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Lab School Early Childhood

About the Department

At the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, students in Nursery through Grade 12 experience a world-class educational journey. Founded in 1896 by John Dewey as a place for educators to develop and explore novel approaches to pedagogy and curriculum, Lab continues to provide excitement and imagination in learning to this day. Academic rigor, experiential learning, and intellectual discourse are hallmarks of a Lab education. Lab educators are recognized for excellence in teaching and pride themselves on innovation in the classroom. Students in every grade have access to unparalleled resources, and all members of the Lab community benefit by partnerships and connections with the University of Chicago. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity. No less than scholarship, Lab\'s mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness. We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab\'s student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes. Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members\' identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community. Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of color, LGBTQ+ identified candidates, candidates from historically marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds, and candidates with a demonstrated commitment to a deepening diversity, equity, and inclusion practice. In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment.

Job Information

Job Summary:

The Laboratory School seeks an experienced and reflective Nursery/Kindergarten teacher to join a vibrant professional community of early childhood educators. Candidates should bring a fascination with and strong developmental understanding of the early childhood years, progressive education and the Reggio Emilia approach. The ideal candidate has experience with and commitment to developing emergent curriculum in collaboration with children and colleagues, and a desire to learn and evolve.

The Laboratory School\'s Early Childhood program is committed to child-centered learning based on careful observation and documentation of children\'s work and play, and grounded in caring and respectful relationships among children, teachers, and families. We are seeking an early childhood teacher with a minimum of 3 years of early childhood classroom teaching experience who is currently teaching in a classroom of dive se learners. The ideal candidate has experience with universal design for learning and culturally responsive and restorative practices.

The candidate should have experience building effective communication and trusting relationships with families, and the ability to work in a collaborative environment that values multiple perspectives. The individual should also demonstrate an understanding of the critical role of the environment and materials in the formation and expression of children\'s thinking and understanding of their world. Commitment to cultivating an inclusive environment that respects and honors the stories, experiences, and identities of all community members is essential.

Nursery/Kindergarten homeroom teachers receive direction and support from the division Principal and administrative team. Full-time teachers are expected to work a 40-hour week and the required number of days as stipulated in the Faculty Association contract. All teachers are expected to perform in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Responsibilities:

Establish a caring classroom community and a nurturing and stimulating environment where children develop a deep sense of purpose and ownership.

Support children\'s social and emotional learning through respectful and developmentally appropriate practices that foster an attitude o