Substitute Teacher

Leah's Pantry; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

Leah’s Pantry seeks garden educators to bring engaging, trauma-informed garden-based lessons to elementary and K-8 students at San Diego schools.

Most instruction is outdoors, with back-to-back classes after school; candidates deliver English and Spanish lessons, ensure student safety, and support garden maintenance.

This part-time role requires strong communication, adaptability, and the ability to work with diverse communities while upholding program values.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1-year experience delivering instruction to full classroom cohorts (up to 38 elementary-aged students).
• Ability to deliver pre-written lessons in English and Spanish.
• Ability to manage students in a garden/outdoor setting.
• College degree or relevant experience in garden, environmental, or nutrition education.
• Strong communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks.
• Adaptability, flexibility, and ability to work under pressure.
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations, including youth and adults.
• Knowledge of organic gardening, urban gardening, environmental science, or food systems and food access.
• Availability for occasional weekends and evenings.

Responsibilities

• Deliver engaging, interdisciplinary garden-themed lessons outdoors, mainly at elementary level.
• Teach from provided lesson plans with fidelity and consistency.
• Co-teach with classroom teachers and support roles during garden lessons.
• Supervise and ensure student safety following policies.
• Incorporate trauma-informed strategies into instruction and classroom management.
• Optional: conduct occasional workshops on gardening and nutrition for the school community.
• Manage, organize, and maintain program facilities, equipment, and supplies for outdoor classrooms and indoor nutrition lab.
• Engage students, teachers, and volunteers in garden upkeep.
• Report on garden conditions and coordinate maintenance requests.
• Be active in school communities and plan events with staff and partners.
• Maintain records including attendance and evaluations; assist with data collection for reporting.

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

Outdoor classroom management

Student supervision

Curriculum delivery

Communication

Organizational skills

Leadership

Flexibility

Adaptability

Diversity engagement

Education

College degree or relevant experience

Job description

Leah’s Pantry is a non-profit whose mission is to improve the health, wellness, and resilience of our communities through trauma-informed nutrition security.

We cultivate nourished communities through direct work with low-income individuals. We build resilience and healthy dietary behaviors through trauma-informed nutrition, cooking, and gardening programs that center diverse voices and experiences.

We catalyze organizational transformation and expand our reach by training program implementers from partner organizations nationwide. Our innovative trauma-informed training and technical assistance models advance the understanding that nourishment is more than nutrition.

Through collaboratives, working groups, and conferences, we promote trauma-informed nutrition security principles and policies at the county, state, and national levels.

We commit to building a compassionate, connected, transparent organizational culture prioritizing diverse perspectives, healthy relationships, innovation, and strengths-based professional development.

SCHOOL GARDEN EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Leah’s Pantry School Garden Education Program brings learning gardens and garden education to schools in San Diego’s marginalized neighborhoods. Our school garden education team convenes multiple public and private partners to realize the goals of the Thriving 30 School Garden Equity Initiative, which aims to bring gardens and garden education to 30 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District located in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Our targeted sites are largely clustered in San Diego’s Promise Zone and City Heights neighborhoods, communities that face many challenges, including food insecurity, poverty, health disparities, air pollution and vulnerability to climate change. Our unique program model offers backbone support to schools that face overwhelming challenges in installing and maintaining garden infrastructure and offers high-quality garden-based instruction on an ongoing basis.

As gardens are launched, Leah’s Pantry school garden educators will support, develop and deliver inclusive, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive garden-based STEM and nutrition education programming that improves academic achievement, enhances environmental literacy, and inspires lifelong health and wellness.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Leah’s Pantry seeks instructors who are passionate about working with children outdoors and delivering garden-based lessons that are both engaging and academically rigorous. Programming takes place outdoors often with back-to-back classes during and after school, in dynamic and sometimes unpredictable environments. Most instruction will take place at elementary or K-8 schools where FRL rates are 80% or higher, although future programming could involve high school students.

Garden education team members will create a safe, positive, and inclusive outdoor class environment, deliver garden-based experiential learning activities, interact with classroom teachers and assist with garden maintenance.

GARDEN EDUCATOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

I. TEACHING

Deliver engaging, interdisciplinary garden-themed lessons that incorporate ecology, STEM, language arts, food literacy and art, emphasizing a culturally responsive curriculum, hands‑on instruction, social‑emotional learning and student‑centered education. Instruction will be delivered primarily outdoors, both during and after school hours, mainly at the elementary level.

Teach from the provided lesson plans with fidelity, ensuring core objectives and key learning experiences are preserved and supporting consistency across classrooms, even as our curriculum continues to grow and improve.

Co‑teach with classroom teachers to model and develop skills in outdoor classroom education, and confidently engage them in supporting roles—such as leading a small group or station activity—during garden lessons.

Supervise and ensure the safety of students during all activities, following all garden/site policies and procedures.

Incorporate trauma‑informed strategies into instruction and outdoor classroom management with a willingness to think critically about traditional practices and adapt to new methods.

Optional: Conduct occasional workshops about gardening and nutrition for school community members.

II. GARDEN SITE STEWARDSHIP

Manage, organize, and maintain program facilities, equipment and supplies for outdoor classrooms and indoor nutrition lab, as applicable.

Engage students, teachers, and volunteers in maintaining the school gardens.

Report on garden conditions and facilitate maintenance requests.

III. COMMUNICATION, COORDINATION AND DOCUMENTATION

Be an active presence in the school community and attend school meetings and events as appropriate; work collaboratively with other internal and external stakeholders to plan and execute special events, theme days, and other activities.

Coordinate with program staff, nonprofit partners, and community volunteers.

Maintain accurate records and documentation, including student attendance, incident reports, and evaluations; assist with data collection needed for reporting and grant proposal preparation.

Attend required staff meetings, training sessions, and other program‑related events.

Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Minimum 1‑year experience delivering effective instruction to full classroom cohorts of up to 38 elementary‑aged children with diverse learning styles and abilities.

Capacity to deliver pre‑written lessons in both English and Spanish

Ability to manage students in a garden/outdoor setting

College degree or relevant experience in garden, environmental, or nutrition education

Strong communication, organizational, and leadership skills

Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously

Adaptability, flexibility, and ability to work under pressure

Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations, including youth and adults

Knowledge of or interest in topics including organic gardening, urban gardening, botany, environmental science, food systems and food access

Availability for occasional weekends and evenings

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Located in San Diego and possession of a valid California Drivers’ License (a reliable means of transportation is required)

Background check, including DMV report

Tuberculosis clearance

Leah’s Pantry adheres to local and school vaccination guidelines for in‑person work. As these requirements are subject to change, there may be instances where proof of vaccination, a medical exemption, or proof of a recent negative test is necessary. While vaccination is not mandatory for employment, compliance with local/school regulations is essential for the safety and well‑being of our team members and the communities we serve.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Ability to stand, stoop, reach, and bend. Mobility of arms to reach, dexterity of hands to grasp and manipulate large and small objects

Ability to use hand tools and garden equipment, such as shovels, hoes, rakes, and watering cans

Ability to read small print

Ability to stand outside for long periods of time

Ability to lift, push, and/or pull objects, which may weigh approximately 50 pounds

Ability to work outdoors in a physically demanding environment

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $25.00 per hour

Expected hours: 5.0 – 10.0 per week