The anticipated start date for this position is August 1 2024 with paid opportunities to observe and mentor during the rest of the 20234 school year and during the summer.
Rare opportunity to join a team of skilled educators in a progressive academic environment. The Schoolhouse Learning Center in South Burlington VT is a State of Vermont approved independent school and a licensed childcare center serving children from preschool through 8th grade. We have a 50year history of offering a high quality missiondriven education which promotes curiosity and independence across a diversity of students and their families.
Teachers here are patient and willing to allow learning social emotional and academic to unfold in unique ways for each individual child at their own pace. Applicants should be willing to examine their own biases improve teaching practices and integrate antibias and antiracist curriculum. Classrooms are also open to parental/family involvement and contributions. Learning at Schoolhouse is relevant handson and projectbased and we spend a lot of time outside the classroom. The school is located on 28 acres of protected wetlands with access to forests. Applicants should embrace our play and naturebased philosophy and see the natural world as one of the great teachers.
Job Summary/Essential Functions
The teacher must be flexible and facilitate learning not merely impart information in a multiage class of diverse learners. You will design implement and assess the curriculum in literacy social studies and science and integrate project and fieldbased opportunities with core subject areas. Applicants are expected to have a strong commitment to conceptuallygrounded math instruction and evidencebased literacy and reading development. A math specialist will be responsible for the core math curriculum (using Illustrative Math) and will collaborate with the teacher in promoting additional mathematical integration/enrichment in the broader curriculum. If candidates do not already have intensive Orton Gillingham literacy training we will provide professional development in the Orton Gillingham approach.
As part of our elementary and middle school team the teacher will join in schoolwide events and activities that are central to students experiences and to the schools culture including schoolwide performances our placebased education program (Field Food Forest) research projects on common topics and other presentations and events. We are a community in which students are encouraged and supported to ask hard questions and explore a range of answers through an everevolving sustainability and social justice lens.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will possess the leadership skills and confidence to take on the challenge of creating and encouraging broad learning opportunities while providing a strong foundational core. Our ideal PreK/K/1 teacher will:
- Possess a bachelors degree in a relevant field (ex: Education Environmental Science Math English History etc) OR equivalent experience; teaching certification a plus but not mandatory.
- Design and implement strong academic curricula and assessments in science literacy art social sciences and physical education. Curricula must include social and environmental justice concepts.
- Implement a literacy and writing curriculum that follows the science of reading and aligns with the Orton Gillingham scope and sequence.
- Understand the fundamentals of the Science of Reading; prior intensive Orton Gillingham training or experience a plus but not mandatory (we will train).
- Develop a cohesive class culture and provide students with leadership opportunities in the school and broader community; integrate our Five Core Concepts into daily classroom experiences. Training in Responsive Classroom is a plus.
- Create opportunities for individualized learning scaffolding and differentiating the curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners.
- Devise (and revise) course materials from year to year. You should be inspired by your own passions and knowledge previous teaching experience collaboration with other Schoolhouse teachers the interests of the students and an understanding of gradelevel standards.
- Provide strengthsbased guidance for students social emotional and intellectual growth; be a patient and compassionate facilitator of students management of their own learning.
- Model excitement about learning with both students and colleagues.
- Be an enthusiastic team teacher and appreciate and share the complementary strengths you and your colleagues bring to the table.
- Communicate frequently and positively with diverse constituencies teachers parents administrators and community organizations.
- Be committed to working with educational professionals and Schoolhouse leadership related to student evaluations and learning plans (ie IEPs services plans psychoeducational evaluations etc).
- Grow to be a pillar of the larger Schoolhouse Community and support the institution and its mission.
Minimum Qualifications
- At least one year of experience leading a classroom. Minimum of 3 years teaching experience at the elementary level; experience in alternative learning environments a plus but not necessary (we will train).
- Willingness to work with and be mentored by the current preK/K/1st grade teacher and her predecessor and to work closely with our literacy specialist.
- Background in the science of reading ideally following the Orton Gillingham scope and sequence. Must be willing to train in OG.
- Ability and desire to integrate social and environmental justice concepts across all teaching.
- Passion for and knowledge about place and projectbased learning.
- Committed to a strengthsbased approach to nurturing students social emotional physical and intellectual growth.
- Fierce advocate for students need for play and movement.
- Love of the natural world and a desire to instill that reverence in students.
- Ability to provide a positive environment for a range of learners and temperaments including issues of giftedness gender race and learning differences or disabilities.
- Experience in alternative/progressive approaches to education or the desire to learn.
- Effective communicator both orally and in writing; excellent social and leadership skills.
- Methodical and organized.
- Proven track record of strong student and community relations.
- A collaborative team player.
- Excited to seek professional development and educational opportunities.
- Able to acclimate easily to a new environment and school culture.
- Delight in the antics and challenges of spirited elementaryaged students with an ability to positively (re)direct their energies and ideas into classroom culture and learning.
- Technologically competent including working knowledge of personal computers google docs and tabletbased apps.
- Understanding of principles philosophy and practices in child development and education.
- Must possess a valid drivers license and be willing to seek training to obtain a Type II bus driving endorsement.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Must be able to walk sit (on floors and chairs) talk listen use hands and fingers to feel handle or operate objects tools or controls and reach with hands and arms.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include near and far vision and the ability to monitor multiple children in indoor and outdoor settings.
- The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds (i.e. tables chairs).
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from groups that have been marginalized on any grounds including: sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression racialization disability political belief religion marital or family status age and/or status as a First Nation Mtis Inuit or Indigenous person.
For more information about The Schoolhouse please visit the Schoolhouse website:
Information about benefits is here.