Hybrid Part-time Instructional Aide, Horace Mann Laboratory School OR Leet Center bei Northwest Missouri State University

About the Department

EMPLOYMENT TERMS: Part-time position

PRIMARY DUTY: Northwest Missouri State University School of Education is seeking applications for Instructional Aides for one-year-old through sixth-grade classrooms at Horace Mann Laboratory School. The successful candidate will operate in a co-teaching capacity at an innovative, project-based, child-centered elementary laboratory school. The Instructional Aide will work under the direction of the Director to support children with exemplary instruction within a laboratory school setting, with a focus on project-based learning and individualized instruction. The Leet Center and Horace Mann Laboratories work with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics within a social justice framework. The Instructional Aide will work collaboratively with the classroom teachers to provide a unique instructional experience where children share a classroom with specific instruction and blended learning of integrated subjects. The Instructional Aide is responsible for supporting the laboratory school staff in promoting high expectations for students, working collaboratively with co-teachers, communicating effectively with parents, assisting with curriculum development, infusing art and music into content areas, and working collaboratively with the School of Education faculty and staff. The Instructional Aide must demonstrate an appreciation and promotion of diversity as a commitment to the School of Education and Northwest Missouri State University.

Position Duties

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Work in cooperation with master teachers to offer small group instruction, whole group classroom management and assist with all duties associated with teaching in an elementary school

2. Supervise classroom activities in the absence of the classroom teacher

3. Participate in highly collaborative, professional learning activities with colleagues

4. Build relationships with families and community members to promote regular parent involvement in school activities and ongoing partnerships

5. Support the University and School initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion

6. Assist with university and program accreditation (NAEYC, HLC, CAEP, DESE, NAEYC, and/or other)

7. Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS:

Education: Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree from an accredited University/College/Technical School

Certification/License: Missouri Substitute Certificate (or the ability to obtain immediately)

Experience: Previous experience working with children

Skills: Nurturing and dedicated work ethic; flexibility; ability to be cooperative, enthusiastic, and dependable; good social disposition; model professional attitude and demeanor

Other: Successful completion of a background check; minimum of 18 years of age

Other Qualifications

WORKING CONDITIONS: Collaborative team-based academic environment in a university-based laboratory school

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Could supervise one-year-olds through sixth-grade students

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Ability to complete essential classroom/administrative functions; ability to lift up to 20 pounds

COMMUNITY: Northwest Missouri State University is located in Maryville, Missouri, a community of 12,000 with a diverse economy and a strong industrial base. Maryville is located 45 miles north of St. Joseph, Missouri, 90 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri, and 110 miles southeast of Omaha, Nebraska. For more information visit the city’s website at www.maryville.org.

UNIVERSITY: With an enrollment of about 10,000 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location at the Northland Innovation Center and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905 and ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top public regional universities in the Midwest, Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jump start on their careers. Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area and Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency.

The University is also a national model for student success and career placement, with 96 percent of graduates securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data.

Furthermore, its vibrant and diverse learning community offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $6,800 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. Designated the Missouri Arboretum, the Northwest campus was named one of the “50 Most Amazing University Botanical Gardens and Arboretums in the U.S.”

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu.

SCHOOL: The School of Education includes the Department of Professional Education and the broader, campus-based Professional Education Unit, Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families and a site in Kansas City, Missouri featuring undergraduate completion and Master’s programs for teachers and leaders. Northwest is also a site hosting coursework for a Cooperative Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership with the University-of Missouri-Columbia. The School of Education prepares teachers, counselors, and administrators/leaders for the nation’s school systems. Northwest has been continuously accredited at the national level since the inception of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), previously NCATE, in 1954. It is also accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The mission of the School of Education is to prepare caring teachers who possess the highest level of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn in a diverse and every-changing world. For more information visit our website at http://www.nwmissouri.edu/academics/ed/index.htm.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Until the position is filled

DATE AVAILABLE: August 2025

TO APPLY: Please fill out a Northwest application online by clicking https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/nwmissouri to reach our employment opportunities listing. You will also need to submit a cover letter, resume, and the contact information for three references in order for your application materials to be complete. Please contact the Office of Human Resources at 660-562-1121 or email [email protected] for more information.

INQUIRIES FOR THE POSITION CAN BE MADE TO:

Breanne Poston, Director of Horace Mann & Leet Center

Northwest Missouri State University, Brown Hall 135

Phone: 1-660-562-1233 

Email: [email protected]