Assistant Teacher

Fáilte Academy; United States; On-site; USD 21,000 - 28,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick days

Paid school holidays

Small cohort of students

Mentorship and coaching from Floortime

Job summary

Fáilte Academy seeks an Assistant Teacher for the 2026-27 school year in Bryn Mawr, PA. The role is part-time, on site, and pays $15–$20 per hour based on experience and training.

You’ll join a four-adult teaching team supporting 1–15 students in grades 1–6, with a strong emphasis on Floortime and relationship-based education. You’ll work 9–2, five days a week, with mentorship from the founder and lead teacher.

Qualifications

• Experience with neurodivergent children in supportive roles.
• Comfort with non-traditional education approaches.
• Ability to regulate self and remain calm in challenging moments.
• Strong relationship-building with students and families.

Responsibilities

• Support daily instruction across literacy, math, history, science, and arts.
• Work one-on-one and in small groups with students.
• Apply Floortime principles to follow each child's lead.
• Maintain a calm daily rhythm with smooth transitions.
• Contribute observations for progress reports and family communication.
• Participate in team planning and student support meetings.

Skills

Special needs experience

Alternative education

Regulation ability

Relationship-based approach

Consistent schedule

No degree required

Job description

Salary $15-20 per hour (USD) based on years of experience and specialized training

Team Faculty

Reports to & Collaborates closely with Founder & Lead Teacher

Start Date: August 2026

This role has no specific closing date. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

About Fáilte Academy

Fáilte (fall-cha) is the Gaelic word for welcome and joy, and that's our promise. Fáilte Academy is a small nonprofit microschool in Bryn Mawr serving up to 15 neurodivergent, twice-exceptional, and creative children in grades 1–6, many of whom haven't belonged in other schools or have experienced school trauma. Our work is grounded in Dr. Stanley Greenspan's Floortime model and blends Waldorf-inspired philosophy with modern, evidence-based literacy instruction. We don't use grades, tests, or forced participation. Children are invited to learn and they do. Fáilte is recognized by the Vela Education Fund and featured in Main Line Parent.

Fáilte Academy is not an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) program and does not use ABA-based methods. Our practice is relationship-based and developmental: we follow each child's lead, prioritize genuine connection and emotional regulation, and do not use compliance-based or reinforcement-schedule approaches to shape behavior.

What This Work Actually Asks of You

Assistant Teacher:2026-27 School Year

Employment Type Part time

Location On site · Bryn Mawr, PA (Philadelphia area)

Salary $15-20 per hour (USD) based on years of experience and specialized training

Team Faculty

Reports to & Collaborates closely with Founder & Lead Teacher

Start Date: August 2026

This role has no specific closing date. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

About Fáilte Academy

Fáilte (fall-cha) is the Gaelic word for welcome and joy, and that's our promise. Fáilte Academy is a small nonprofit microschool in Bryn Mawr serving up to 15 neurodivergent, twice-exceptional, and creative children in grades 1–6, many of whom haven't belonged in other schools or have experienced school trauma. Our work is grounded in Dr. Stanley Greenspan's Floortime model and blends Waldorf-inspired philosophy with modern, evidence-based literacy instruction. We don't use grades, tests, or forced participation. Children are invited to learn and they do. Fáilte is recognized by the Vela Education Fund and featured in Main Line Parent.

Fáilte Academy is not an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) program and does not use ABA-based methods. Our practice is relationship-based and developmental: we follow each child's lead, prioritize genuine connection and emotional regulation, and do not use compliance-based or reinforcement-schedule approaches to shape behavior.

What This Work Actually Asks of You

We want you to know exactly what this job is before you apply, not after.

Many of our students carry real trauma from earlier school experiences, and many have a PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Persistent Drive for Autonomy) profile, where ordinary requests can trigger a fight, flight, or shutdown response. On a given day, that might look like a child removing their clothes because their body is overwhelmed, a child throwing something across the room because a demand felt like too much, or a child working hard to disrupt the whole group because they didn't get what they wanted. There are days when the lesson plan doesn't happen at all, because staying calm and present while a child cannot is the most important work we do.

