Acting Preschool Instructional Aide-7.5 hours, Morse

About the role

The Morse School serves children and families from every Cambridge neighborhood and from over 40 different countries. At the Morse School, we nurture not only our children’s curiosity and intellectual skills, but also their healthy social and emotional development. Morse School families, teachers, and staff members work together to foster a sense of safety and belonging and to support students in developing a sense of civic responsibility and an appreciation for people with different origins, identities, beliefs, and learning styles. We strive to promote a sense of community where all adults and children feel respected and appreciated. The Morse School follows an inclusion model, with English learners and students with moderate disabilities learning alongside their general education peers with support from special educators, ESL teachers, related service providers, and interventionists. We are actively working towards becoming an antiracist school, and are taking steps towards identifying and dismantling racist structures, hearing and elevating underrepresented voices, and striving to achieve an equitable and just educational experience for all students.

Responsibilities

We are seeking a dynamic and collaborative instructional aide to help foster a safe and positive classroom environment in which students engage in rigorous and joyful learning experiences. This individual will assist the classroom teacher in implementing a curriculum based on children's individual developmental needs in order to provide a creative learning environment focused on high academic achievement, excellence, respect for differences, and collaborative relationships. Specifically, the instructional aide will be under the supervision of the classroom teacher and principal to create a learning environment where each child feels a sense of belonging and is progressing at an optimal rate.

• Planning for and teaching small and large groups
• Assisting in developing units of study with the assistance of the teacher
• Keeping track of student progress through assessment and record-keeping systems
• Preparing materials and performing other tasks requested by the teacher
• Assisting the teacher in providing a safe and effective learning environment in which behaviors that interfere with learning are prevented and/or addressed
• Toileting of students is a duty that an individual may be expected and required to perform as a paraprofessional employed by the Cambridge Public Schools
• Any other tasks as directed by the classroom teacher, principal, or assistant principal

Requirements

• Associate's degree, or 48 college credits (bachelor's degree preferred)
• Previous coursework in the education of elementary grade children preferred
• Previous successful experience working with children in an urban, multicultural setting, preferably at the elementary level
• Demonstrated ability to respect diversity and help children develop a positive self-image as successful learners
• Ability to speak Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Haitian Creole, Chinese, or Spanish is a plus

Schedule

This is a 7‑hour position available from March 2026 through May 2026.