Jobs

Teacher Position Available

Lilac Children’s Garden is seeking an enthusiastic candidate for the 2025-2026 school year to teach first grade. The First Grade Class Teacher carries the primary responsibility for implementing Lilac Children’s Garden’s Waldorf-inspired weekly program for the first grade class on Tuesday afternoons from 1 pm to 4 pm in Rochester, NY.

The ideal candidate will have teaching experience and should be open to continuing to teach this group of children until they graduate from our program at around age 13.

To lead the First Grade, we seek a person who:

  • is confident, flexible, warm, and community-minded with an appreciation for a holistic approach to education.
  • is creative and able to create main lessons centering around fairy tales and folktales, while integrating the arts, seasonal activities, and movement.
  • has a willingness to engage deeply in rethinking the Waldorf curriculum with an eye to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • has an ability to respectfully, clearly, and warmly communicate with students and with class parents.
  • is comfortable being a gentle authority in the classroom and holding the space for the cultivation of a respectful learning environment.
  • is able to work collaboratively with fellow teachers.

Responsibilities:

  • Prepare lesson plans for in-class instruction (1-2 hours per week).
  • Classroom set-up and clean-up on Tuesday afternoons with support from volunteer parent helpers (about ½ hour before and ½ hour after class).
  • Provide in-class instruction from 1 pm until 4 pm on Tuesday afternoons from September through May.
  • Provide parents with a weekly summary of your class by email.
  • Attend 4.30 pm teacher meetings one Tuesday every 6 weeks (1 hour).
  • Attend 2 teacher-board potluck planning gatherings twice a year (one in August and one in January for four hours each meeting).
  • Oversee the presentation of a short play at the end of the year performed on one Tuesday afternoon in May and on one evening in May.
  • Help plan and lead seasonal festivals with board members and teachers (Back to Lilac Rainbow Bridge Ceremony, Fall Equinox Festival, Lantern Walk, Holiday Gathering, Winter Solstice Walk, Spring Equinox Festival, and End-of-the Year Rainbow Bridge Ceremony).

About Lilac Children’s Garden

Lilac Children’s Garden was founded by Rochester homeschooling parents in 1998 to bring the essence of Waldorf education to children and families. We are an eclectic and inclusive homeschooling community with a love of learning and an appreciation for the unique qualities of each member of our community. Our community supports homeschooling families of all faiths (and non-faith) and of all homeschooling styles. 

Teachers supplement our members’ homeschooling activities by engaging the whole child imaginatively, integrating the arts, handwork, movement, poetry, and music while sharing stories and mythologies. Teachers lead class activities including storytelling, watercolor painting, singing, recorder playing, rhythm and movement games, and handwork, finishing the year with the presentation of a play performance. The heart of the curriculum for each class is developmentally appropriate stories. (For First Grade, the main lesson stories are often fairy tales, folktales from around the world, and fables.) 

Members of our community and current teachers offer training, resources, planning help, and mentoring to new teachers. Lilac encourages and funds appropriate and applicable teacher training.

Please explore this website for more information about our program.

Are you interested in learning more? Please contact Lilac Board Chair, Damore Viola Jensen (damore.jensen@lilacchildrensgarden.org) for information; attach your resume and cover letter to apply.