Part Time Pre-K Teacher | Forest Fairy

Fairy Forest Preschool; Saco (ME); Hybrid; USD 25,000 - 35,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacations

Holidays off

Sick time

CDA reimbursement

Outdoor work

Co-created schedule

Job summary

Fairy Forest Preschool in a rural forest setting seeks a part-time Pre-K teacher to guide child-directed learning for ages 3-6. The role emphasizes play-based pedagogy, outdoor exploration, and strong collaboration with families and staff.

The position requires a passion for nature, reliability, and experience with young children. Applicants should be comfortable with a flexible schedule and a commitment to inclusivity in a woodland classroom.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children aged 3–6.
• Background in nature-based settings preferred.
• Ability to complete MRTQ and required trainings including Safety and CPR/First Aid.

Responsibilities

• Guide play-based learning in a woodland sanctuary setting.
• Create welcoming, inclusive spaces for families of all backgrounds.
• Engage children through outdoor, nature-rich activities and safe supervision.

Skills

Experience with young children

Nature-based settings experience

Reliable

Parent communication

Education

BA/BS in ECE, Social Services, or related field

AA/AS in ECE, Social Services, or related field

CDA or Maine credential

Job description

Forest Fairy | Part Time Pre‑K Teacher

Are you a little silly? Do you espouse a personal practice of living in the moment? Can you experience child‑like wonder? Do you want to work outdoors almost ALL of the time? Can you be reliable in your commitment to this work?
We're looking for a part‑time teacher who is willing to work between 9 and 14 hours per week and have at least one on‑call morning per week.

Fairy Forest is a Sanctuary for Childhood. We seek to provide trusted, compassionate care for children ages 3-6 while scaffolding play experiences which encourage children to climb whichever mountains they want to climb.

Our teachers function as guides who fully integrate into the culture and intersubjective realities of the classroom. We see on‑ramps for new learnings, burgeoning passions and talents and use our resources to the best of our ability to create play laboratories to allow children to dive further into their interests.

For this role we are seeking someone who has experience working with young children, preferably someone who has experience and finds joy in working with 3-6 year olds. Folks who have experience working in nature‑based settings are also preferred.

Our facility is located in a rural forest in Saco, Maine. Our buildings are domed yurts which allow staff and children to feel fully immersed in nature even when we are indoors. These are specially designed yurts that are engineered to create a safe and comfortable sanctuary for learning while providing all of the necessary tools, learning materials, and comforts of a modern teaching facility.

Childhood and the magic of play have been systemically devalued for most of modern American history as rigid pedagogies took the place of traditional tribe and community‑based childcare. We are unapologetically play based, this means no mandated writing practice, no standardized testing, no adult‑created/adult‑driven tasks or crafting projects that test children’s ability to follow rules and fall‑in‑line at the expense of deep child‑directed learning.

A cover letter expressing what led you to apply for this position is required. Please explain to us what led you to apply, how your past experiences prepare you for this position, and why you decided to get into early ed.
Please note that applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.
AI generated cover letters or AI generated resumes WILL NOT be considered.
Letters of recommendation are welcome.

A successful applicant will:

• Be reliable. Children deserve predictability and stability
• Have the well‑practiced ability to connect with their inner child
• Be a little silly
• Be unapologetically queer friendly
• Genuinely enjoy spending time with young children
• Have some sort of background working with children either in childcare, public or private school, online ed, summer camps, aftercare programs, etc. and be able to explain how that experience pertains to this opportunity
• Have confidence in their abilities
• Possess enormous patience and empathy
• Have a solid understanding of their self‑care routine necessary to support this type of work
• Confidently, effectively, and compassionately communicate with parents about their children
• Have the ability to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for families of all stripes
• Love being out in the woods
• Understand that ongoing training of at least 18 hours per year is a state mandated requirement for part‑time early childhood educators
• Have already completed or have the ability to complete Maine Roads to Quality Health and Safety Training and Mandatory Reporter training to employment
• Pass a state criminal background check prior to employment
• Have already completed or be willing to complete pediatric and adult CPR/First Aid course
• Willingness to attend monthly staff meetings
• Be passionate about creating an inclusive environment for families of all shapes, sizes, and configurations

For this position we are looking for someone who is at least a level 5 on the MRTQ career ladder. These are the requirements for level 5:

• - Have a BA/BS in ECE, Social Services, or a related field
• - Or a BA/BS with 12 credits in ECE, Social Services, or a related field, and 3 years experience
• - Or an AA/AS in ECE, Social Services, or a related field with 2 years experience
• -Or a 1 year credit Certificate in ECE, Social Services, or related field and 5 years experience
• - Or a CDA or Maine state approved credential* and 6 years experience.

Pay and Benefits:

• Fairy Forest pledges to always pay full‑time employees within the top 15% of the national pay range for early childhood educators.
• Fairy Forest is committed to salary transparency, being contractually obligated to keep your salary a secret benefits only the employer.
• We all do the same important work. This means that all employees - including the director - are paid a base rate of $21.61per hour as of September 2026- this is not inclusive of the stipend offered by the State of Maine. The amount received from the state stipend program is not controlled by Fairy Forest. The wage stipends offered through the State of Maine are tiered in accordance with your level within the Maine Roads to Quality Program and are as follows:

Level 1-4: $240 per month

Level 5-6: $360 per month

Level 7-8: $540 per month

To estimate what your level might be please see the following website: https://mrtq.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/MRTQ_Lattices.pdf

• 4 weeks of paid vacation per year for scheduled school breaks. These weeks are in the months of February, April, July, and December. You will be paid for the hours you are scheduled to work during these breaks.
• All federal holidays off.
• The best way to ensure that staff and children stay healthy is to make it so that employees are able to take time off without fear of losing income. This is why Fairy Forest offers one week of paid sick time per year. If you work 10 hours per week, you receive 10 hours of paid sick time. If you work 40 hours per week, you receive 40 hours of paid sick time.
• Fairy Forest will reimburse the full cost of the CDA (Child Development Associates Credential) for any employee interested in earning this credential.
• Fairy Forest employees co‑create their schedule along with their co‑teachers while keeping in mind the needs of the sanctuary and the children
• Outdoor work environment

***Fairy Forest is a proudly queer owned business. Those who believe that queer folk should not work with children will not find success at Fairy Forest. Recent legal developments across the country criminalizing gender non‑conforming people, attacking queer teachers, and banning LGBTQ+ stories and books are a serious threat to queer people everywhere - our business stands firmly in opposition to these cowardly and mean spirited attacks on our human rights.
***We are extremely worried about the federal government's efforts to undermine trust in vaccinations and are closely monitoring state by state efforts that seek to reduce child vaccination rates. Not only does this trend mean more very sick children and more deaths, it directly impacts our ability to do our work as educators since early care workers get sick at a higher rate than almost any other profession. This candidate must be willing to abide my the State of Maine's vaccination requirements unless there is a legitimate medical rationale for not being able to get a vaccination.