Preschool Teacher

First Friends Preschool is a small, relationship-centered preschool community in Fairfax, California.

Our approach blends emergent, Reggio Emilia-inspired practices with a strong emphasis on play,

social-emotional development, independence, collaboration, and respect for each child as a capable

learner. We are looking for a warm, grounded, collaborative teacher who genuinely enjoys being with

young children and wants to be part of a thoughtful and supportive teaching team.

Our teachers create a safe, joyful, engaging environment for children ages 2-5. The ideal candidate is

responsive to children, comfortable working as part of a team, and excited to contribute ideas while

remaining flexible as children's interests and classroom needs evolve.

We are looking for the right person for our community more than a particular resume. We welcome

candidates with different levels of experience who bring warmth, curiosity, professionalism, and a

collaborative spirit to their work with children.

• Build warm, trusting relationships with children and families.
• Support children's social-emotional development, independence, self-regulation, and problem-solving through responsive guidance and co-regulation.
• Engage meaningfully in children's play and help create an environment that encourages curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and exploration.
• Collaborate with the teaching team to develop emergent curriculum, invitations to play, small-group experiences, and classroom materials based on children's interests and developmental needs.
• Maintain active supervision and support children's health, safety, toileting, meals, rest, transitions, and daily routines.
• Observe and document children's learning and development and contribute to classroom and family communication.
• Communicate respectfully and professionally with families and colleagues.
• Participate in classroom setup, cleanup, preparation, staff meetings, professional development, and other responsibilities that support the daily operation of the school.
• Follow First Friends policies and all applicable California Community Care Licensing requirements.

• A genuine love of working with young children and an understanding that play is central to early learning.
• A warm, calm, respectful approach to guidance and behavior support.
• Strong communication, collaboration, reliability, and flexibility.
• Interest in child-centered, emergent, Reggio Emilia-inspired, or other developmentally appropriate early childhood practices.
• Ability to work actively on the floor and outdoors with young children and participate fully in the physical routines of a preschool classroom.
• Experience in early childhood education is valued, but we are especially interested in finding the right fit for our school community.

Candidates must meet position qualifications as defined by California Community Care Licensing Title 22 regulations and complete or maintain all requirements applicable to the role, including:

• Complete required fingerprinting and obtain criminal record clearances through both the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) prior to the first day of work.
• Maintain current Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification
• Complete required Mandated Reporter Training and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training,
• Complete Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training and required annual renewal.
• Provide required health documentation, including a physician's report, TB clearance, and required immunization records or applicable documentation.
• Provide required identity and employment documentation, including a valid driver's license, passport, or other applicable identification.
• Maintain all required certifications, clearances, training, and personnel documentation throughout employment.
• Paid time off during scheduled school holiday closure breaks. About 5 weeks plus all bank holidays.
• Healthcare stipend for full-time employees.
• 40 hours of sick time.
• Paid professional development and training.
• A warm, supportive, and collaborative teaching community.