Infant Teacher Treehouse: Forest Garden School Milwaukie

Who We Are: The Treehouse: a Forest Garden School is a Waldorf inspired program that holds a unique balance of being a certified Center through the Early Learning Division with beautiful indoor classrooms, while operating more as a Forest School, with our Saplings and Oaks being in our outdoor classroom for the majority of our school day. We are a place where children learn to love themselves, others, and the earth as we engage the head, heart, and hands of each child.

Our Acorn class (Infant - 23months) follows RIE principals and has a lovely "Little's Garden" attached to their indoor classroom so our youngest students get ample outside time as well.

We offer a fruitful nature-based curriculum and an immersive outdoor experience in our budding Forest Garden on our 1/3 acre. Students enjoy natural & handmade toys, daily activities of yoga, painting, finger plays, music and gardening.

We serve 6 weeks - 6 year olds:
Infants, Toddlers, Preschool and Kindergarten.

Compensation :

• 40 hrs Paid Time Off + 2 Weeks during the Summer.
• All Co-teachers and Lead Teachers are salaried, receiving 23 paid days off a school year.
• $50/monthly Health Reimbursement (most often goes towards your healthcare premium).
• $100/annual Gear Reimbursement.
• Please see our current Staff Pay Brackets for a breakdown ('25-'26 rates are yet to be released).
• Lead Teachers will receive a $150 monthly bonus to be used at their discretion.
• The teacher cupboard will be stocked monthly according to teacher requests and budget approval.
• Examples:
  Free herbs, supplements, tea, vitamins, Kombucha, Elderberry Syrup.
• One week of paid Staff Development: teacher training, stress management and self awareness training.
• 50% off of tuition for employee's dependents of age 6 weeks - 6 years, if space allows in our programs. Contract still applies, as do our Financial Aid protocols. Preference given for a child to enroll in a classroom different from their parents.

Commitment :
We ask for a minimum of a 2 year commitment for Lead Teachers and 1 year for Teachers.

Part Time Infant Co-Teacher or Co-Lead (Acorn Class)

• Afternoon Teacher: 23hrs/week
• Required start:
  August 25th 2025
• Will train after being hired, during our Summer Camps - flexible timing.
• We are open to hiring either a Co-Teacher or a Co-Lead to fill this shift. Both positions must be Teacher qualified.
• Lead needs at least 2 years experience in infant care and will collaborate with the morning lead.
• This position is the school's closure. They will finish up closing duties and set the alarm each night at 5:30.

Required certificates include (may be obtained upon employment):

• Pediatric CPR and 1st Aid Certificate.
• Oregon Food Handlers Card.
• Enrollment in the Background Registry.
• Introduction to Child Care Health and Safety (ICCHS).
• Safe Sleep Training.
• Foundations for Learning.
• Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect.
• Additional RIE infant training is needed in the infant classroom and may be obtained after hiring.

Basic

Physical Requirements:

Working in early childhood education and especially working at a Forest Garden school requires specific physical abilities:

• Physical ability to lift and carry children and equipment.
• Ability to lift up to 40 lbs.
• Ability to lift or carry 13-40 pounds regularly, depending on what class you work in.
• Ability to move safely over uneven terrain.
• Ability to respond quickly to sounds.
• Ability to see and respond to dangerous situations.
• Ability to work in an all weather environment - outside for up to 8hrs (were closed for snow days and follow the wind-heat- which means we may be outside on 90+ degree days) Please highly consider if teaching at The Treehouse is the right fit for you if you are sensitive to heat or cold.
• Will be exposed to illness causing bacteria and viruses
• While we have a strict sickness policy at The Treehouse, teachers are naturally exposed to illness, especially because young children are still gaining basic hygiene skills, and infants do not possess these skills ase highly consider if teaching in early childhood is the right fit for you if you have a lower or compromised immune system as it is vital for the sustainability of our program to have staff that are not out sick…