Montessori Guide

What you’d do

Our Spark Studio (ages 4.5–7) is built on the Montessori tradition: a carefully prepared environment, a long uninterrupted work period, and a deep trust that children will choose meaningful work when the materials and the freedom are right.

We’re looking for a trained Montessori guide who can hold that environment with calm and precision — someone who gives clear, unhurried lessons, protects concentration when it appears, and steps back so the child can do it for themselves. You won’t stand at the front of the room. You’ll observe, present, and get out of the way.

• Prepare and maintain the environment — a complete set of Montessori materials across practical life, sensorial, language, math, and culture, kept orderly, beautiful, and ready each morning.
• Give individual and small-group lessons, then track each child’s progression so the next lesson comes at the right moment.
• Protect the uninterrupted work period. Notice concentration when it appears and defend it.
• Observe daily and keep clear records — what each child chose, repeated, mastered, or avoided — and let those records guide your presentations.
• Model grace and courtesy, and hold the ground rules of the studio with warmth and consistency.
• Ask questions instead of giving answers. Trust learners to wrestle with hard things and figure them out.
• Partner with parents through regular communication, observation notes, and learner-led conferences.
• Collaborate closely with our other Spark guides — planning, debriefing, and growing together.

What we’re looking for

• A Montessori credential — or you’re currently completing one.
• You’ve guided a Children’s House or primary classroom and know the materials and the albums well.
• You see children as capable and drawn to real work — not as empty vessels to be filled.
• You’re a patient observer. You can sit still, watch, and resist the urge to correct.
• You keep careful records and use them. A child’s progression through the materials is something you can describe from memory.
• You’re at home with mixed ages, self-chosen work, and long stretches without an adult at the center — and uncomfortable with worksheets, grades, or rigid schedules.
• Familiarity with Reggio Emilia is a plus — we blend the two thoughtfully in Spark.
• You communicate clearly with adults too — parents, colleagues, and our leadership team.
• A Bachelor’s or higher in Early Childhood Education, Education, or a related field is a plus.

A different kind of school.

Acton Academy Columbus is an independent microschool in Dublin, Ohio. Our learners — we call them Eagles — take ownership of their own education through hands-on quests, Socratic discussions, and real-world challenges. No grades. No tests. No worksheets. Just curious children, intentional adults, and the work of becoming.

In Spark, our youngest learners (4.5–7) work in a blended Montessori-and-Reggio environment. We believe these two traditions sharpen each other: Montessori’s prepared environment and respect for independence; Reggio’s wonder, beauty, and the hundred languages.

If you’ve been waiting for a school that takes early childhood seriously — and a team that takes you seriously — we’d love to meet you.

Pay: $47,000.00 - $50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule

Work Location: In person