Job Description
Position Overview
We are seeking an empathetic, creative, and collaborative Behavior Specialist and Counselor who views every child as unique, competent, and rich with potential. Grounded in a Reggio-inspired philosophy, project-based learning, and a deep respect for nature as the "third teacher," our school values the "100 languages" children use to express their thinking, problem-solve, and navigate the world.
In this role, you will work directly alongside teachers, children, and families to nurture an inclusive learning community. You will support students with social-emotional goals all over our student body with diverse learning needs, sensory processing abilities, autism spectrum profiles, helping them thrive within an emergent, inquiry-based environment.
This candidate must be energized by spending extended time outdoors—supporting children and teachers in all spaces - indoor and outdoor learning spaces, forest, and garden in all types of weather.
Philosophy & Core Values Alignment
• Constructivism & Emergent Curriculum: You honor children as active constructors of their own knowledge through curiosity, play, and project work. Behavior interventions are approached through a lens of listening, relationships, and co-regulation rather than rigid compliance.
• The Environment as the Third Teacher: You recognize how indoor and outdoor environments—from the art studio to the garden and forest—shape behavior, focus, and social engagement.
• The 100 Languages of Expression: You embrace non-traditional modes of communication and learning, helping teachers adapt projects and routines to honor every child’s voice.
• Honoring the Whole Child: You view social-emotional learning, community belonging, and stewardship as inseparable from academic exploration.
Key Responsibilities
1. Outdoor Co-Teaching, Classroom Coaching & Environmental Adaptation
• In-the-Field Coaching: Shadow and support teachers directly in outdoor learning environments (forests, fields, gardens, and trails) as well as indoor studios.
• Sensory & Environmental Design: Partner with educators to structure outdoor and indoor environments that support sensory regulation, movement, and focus.
• Emergent Accommodations: Help teachers weave accommodations, visual tools, and self-regulation supports into ongoing, inquiry-driven projects without disrupting the natural flow of play and discovery.
2. Positive Behavioral Support & Social-Emotional Learning
• Inquiry-Based Behavior Plans: Conduct observational assessments that look deeply at the context and root cause of behaviors, crafting manageable Positive Behavior Support Plans (PBSPs) grounded in relationship-building and co-regulation.
• Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices: Support students on the autism spectrum and those with sensory processing differences using visual schedules, de-escalation strategies, and communication supports.
• Responsive Crisis Support: Provide calm and compassionate support during heightened emotional moments in outdoor and classroom settings.
3. Family Partnership & Community Collaboration
• Home-School Continuity: Build trusted relationships with families to align regulation strategies, routines, and support plans across home and school environments.
• Collaborative Dialogue: Host supportive parent touchpoints that honor family wisdom while framing child development through a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming lens.
• External Team Liaison: Serve as a bridge between the school, families, and outside specialists (e.g., Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, pediatric specialists).
4. Social Emotional Curriculum Implementation
• Finding the Right Fit: Research and select SEL programs that match the school's core values, developmental stages, and standards.
• Mapping the Flow: Partner with grade-level teams to build realistic pacing guides, calendars, and weekly lesson schedules.
• Tailoring Materials: Adapt and customize lessons to ensure they are inclusive, culturally responsive, and a great fit for every student.
Key Qualifications & Requirements
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Child Development, or School Psychology.
• Certifications: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Special Education Credential, or Licensed Behavior Specialist, or other applicable certification
• Outdoor & Nature-Based Comfort: Required. Must be eager and physically comfortable walking, hiking, and facilitating small and large group interventions outdoors in diverse weather conditions.
• Experience:
• 3+ years working with early childhood and elementary-aged learners (ages 2–10) in inclusive, progressive, or nature-based settings.
• Demonstrated background supporting children on the autism spectrum, students with sensory integration needs, and diverse learning profiles.
• Proven track record using positive behavioral supports (PBS), trauma-informed practices, and social-emotional regulation frameworks (e.g., Conscious Discipline, Zones of Regulation).
• Mindset: Deep respect for child autonomy, collaboration, play-based inquiry, and environmental stewardship.
Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour
Expected hours: 40.0 per week
Benefits:
• Paid time off
Application Question(s):
• Are you willing to travel to 3 campuses in Nashville and Bellevue to support students and teachers?
• Are you comfortable working in an outdoor school setting?
• Do you have at least 3 years of experience working in a preschool or elementary school setting?
Education:
• Bachelor's (Required)
Experience:
• counseling or special eductaion: 3 years (Preferred)
Work Location: In person