Montessori Early Childhood Lead Teacher
Dandelion Chinese Montessori Immersion Program — Job Posting
Department: Early Childhood / Chinese Immersion
Reports To: Head of School Classification: Full-Time, Exempt Location: Philadelphia, PA
Job Summary
The Montessori Early Childhood Lead Teacher serves as the cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical anchor of the Early Childhood classroom for children ages 3-6. Operating within a high-fidelity,
full-immersion structure, the Lead Teacher implements authentic Montessori principles to cultivate individual child autonomy, concentration, critical thinking, and a profound sense of global citizenship. Because this position anchors a Mandarin Chinese Immersion Program with English as an Additional Language, the Lead Teacher will deliver all pedagogical direction, daily lessons, social coaching, and classroom activities exclusively in fluent, high-fidelity Mandarin Chinese, and an English teacher will deliver English language lessons. The successful candidate will leverage the "absorbent mind" of early childhood, designing an environment where natural language acquisition coexists harmoniously with advanced Montessori mathematical concepts, reading literacy, and practical physical mastery. This role demands deep pedagogical fluency across the five core Montessori curricular areas, sharp observation skills, and a gentle, authoritative classroom presence that champions young children's social-emotional development. To view a full job description, see: Early Childhood Lead Teacher Job Description.
Key Responsibilities
Prepared Environment & Material Fidelity: Masterfully curate, organize, and sanitize a beautiful, structured Early Childhood classroom containing complete, sequenced sets of traditional Montessori materials.
Immersion Excellence: Model immaculate, grammatically precise Mandarin Chinese in all verbal communications with students, reinforcing vocabulary during practical life actions, mathematical steps, and sensorial naming metrics.
Curricula: Introduce sequential, customized presentations across the 5 primary Montessori pillars: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language Arts, and Cultural Subjects.
Continuous Scientific Observation: Maintain daily logs documenting individual lessons presented, proficiency levels achieved, emotional progress indicators, and behavioral developmental patterns.
Differentiated Individual Planning: Adapt specific lesson trajectories for each child, allowing advanced learners to follow deeper computational exploration while supporting younger peers
through fundamental grace, courtesy, and gross motor work.
Grace, Courtesy, and Peer Mediation: Teach explicit lessons on social problem-solving, emotional awareness, public speaking, and community navigation, fostering a classroom culture anchored in mutual respect, kindness, and self-restraint.
Parent Synergy & Global Community: Compose clear progress assessments and hold professional family conferences to build strong home-to-school bonds; connect Montessori mechanics and language acquisition for non-native households.
Cultural Integration: Incorporate meaningful cultural perspectives, lunar cycles, traditional songs, regional art forms, and seasonal celebrations naturally into the classroom landscape.
Safety & Regulatory Compliance: Adhere strictly to child safety guidelines, state licensing rules, evacuation procedures, and school-wide behavior parameters.
Required Qualifications
Montessori Certification: AMI, AMS, or MACTE (Primary) Certification, required.
Language: Native or near-native fluency in Mandarin Chinese alongside strong functional, professional written and verbal English skills.
Academic Baseline: Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a closely related field required.
State Licensing: Must meet all local state child care licensing requirements (e.g., background checks, fingerprinting, CPR/First Aid certification, physical exam, and TB test).
Experience: Minimum of 2-3 years of experience leading or assisting in a Montessori classroom or a professional infant/toddler care environment.
Desired Skills & Attributes
A passion for working with young children and a deep understanding of the "absorbent mind."
A calm, warm, and stable physical presence with excellent emotional regulation skills.
Strong collaborative spirit to build a unified workplace culture focused on pedagogical excellence.
Dandelion Chinese Montessori School
Dandelion Chinese Montessori School is a premier Chinese Immersion Montessori program opening in the Spring of 2027 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our mission is to combine authentic Montessori pedagogy with immersive Chinese language acquisition to nurture culture-confident, independent, and globally conscious young learners.
Compensation & Organizational Benefits
Dandelion Chinese Montessori offers a competitive salary package of $40,000-$50,000, tailored to experience, plus performance-based bonuses, comprehensive healthcare/dental coverage, and dedicated funds for continued professional development.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a comprehensive professional resume, a cover letter detailing their organizational philosophy, and a copy of their Montessori certification to:
