Co-Lead or Assistant Guide

Co-Lead Primary Montessori Guide – The Garden Progressive Montessori – Charlotte, North Carolina

We're a Montessori school, but we're not that Montessori school. We don't have a lot of rules about keeping your voice down, but we do have a lot of opinions about developmentally appropriate education and getting kids outside. If you are a lifelong learner, patient, flexible and adaptable and you believe that children deserve to be treated with respect and really seen for the magic they bring to the world, you'll fit right in here.

The Garden Progressive Montessori is a school where children are free to learn indoors or out, following their curiosity through the environment we've built with them in mind. We're a small, close-knit community with a low-drama, high-collaboration culture. Everyone pitches in. Nobody here is above cleaning up a potty accident or taking out the trash.

You’ll be co‑leading a Primary (3‑6) classroom alongside another trained guide, which means you get a genuine thought partner and someone to back you up when a child has decided today is the day they will only communicate through animal sounds. You’ll prepare a beautiful, well‑tended environment, observe and follow children’s developmental needs, build relationships with families, and contribute to a community that takes its work seriously without taking itself too seriously.

Ideally, you hold a Montessori Primary credential and have classroom experience. That said, if you’re deeply aligned with Montessori philosophy and ready to pursue training, we’re open to that conversation. You could start out as an assistant and develop your skills together until you’re ready to take on the role of lead guide. What we’re not flexible on is disposition: we need someone who is authentic, calm, and genuinely okay with mud.

• Love being outside and don't consider rainfall a valid reason to cancel anything.
• Thrive in a collaborative environment and find drama exhausting.
• Believe children are capable and interesting, not problems to be managed.
• Can hold a prepared environment and a sense of humor at the same time.
• Are willing to participate in, or at minimum, enthusiastically spectate staff karaoke night.

We are closed on Fridays. Summers are optional. We strive for a culture that supports people doing their best work without burning out. We know this work requires time outside of the classroom to plan, record, prepare and grow into our potential.

We’ve been at this since 2012 and have grown into a small network of schools serving children from infancy through elementary age. Small enough that you’ll know everyone. Established enough that we know what we’re doing and backed by an untold history of success.

We believe in transparency. Please refer to the compensation and benefits overview for full details.

Send us a note that tells us who you are and why this sounds like your kind of place. A resume is great. A cover letter that sounds like you wrote it (not an AI bot) is a bonus.

Questions? Reach out to Ellen Graham at  or .