Reggio Guide

Help us build a studio where 4–7 year olds discover the world on their own terms — through wonder, materials, and a hundred languages.

Spark
Ages 4.5–7

Full-time
School year

Competitive
Based on experience

Dublin, OH
In-person

Our Spark Studio (ages 4.5–7) draws deeply on the Reggio Emilia tradition: children as protagonists of their own learning, the environment as the third teacher, and a fierce respect for the many ways a child can express what they know.

We’re looking for a guide who lives this philosophy — someone who can prepare a thoughtful, beautiful environment, document the work that emerges, and let children’s questions shape the days. You won’t deliver curriculum. You’ll watch closely, listen carefully, and build alongside them.

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The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages, a hundred hands, a hundred thoughts, a hundred ways of thinking, of playing, of speaking.

“ The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages, a hundred hands, a hundred thoughts, a hundred ways of thinking, of playing, of speaking. Loris Malaguzzi
· Founder, Reggio Emilia Approach

• Design and tend the prepared environment — intentional materials, beautiful spaces, and provocations that invite deep exploration.
• Observe and document children’s thinking, conversations, and creations. Use that documentation to inform what comes next.
• Support emergent, project-based work that follows children’s genuine curiosity — not a pre-set curriculum.
• Hold the rhythm of the studio with warmth, consistency, and respect for each learner’s pace.
• Ask questions instead of giving answers. Trust learners to wrestle with hard things and figure them out.
• Partner with parents through regular communication, documentation, and learner-led conferences.
• Collaborate closely with our other Spark guides — planning, debriefing, and growing together.

• Meaningful experience with the Reggio Emilia approach — whether through formal training, a Reggio-inspired program, or deep self-study.
• You’ve worked with young children (ages 4–7) and you genuinely enjoy them.
• You see children as competent, capable, and full of ideas — not as empty vessels to be filled.
• You’re a careful observer and a thoughtful documenter. Notes, photos, sketches, transcripts of conversations — the small details matter to you.
• You’re comfortable with emergent curriculum and uncomfortable with worksheets, grades, or rigid schedules.
• Familiarity with Montessori 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.

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 structure 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.