This brief job description is meant to introduce you to what our program requires of its staff. Rather than trying to frighten you, we are showing you an honest depiction of some of the responsibilities and realities of a very difficult, yet rewarding, job.

The major requirement for a job at Nature's Classroom (NC) is having a genuine love of children. Children are the reason our program is in existence. You must be willing to be with them for long periods of time. You become an integral part of helping them learn about themselves, other people, and the environment.

Another requirement is the willingness to put your problems and hang-ups on a back burner and devote your time and energy to concentrating on the needs of the students that come to us.

You should have the ability and the desire to work long hours, both emotionally and physically. Our days are long, and the program demands a lot from the staff.

The basic schedule of a "day in the life" of a NC teacher

7:15 a.m. The director awakens the students and visiting adults. NC teachers wake on their own schedule. Please, no groans...

8:00 a.m. Breakfast. All staff and students eat together, family style. It's a chance to compare yawns, discuss events of the day, and greet the morning as a group. 2:00 classes are announced, and students sign up for classes.

9:00 a.m. Time to clean up living spaces, brush teeth, dress for field hikes. NC staff get gear together for field hikes.

9:30 -11:30 Field Hikes. Each NC staff takes a group of approximately 15 students on a hike through the woodlands, fields, and wetlands. The emphasis is on the natural environment, exploring the ways it affects us and how we affect it. We use a discovery approach to learning. One goal of this program is that every child know that a life support system is necessary, and that the quality of this system depends upon decisions made by people, arrived at by seeing the economic, social, environmental, and aesthetic perspectives. You are entering this program with fresh ideas, and these ideas should, if possible, be integrated into your teaching.

Another morning program that is becoming more popular is something we call Wilderness Day. Instead of a field hike, you will be leading your group through a series of survival skills such as shelter building, fire building, finding water and wild edibles. The morning skills sessions culminate with the group cooking their own lunch around a fire circle.

Occasionally, a school may opt for a living history program instead of a morning field hike. We call this program Travel Through Time. Each instructor will be a character from the 1810 Ohio frontier. You may choose to be a school teacher, snake oil salesman, lumberjack, surveyor, settler, blacksmith, trapper, reporter . . . the choices are almost endless. We have a great deal of information and costumes for many characters, or you can develop your own.

11:40 a.m. Hoppers. One student per table and one NC staff person sets up the dining hall.

Noon. Lunch. Once again, everybody sits together. Students have assigned tables. All adults are free to sit wherever they like. Be prepared to drop all inhibitions as you lead songs, tell stories, etc . . . NC staff will describe the classes they will be teaching at 4:00, and the children sign up for their choice. Again, we prefer a 1:15 ratio.

1:00-1:55 Transition time. Children play; staff prepare for classes.

2:00-3:30 Classes. NC staff instruct in areas of special interest to them, based on curriculum selected by the visiting school. We attempt to maintain a balance of math, science, language arts, and social studies. So we encourage staff to share their choices.

4:00-5:30 Second round of classes. We encourage NC staff to teach classes outside their specialty. That way you grow along with the program.

5:40 p.m. Hoppers. Same procedure at all meals.

6:00 p.m. Supper. Everybody together -- one big happy family. Are you ready to sing songs, tell stories, cure indigestion?

7:00-7:25 Break. Time to take a breath.

7:30-9:00 Evening Program. Usually chock full of busy-ness. It might be a night hike, a folk dance, an auction, a talent show, a campfire, or a combination.

9:00-9:30 Snack and Quiet Sing. NC instructors serve a snack, then everybody settles in for a quiet song or two. NC staff lead the singing; story telling is also fun. At this time, the staff should sit among the students to aid in crowd control. We're trying to mellow the students out for bedtime.

9:30 p.m. Back to the cabins for the students.

10:00 p.m. Informal Staff Meeting. The purpose of these meetings is to keep the channels of communication open between ourselves and the visiting school personnel, and to allow our next day to run smoothly. Most importantly, it is a time for us to share our personal goals, dreams, perspectives, aspirations, and problems. Nature's Classroom is the people, a unique time in your life when you can be totally immersed in what you are doing, totally dedicated to this and future generations.

Any instructor with a science or outdoors background is one step ahead of the game; however, we want diversity in our teaching staff, so those particular backgrounds are not imperative. We should be willing to share our education and personal knowledge, and be able to transform it into valuable information for the children and fellow staff.

The staff is on duty 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Your after-hours are your own, but we reserve the right to call on you in an emergency.

Please come willing to work harder than you ever have before. Your flexibility and sense of humor must be "on" at all times.

Your salary will start at $285 a week. Room and board are provided during the work week, and staff are welcome to stay on the weekends. The dining hall is open only on weekends that there are people using the camp.

NC teachers are involved in every aspect of running Nature's Classroom, from moving tables to writing newsletters. Remember, Nature's Classroom is the staff and the children. Our program is only as good as we live and make it. We are the role models for thousands of children we meet each year.

What are other NC teachers like? The staff comes from a wide variety of college backgrounds.... hardcore science folks, liberal arts, recreation, education, environmental studies, theater, English...you name it. Some have taken time off from studies and jobs to join us and re-direct their lives. Some have taught in school classrooms and take this opportunity for an alternative. They all come and share and become part of the program.

Staff quarters are tight; you share your room with other people, and you share a bathroom. The whole place is a wonderful challenge--not only to the children, but to the staff too. You will want to be creative, open, sharing, and caring.

So you want to work for Nature's Classroom? Great! Questions?? I hope so. Your next step is a personal interview. Contact Director Erin Lumpkins now to set one up.

1.330.554.8572 or nc_director@yahoo.com