Waldorf Teacher (Grades)
Position: Full-Time Waldorf Grades Teacher / Curriculum Developer
Type: Employee (W-2)
Location: Puyallup, WA (In-Person) – Candidate must live within driving distance or be willing to relocate (no relocation assistance provided).
Hours: 40 Hours a Week - 4-5 hours/day teaching (on-site) + 3-4 hours/day lesson planning, curriculum development time (remote)
Compensation: Pay negotiable + 5% commission on curriculum sales once completed (perpetual royalties).
Company Overview:
Wondergarten is a unique, Waldorf-inspired in-home preschool and early education program, now expanding to include 1st grade. We are seeking a passionate, experienced Waldorf-certified teacher with at least three years of experience to help build and own the entire grade program from the ground up. This role offers the chance to craft a 1st-grade curriculum that integrates Wondergarten’s original songs, stories, and characters with Waldorf educational principles, guiding students through their entire grade school journey.
Philosophical Alignment:
At Wondergarten, we follow a whole-child approach based on four essential pillars: goodness, beauty, truth, and wellness. As the grades teacher, you will be expected to integrate these principles into your teaching and daily conduct:
- Goodness for the Heart: Fostering virtuous character through kindness, compassion, respect, and building meaningful relationships.
- Beauty for the Soul: Creating an environment that inspires awe and wonder through storytelling, art, and music, engaging children’s imaginations.
- Truth for the Mind: Guiding children to seek truth through learning, problem-solving, and understanding the world around them.
- Wellness for the Body: Promoting physical health and vitality through movement, nutrition, and balance in daily life.
You will be responsible for cultivating the whole child—emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and physically—and helping them flourish as individuals who are ready to meet and transform the world. You will also respect the natural seasons of childhood, following a developmentally appropriate approach based on Waldorf’s seven-year cycles, nurturing their hearts with goodness in the early years, their souls with beauty in middle childhood, and their minds with truth as they grow older.
Key Responsibilities:
Building the Program:
- Take full ownership of developing the grade program from the ground up, including selecting furniture, supplies, and resources for the classroom.
- Build a cohesive 1st-grade curriculum based on Waldorf traditions and Wondergarten’s early childhood content, integrating goodness, beauty, truth, and wellness into every lesson.
- Stay with the class ideally through the full eight-year cycle, creating a pioneering grades department.
- Plan and lead festivals, ceremonies, and traditions inspired by the Waldorf educational framework, while bringing flexibility and adaptation to suit modern values and Wondergarten’s unique approach.
Teaching:
- Teach 1st-grade classes for 4-5 hours per day, incorporating goodness, beauty, truth, and wellness into every aspect of the learning experience.
- Create a nurturing, creative learning environment in a home setting, which requires flexibility and respect for the uniqueness of the space compared to a formal school facility.
- Guide children in their social, emotional, and imaginative development, fostering the whole child through storytelling, nature exploration, art, music, and movement.
- Collaborate closely with parents, keeping them informed about their child’s progress and overall well-being.
Curriculum Development:
- Build a comprehensive 1st-grade curriculum that will grow into the following grades, blending Waldorf traditions with Wondergarten’s original content.
- Develop lesson plans and assessments that align with the philosophical framework, nurturing the heart, soul, mind, and body.
- Assist in adapting the curriculum for home-school programs and educational product sales, with commission opportunities for completed curriculum work.
Key Benefits:
- Receive perpetual 5% commission on curriculum sales once developed and distributed.
- Play a foundational role in shaping the future of Wondergarten’s education program and be part of an innovative, mission-driven team.
- Competitive pay with room for negotiation due to our small startup nature (no benefits package provided).
Qualifications:
- Waldorf Teacher Certification required.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience teaching in a Waldorf school or similar setting.
- Passion for crafting a grade program from the ground up, not just stepping into an existing classroom.
- Expertise in Waldorf education principles and flexibility to adapt them for modern needs and values.
- Enthusiasm for bringing a blend of storytelling, music, nature-based learning, and creative teaching methods to life.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with leadership, parents, and children.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with Waldorf homeschooling or interest in developing homeschool products.
- Familiarity with Waldorf-inspired characters and stories, with a willingness to integrate them into new content.
- Knowledge of early childhood and elementary teaching techniques that foster holistic development, creativity, and adaptability to today’s society and values.