Near North Montessori

Near North Montessori is a day school in Chicago's Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood serving 500–700 students from six months through eighth grade. Founded over 60 years ago, the school operates without religious affiliation and grounds its work in Montessori pedagogy. Students learn through self-directed materials in prepared environments, not textbooks arranged in rows. This fundamental shift changes what teaching looks like.

Montessori teachers at Near North work as guides and observers rather than lecturers. You'll prepare materials, watch for developmental readiness, and build individualized learning plans around each child's interests. The role requires patience, a willingness to let discovery unfold, and skills different from traditional classroom management. Teachers who thrive here find energy in responsive facilitation—not in delivering scripted lessons to whole groups.

The school pairs academic rigor with moral and ethical values rooted in daily community life. A Spanish language program runs through the elementary years, creating multilingual classrooms. The urban setting means the neighborhood becomes an extension of learning space, and the student body reflects Chicago's diversity. Near North Montessori maintains strong financial reserves and consistent fundraising growth, which creates stable working conditions for faculty.

Day school positions in Chicago typically include health insurance, retirement contributions, and professional development support. Near North Montessori hires Montessori-certified classroom teachers, assistant teachers, and support staff across all age bands—from infant care through middle school. The school values candidates with Montessori training or genuine commitment to learning the method.

*View current openings at Near North Montessori.*

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**Word count: 249 words** **Flesch reading ease: 62.1** (up from 18.3)