Educator, Children and Family Learning
American Museum of Natural History
Summary
The CFL Educator will deliver informal science programming spanning a wide variety of physical and natural science topics and in a range of learning environments. Teaching in after-school, weekend, and other seasonal programs as needed, the CFL Educator must rely on adaptive teaching styles that respond to the needs of a diverse cross-section of program participants and integrate assets of the Museum (e.g., using Museum Halls and collections to support learning).
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in education, early childhood education, museum education, humanities, or a physical, social, or natural science-related field.
- One year of experience teaching children or youth, preferably in informal settings.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in education, museum education, or another related field.Experience in physical or natural science fieldwork or a laboratory setting.
- Ability to speak Spanish.
Duties
- Teach across CFL programs in pre-K-fifth-grade classes and family events, covering a broad range of scientific fields such as Biology, Earth Science, Anthropology, Paleontology, and Astrophysics. Provide teaching assistance to other teachers in similar classes, as needed.
- Facilitate family learning the Museum’s Learning Labs and other programmed areas related to the Museum’s strategic initiatives.
- Collaborate with other educators and program managers to plan and test activities, set up for classes, gather teaching specimens and equipment, prepare activity materials, and clean-up after programming.
- Research science content as it relates to the Museums disciplines, Halls, and Exhibitions and current child development practices and theories to develop innovative curriculum for early childhood, elementary, and family audiences.
- Become an active member of an informal science education professional learning community by participating in internal staff development sessions.
- Collaborate successfully with parents and families to support learning goals for all programs.
- Support and collaborate with colleagues and staff of the CFL division, the Education department, and across the Museum to create a robust community of practice.
- Assist with classroom and learning environment upkeep and maintenance and participate in routine husbandry tasks for the CFL live animal collection, as needed.
- Must be available for occasional weekend work.