And then there are the other days: a child who hasn't trusted an adult in years choosing to sit next to you, a reader who couldn't sit still in September finishing their first chapter book by spring, a room full of kids working quietly on something they chose for themselves. Both kinds of days are real, and neither cancels the other out.

You don't do this alone. We are a tight-knit, four-adult team, and we co-regulate and problem-solve together, the same way we ask our students to. As the assistant teacher, you're never the only adult figuring out a hard moment, the rest of the teaching team is right there with you. If the hard days sound like more than you want to take on, this isn't the right role, and that's a completely fine answer. If they sound like the work you got into this field to do, keep reading.

Position Summary

Fáilte Academy seeks an Assistant Teacher to join a four-adult teaching team — the founder, lead teacher, assistant teacher, and you — sharing a single mixed-age classroom of 1-15 students in grades 1–6. You'll work five days a week, 9–2, supporting instruction and regulation across literacy, math, history, science, handwork, art, music, movement, and outdoor time. This role leans more into in-the-moment, one-on-one and small-group work with kids than curriculum design and lessons. You'll be a steady, familiar presence students can count on every day, working under the direction of the lead teacher and founder while bringing your own warmth and calm to the child in front of you.

You’ll be the right person for this job if

• Special needs experience. You have real, hands-on experience with neurodivergent children: as a classroom aide, paraprofessional, camp counselor, nanny, or in a clinical or therapeutic setting.
• Alternative education mindset. You're genuinely comfortable with unconventional education: no grades, no tests, no forced participation, either because you've worked in a setting like this before, or because you've thought hard about why traditional schooling doesn't work for the kids you care about.
• Regulation ability. You know your own nervous system well enough to stay calm and grounded when a child cannot. You can be the steady adult in a moment that's escalating, without escalating yourself.
• You see a struggling child where others see a defiant one. You understand that “won't” almost always means “can't right now”.
• You believe connection comes before curriculum, and that children learn best when they feel safe and respected.
• You can commit to a consistent, reliable schedule, our students count on the same faces every day
• No degree is required for this role, we're hiring for experience and temperament, not credentials

Responsibilities

• Support daily instruction across literacy, math, history, science, handwork, art, music, movement, and outdoor time, under the direction of the lead teacher and founder
• Work one-on-one and in small groups with students on activities laid out by teachers
• Apply Dr. Stanley Greenspan's Floortime model to follow each child's lead, support emotional regulation, and invite engagement instead of demanding it
• Help hold a calm, predictable daily rhythm, including transitions, movement breaks, and outdoor time
• Build authentic, trusting relationships with every student in the cohort
• Prepare materials and help maintain the classroom environment
• Contribute observations to the lead teacher and founder to support narrative progress reports and family communication
• Participate in team planning and student support meetings
• Fulfill other responsibilities as assigned by the founder or lead teacher

Preferred experience

Any combination of the following is welcome. We hire for fit, not for a checklist.

• Training or familiarity with Dr. Stanley Greenspan's Floortime model
• Experience as a paraprofessional, classroom aide, or one-on-one aide
• Background as an OT, SLP, or related-services provider
• Coursework or a degree in progress in education, special education, or psychology
• Camp counselor, childcare, or coaching experience with neurodivergent kids
• Exposure to Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, or other Science of Reading approaches
• Waldorf experience or interest, and/or skill with handwork, music, art, baking, or outdoor education

What You’ll Benefit From

• $15–$20/hour
• Paid sick days
• Paid school holidays
• A small cohort of students within a four-adult teaching team — you'll get to know every child
• Ongoing mentorship and coaching from a Floortime Specialist founder and an experienced lead teacher
• The supplies and support you need to do this work well
• Room to grow with a 501(c)(3) microschool as it expands, including toward a full time position over time

As a small nonprofit, Fáilte Academy does not currently offer health insurance or retirement benefits. We are transparent about that up front so candidates can make informed decisions.

Required Clearances

PA Act 34, Act 151, and FBI Act 114 child abuse clearances current or obtainable before start date. Mandated reporter training completed before start.

Fáilte Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants from non-traditional teaching backgrounds are warmly encouraged to apply.