Primary (Ages 3-6 years old) Lead Teacher

Job Title: Primary Lead Teacher 

Reports to:  Director of Montessori Education, Executive Director 

Location: Creative Montessori School 

Position Type: Full-Time 

Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 3:00pm

Grade Levels: Ages 3-6 Years 

School History: 

Founded in 1968 by Barbara R. Spitzer as a private, non-profit school, CMS has served as a model for the education community in Birmingham for over 50 years. CMS enrolls 250 students at the toddler, primary, elementary, and adolescent levels (18 months through 8th Grade) on a two-acre campus located in the center of Homewood. The campus houses four modern buildings surrounding a central, spacious outdoor environment. The classroom environments themselves are large, well-lit, well equipped with Montessori materials, and open to the outdoors. The school is supported by a vested not-for-profit board and an operating budget of over 2.5 million dollars. 

Convenient to both downtown Birmingham and over-the-mountain suburbs, CMS draws from 21 zip codes throughout the metropolitan area. CMS offers its students an unparalleled private school education in a warm, safe, and loving atmosphere where the focus is on the individual child. 

CMS faithfully endorses and follows the Montessori Method to fulfill its mission and is accredited with the American Montessori Society. Their mission, coupled with a tradition of encouraging and sustaining diversity and equity, has long been a source of pride and strength. 

Mission Statement: 

Creative Montessori School provides an authentic Montessori environment that empowers children to discover their own unique potential to shape their future and transform the world around them. 

Job Description:  

Attention early childhood professionals! Are you ready to join a community of individualized and joyful learning? 

We are in search of early childhood professionals to join our supportive and vibrant community of Montessori educators in the Primary program, serving students from 3 to 6 years old. We value teachers as mentors, guides, and partners. Teachers are given the freedom to follow the child, lead them to big work, and utilize the many resources in the community to expand their learning. The ideal candidate is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and diverse learning community.   

Responsibilities: 

• Plan, prepare, and implement engaging Montessori lessons tailored to individual student needs. 
• Create and maintain a prepared Montessori environment that supports self-directed learning. 
• Guide students in academic, social, and emotional development. 
• Observes all rules and regulations at CMS and local, state, or national regulatory agencies pertaining to the health, safety, and care of children 
• Observe and assess student progress, providing individualized support and feedback. 
• Foster a respectful, inclusive, and supportive classroom culture. 
• Collaborate with fellow teachers, administrators, and parents to support student growth. 
• Maintain accurate records and communicate regularly with parents about student progress. 
• Uphold the Montessori philosophy and school values in all interactions. 
• Complete all professional development requirements in a timely manner.   
• Attend all required faculty and team meetings 
• Participate in before care, lunch, recess, and/or carline coverage, and parent education nights as assigned 
• Maintain and participate in home/school partnership by being open to consistent communication 
• The physical requirements of this position include but are not limited to picking up and carrying a child of a minimum of 50 pounds, and mobility necessary to reach a child quickly in an emergency.  

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree required (Degree in Education or a related field preferred) 
• Montessori certification (AMS/AMI/or other MACTE accredited program) for Early Childhood (3-6) required 
• Previous experience in a Montessori classroom or early childhood education  
• Strong classroom management and organizational skills 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities 
• Passion for working with children and a commitment to their holistic development 

Benefits include: 

Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications. 

• Professional development opportunities. 
• Tuition discount for your children 
• Free lunch for staff members 
• Percentage towards Health and dental insurance, 401k match, short-term/long-term disability, paid time off 
• Opportunities for growth within a well-established Montessori program. 

CMS staff members also enjoy: 

• Supportive families and strong school culture 
• Beautiful campus with large classrooms and natural lighting 
• Opportunities for summer employment 
• Small class sizes 
• Joyful, supportive, and fun co-workers 

Our Montessori school strives to be an intentionally diverse community, comprised of people of different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities, family structures, sexual orientations, racial identities, national origins, religions, and abilities. Our hiring practices reflect this philosophy. 

Job Type: Full-time