Lower Elementary Teacher

Curtis is seeking a Lower Elementary Teacher to join a team-oriented, inclusive, and professional learning community. Curtis School is a DK-6 co-ed elementary school whose mission is to “develop, in every child, a sound mind in a sound body, governed by a compassionate heart.” 

We place an equal emphasis on academic, physical, social-emotional, and character education and instill a growth mindset modeled by faculty and staff who are the best in their craft. The Lower Elementary Teacher will be responsible for maintaining a positive learning environment in their homeroom and creating a program that meets the intellectual and emotional needs of each child. The successful candidate will work closely with a co-lead or associate teacher and colleagues in their grade level (Grades DK-2), under the supervision of the Director of Lower Elementary, to build an engaging curriculum that fulfills Curtis’s mission and values. The candidate must have excellent time-management, organizational, and communication skills, be innovative and creative in instructional planning, dynamic and adaptable to shifting work conditions, and open to feedback. A collegial personality and responsiveness to direction are essential traits, as is a love of working with primary school-aged children.

Curtis School is fully committed to a diverse faculty and student body. The candidate should possess an abundance of respect and sensitivity around racial, ethnic, gender, socio-economic, and all differences. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Include, but are not limited to: 

• Embracing Curtis School’s Vision, Purpose, Values, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement

• Collaborating with the co-lead teacher or associate teacher, the grade-level team, and division colleagues to plan and implement an appropriately challenging curriculum in reading/language arts, math, anti-bias, social studies, and social-emotional learning 

• Promoting academic, social-emotional, and physical development of young children in individual, small group, and whole class settings

• Assessing students using current strategies and tools to inform instruction and give feedback 

• Completing checklists and narrative reports and participating in twice-yearly parent-teacher conferences 

• Supervising children during morning break, lunch, recess, and afternoon carpool

• Integrating meaningful and appropriate use of technology within the curriculum and as a communication tool

• Collaborating and communicating openly with the co-lead teacher or associate teacher regarding classroom responsibilities, delivery of curriculum, and individual student and parent needs

• Attending Back-to-School Night, Open House, faculty workshop days, grade-level and division meetings, relevant all-school events, and all mandatory professional development 

A successful candidate will:

• Have a bachelor’s degree (master’s degree and teaching credential preferred)

• Ideally have 3-5 years’ teaching experience (Grades DK-2 preferred)

• Have familiarity with the following instructional approaches: Responsive Classroom, backward design, explicit phonics instruction, and Singapore math

• Have strong writing skills and the ability to effectively communicate student progress via report card narratives

• Be cognizant of current trends, pedagogy, research, and topics of importance in education and be willing to apply them in the classroom and share with other teachers

• Continually seek professional growth and development 

• Demonstrate professionalism 

• Possess excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with students, colleagues, and parents

• Participate actively in student and community life inside and outside the classroom

• Understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in education

• Have excellent technology skills and experience integrating technology in instruction 

• Provide a portfolio of teaching with examples of innovative lessons or projects that demonstrate creative and critical thinking and/or teach a demo lesson 

• Be flexible about working in outdoor weather conditions and able to regularly sit, stand, walk, use hands, reach with arms, talk and hear, and occasionally lift up to 10-25 pounds