Handwork Teacher

Tahoe Truckee Waldorf-Inspired; Truckee (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick leave

Tuition remission

Hourly wage $25–$50 DOE

Job summary

Wild River School in Truckee, California, seeks a skilled Handwork Teacher to guide grades 1–8 through knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, and sewing on our 40-acre forest campus. You will teach a developmentally appropriate progression and collaborate with class teachers to connect handwork to the broader curriculum.

This position reports to the Head of School and runs about 14 hours per week, with a focus on nurtured skill, independence, and a living relationship to materials.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated handwork across grades 1–8 at a teaching level.
• Genuine interest in Waldorf education and its child development philosophy.
• Experience with children in educational or craft settings.
• Ability to collaborate within a faculty community.
• Strong communication with children, colleagues, and families.

Responsibilities

• Instruct a developmental progression of fiber arts and needle crafts across grades.
• Plan lessons, choose projects, and teach developmentally appropriate classes.
• Collaborate with class teachers to connect handwork to the broader curriculum.
• Prepare and maintain materials and a tidy handwork space.
• Attend faculty meetings and school events; participate in student displays.

Skills

Handwork skills

Knitting

Crocheting

Sewing

Weaving

Waldorf education

Education

Waldorf teacher training

Job description

The Opportunity

Wild River School seeks a skilled and inspired Handwork Teacher to bring the transformative power of making to children in grades 1–8 on our beautiful 40-acre forest campus in Truckee, California. This is a rare opportunity to teach children that their hands are instruments of intelligence and that knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, and sewing are not just crafts but profound practices that develop will, patience, fine motor skill, and a living relationship to the material world.

On our forested campus in the Sierra Nevada, the materials of your classroom connect naturally to the world just outside the door and offer the opportunity for fiber from animals, dyes from plants, and craft traditions carried across cultures and time. This role is for someone who understands that handwork is not an extra in a Waldorf classroom but is central to healthy child development. Genuine interest in and commitment to Waldorf education principles is essential.

Position Overview

The Handwork Teacher will teach handwork throughout the week to class combinations in grades 1–7, delivering developmentally appropriate lessons to each group throughout the school year. The position includes 8 instructional periods per week plus planning and meeting time, for an average of 14 hours per week. The teacher guides students through a carefully sequenced progression of fiber arts and needle crafts that meets the developmental stage of each grade, and collaborates with class teachers to deepen and connect handwork to the broader curriculum. This position reports to the Head of School.

Primary Responsibilities

The handwork teacher instructs students in a developmental progression of fiber arts and needle crafts across the grades, which may include:

• Knitting
• Crocheting
• Hand spinning
• Weaving
• Sewing and hand-stitching
• Cross-stitch and embroidery
• Doll making
• Garment and pattern making
• Other grade-appropriate crafts

Instructional Responsibilities

• Choose projects, plan lessons, and teach classes that are developmentally appropriate and follow Waldorf pedagogy and Steiner's indications for handwork across the grades
• Guide students through a progression that builds skill, independence, and self-confidence year over year
• Work with students across a range of learning styles and skill levels, meeting each child where they are
• Hold class groups as a cohesive whole while differentiating support as needed
• Collaborate with class teachers to connect handwork to the broader curriculum and class themes
• Integrate artistic and seasonal elements into the handwork program
• Prepare and maintain materials, supplies, and a beautiful, orderly handwork space
• Attend and display student work at the annual Display of the Arts evening

Faculty Responsibilities

• Attend weekly faculty meetings and scheduled in-service days
• Attend back-to-school night, seasonal festivals, and other all-faculty events
• Host or participate in parent evenings to share the handwork program
• Write student end-of-year reports
• Engage in ongoing study of anthroposophy and Waldorf pedagogy
• Actively seek and participate in continuing education, workshops, and professional development opportunities
• Build healthy, positive relationships with parents and the parent community

Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated skill in handwork—knitting, crocheting, sewing, and/or weaving at a level sufficient to teach across grades 1–8
• Genuine interest in and commitment to Waldorf education and its philosophy of child development
• Experience working with children in educational or craft settings
• Ability to work collaboratively within a faculty community
• Strong communication skills with children, colleagues, and families

Preferred

• Waldorf teacher training or equivalent handwork specialty training
• Experience in a Waldorf school setting
• Familiarity with Steiner's indications for handwork across the grades
• Experience teaching multi-grade groups

Physical Demands

• Ability to sit, stand, demonstrate, and move between student workstations throughout the class period
• Ability to lift and carry materials and supplies (up to 30 lbs)
• Fine motor dexterity to demonstrate handwork techniques
• Ability to work outdoors in various weather conditions typical of the Sierra Nevada

Compensation and Benefits

• Hourly range $25 - $50 DOE
• Paid sick leave
• Tuition remission

About Us

We a community-anchored, independent Waldorf inspired program offering preschool (Little Gems) and elementary age (Wild River) programs. We strive to model independent thinking, creativity, and problem solving that serves as a firm foundation for creating a healthy social and natural world. Our program for children aged 3 months to age 14 strives to create opportunities that are WIDER, WILDER, and WONDER-FILLED.

We aim to serve families seeking a developmentally appropriate, experiential, and academically rigorous approach to education. Our heart is in educating the whole child, by providing wider opportunities, wilder experiences, and wonder-filled days. Wild River and Little Gems utilize Waldorf pedagogy, where we honor the child's natural phases of learning, encourage deep relationship building with peers and teachers, ignite and inspire imaginations, and strive to develop independent and ethical thinkers.

Join us in an organization where children flourish, teachers thrive, and mission matters!

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. TTW does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of age, actual or perceived race, actual or perceived gender, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. TTW complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure equal access to all qualified individuals with a disability.