and family goals.

The role excited you because you will:

• Support and educate children during their most critical years
• Work alongside a group exceptional of peer teachers
• Serve as a vital member of the SproutFive team
• Have the opportunity to innovate in the field of early education and child care
• Believe in the mission of SproutFive

Day-by-day you will be:

• Developing lesson plans and activities that support the development of each child's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development
• Managing your classroom collaboratively with your co-teachers in such a way that you are actively engaging in activities and manage cleanliness, maintenance, and availability of classroom materials
• Maintaining frequent communications with families through informal discussions and progress reports
• Connecting families to opportunities and supports in SproutFive’s Family Resource Center
• Mentoring student teachers, fellows, and other professionals as they learn from you and your co-teachers best practices in early education and child care
• Developing and participating in new ideas and innovative teaching practices through programs like the Playspace grant program
• Maintaining a personal, professional development plan to ensure continuous quality improvement
• Adhering to all school policies and state regulations

We’re excited about you because: 

• You have completed at least a CDA (Child Development Associate), if not an Associates’, Bachelor's, or Master’s Degree in a related field 
• You are an expert in your understanding of child development
• You have some professional child care experience at a highly rated Step Up To Quality or NAEYC accredited program
• You are excited to work alongside your co-teachers and are a team player
• You have strong oral and written communication skills and basic computer skills
• You are excited to continue your training and are willing to participate in professional development and training
• You can meet all state requirements for working in early education, including being able to clear a full background check and pass health screenings

You will love working with us because:

• We offer progressive, employee-centered benefits and invest in our team
• We empower team members to be autonomous and provide a collaborative environment where you get support and healthy feedback
• We encourage our team to bring their authentic selves to work every day and are encouraged to help others do the same
• We are working to uplift and champion families across the state of Ohio and beyond
• We are unapologetic in supporting those who support our children
• We are constantly asking how we can do things radically different for the good of our mission

More about our benefits:

• Competitive pay scale that starts at $32,000 for those with a CDA and higher for those with degrees 
• Free child care
• Performance and merit-based bonuses 
• Regular all-company work from home days
• A generous PTO policy
• Paid parental leave
• Health, vision, and dental insurance options
• 401K retirement plan
• Access to mental health support
• Other benefits including wellness perks, transportation, work devices, and more 

SproutFive is committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities.

Now Teaching as One Team!

Placement for Early Childhood Teachers in both infant/toddler (ages six weeks to 3 years) and preschool (ages 3 to 5 years) classrooms are available across Columbus in our schools at SproutFive Reeb (280 Reeb Ave, Columbus OH 43207), SproutFive Jenkins (27 W Jenkins Ave, Columbus, OH 43207), and SproutFive Atcheson (1001 Atcheson St, Columbus, OH 43203).