Preschool Teacher

Seedlings Playschool is seeking a warm, grounded Preschool Teacher to join our play-based, Reggio-inspired, emergent curriculum program in Northeast Portland.

At Seedlings, we believe childhood is a time to be cherished, not rushed. We honor young children as whole people — capable, curious, creative, and worthy of deep respect. Our days are full of wonder: messy art, muddy boots, deep play, big emotions, and real relationships. We spend lots of time outdoors, embrace process over product, and trust children to lead their own learning.

At a glance

• Pay: $20–$25/hour
• Schedule: Full-time - 40 hours/week ;
• Age group: 2-5 year old, mixed-age classroom
• Location: 432 NE Dekum St
• Benefits: health insurance, matching 401(k), paid time off, paid holidays, planning time, paid training & professional development support
• Paid breaks/closures: >30 days of paid holidays per year, in total

The role

You’ll spend your days:

• Creating a nurturing environment: Maintain a safe, inviting, well-prepared space that supports exploration indoors and outdoors.
• Supporting child-led learning: Observe children closely and extend their interests through an emergent curriculum approach.
• Honoring play as serious learning: Provide rich opportunities for messy, noisy, joyful play and meaningful work.
• Supporting emotional development: Co-regulate with patience and empathy; help children practice problem-solving, boundaries, and community care (instead of adult-imposed solutions).
• Collaborating with families and teammates: Communicate clearly and respectfully to support a strong classroom community.
• Engaging in reflective practice: Participate in training, professional development, and ongoing growth alongside our team.

What it’s like to work here

At Seedlings, we offer:

• A supportive, collaborative team
• A warm community that values relationships and professionalism
• Paid training and planning time and professional development support
• Competitive pay with opportunities for growth
• Matching 401(k)
• Healthcare benefits for full-time employees
• Paid holiday breaks (over 30 days per year, total)

Who we’re hoping to meet

We’re looking for a teacher who shares our heart and vision — someone who:

• Truly sees and honors each child as an individual
• Has a flexible, growth mindset, and ability to solve problems and meet the ever-changing needs of 2-5 year olds
• Ability and confidence to work on a collaborative team that autonomously establishes and evolves its own classroom routines and environments, to meet the needs of the children in the classroom
• Values connection over control
• Finds joy in messy, active play and outdoor days
• Is patient, grounded, playful, and collaborative
• Enjoys observing children’s interests and extending learning through materials and experiences
• Wants to grow with a small team and contribute to an environment built on trust and respect
• Believes that PLAY IS LEARNING in early childhood. Believes in truly child-led play.

Requirements

• Experience working with toddlers and preschool-aged children (2–5 years)
• Alignment with Reggio-inspired, play-based, or emergent curriculum approaches

(If you’re newer to working in the specific philosophies we practice but you feel aligned with play-based and child-centered practice, we still encourage you to apply.)

• CPR/First Aid and required safety set trainings (or willingness to obtain)
• Oregon Central Background Registry active enrollment

We can’t wait to meet you.

Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $20.00–$25.00 per hour
Work Location: In person

Pay: $20.00 - $25.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Application Question(s):

• Imagine you've communicated to a child that something isn't safe or isn't working for the group, and they continue doing it. What do you think is usually going on for the child? What are your next steps?
• Describe a specific time when two children in your classroom had a conflict with one another. What did you do and say? What happened?
• At pick up, a parent asks "What did my child learn today?" You recall that in the morning, this child was scooping mud into buckets and moving it to a different part of the yard. And in the afternoon, the child was lining up cars and also watching older children build with blocks.

What do you say to their parent?

• At Seedlings, we believe in hiring confident and highly skilled educators who can work collaboratively as a team to meet the ever-changing needs of the children in our classroom. Our teachers are empowered to establish and continuously evolve classroom routines and environments. Teaching teams make decisions together, guided by our shared philosophy and practices rather than top-down direction. Tell about a time when you’ve made changes in your classroom to meet the needs of the children in your care, and share what appeals to you about working this way and what might be challenging.
• Are you enrolled and active in the Oregon Central Background Registry? If so, please provide your registry number.

Work Location: In person