Primary Lead Teacher

Summary of Position:

The Discovery School Lead Primary Teacher understands and promotes the school’s mission, vision, core values, and policies both within and outside the immediate school community. The teacher is responsible for providing a Montessori/IB classroom/instructional program that supports the individual needs of the children in accordance with the school’s mission and vision. 

The Lead Teacher works collaboratively and is responsible for facilitating level meetings with colleagues and requesting and/or facilitating child study teams for learning with different students or addressing any other behavioral or cognitive concerns. This position communicates effectively with the Primary Montessori Coordinator on all aspects of the program to maintain congruence between their program level and the Board-approved mission. 

The Lead Teacher is also accountable for regularly evaluating the program to ensure the social, emotional, and academic needs of children are met according to FCIS, AMS, IB, and state licensing (DCF) standards. The Primary Lead Teacher is professionally responsible for implementing best practices based on current research in the field of education.

Professional Culture and Expectations:

The Primary Lead Teacher is expected to actively contribute to a positive, collaborative, and professional school culture. This includes approaching each workday with a constructive and solution-oriented mindset; working collaboratively as a team player; demonstrating flexibility; and showing commitment to the school’s mission, values, and community. The Primary Lead Teacher is expected to be a culture builders who strengthens trust, collaboration, and morale within the school.

This job requires the employee to spend working hours working directly with children, team members, and vendors/contractors. In addition, this job requires the employee to stand, bend, kneel, or lift in their regular job duties. Teachers will also work at a desk and interface with a computer.

The Lead Teacher is responsible for working 1 week of Summer Camp.

Normal Hours:

1. Monday thru Friday that school is in session 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

2. Other hours as required and deemed necessary by the Primary Program Coordinator and/or the Director of Lower School. 

Planning, Preparation, and Instruction:

The Primary Lead Teacher creates instruction that supports the development of the cognitive, emotional, social, and physical growth of the child using the School Curriculum, Montessori Albums, IB-PYP units of inquiry, and current research-based best instructional practices.

The Lead Teacher

1. Uses the School Curriculum, Montessori Albums, IB-PYP standards, and current research-based best instructional practices to develop integrated units of instruction that meet students' group and individual needs.

2. Works with students of various abilities assigned to the classroom, including those with learning differences as diagnosed. A teacher may be required to participate in meetings with families and providers to fully meet each child’s needs.

3. Uses various assessment tools/strategies such as observations, children’s work samples, continuums of development, Acadience (DIBELS), portfolios, etc., to help make instructional decisions for individual students.

Classroom Environment/Management

The Primary Lead Teacher is responsible for supporting the preparation of an environment that meets the sensitive period/plane of development of the children he/she works with, inclusive of the following:

1. Prepares a safe and peaceful environment in which the furnishings and materials are complete and correspond to the needs of the group; maintains a clean, orderly, and attractive Montessori/IB environment, including the care and maintenance of plants, animals, classroom materials, and equipment.

2. Communicates needs for the classroom in accordance with school policy, i.e., maintaining an inventory of classroom materials and any additional materials needed.

1. Promptly reports discipline concerns beyond typical classroom strategies to the Primary Program Coordinator, the Director of Lower School, and the Dean of Students and arranges a parent meeting.

1. Is responsible for the safety of the children left in her/his charge, within the classrooms, and on the playground, until dismissed to a responsible adult. No child should ever be left unsupervised, either inside or outside the classroom.

2. Is responsible for complete understanding and implementation of the School Emergency Operations Plan and must follow school-wide security protocols. 

3. Models and teaches conflict resolution and problem-solving strategies in the classroom. 

4. Promotes an understanding and appreciation of all cultures.

5. Immediately corrects and/or reports any safety issues to the Director of Facilities, the Primary Coordinator and/or the Director of Lower School.

Communication:

The Primary Lead Teacher is responsible for communication that supports an understanding of the school’s program, develops positive relationships within the school community, and protects the privacy and confidentiality of each student and family in the school community, inclusive of the following:

1. Establishes a positive relationship with students’ parents and maintains regular communication with parents with regard to their child’s specific needs. 

2. Ensures the Primary Associate is aware of all ongoing parent communication and is empowered to speak with parents professionally in the absence of the lead.

3. Collaboratively develops, improves, and participates in parent education and school functions.

4. Leads parent conferences (2x annually), completes required Progress Reports (3x per year) per school policy, and responds to parent concerns in a timely manner.

5. Provides individual and group written updates to students’ families. 

6. Participates in parent education programs to help create an understanding of the Montessori and IB-PYP Curriculum and Philosophy.

7. Assists in the development of and participates in school functions.

Professional Responsibility:

The Primary Lead Teacher is involved in ongoing self-assessment and refinement of practice in the classroom and collaborative professional growth.

1. Participates in a regular evaluation process, including classroom observations, feedback conferences, and an annual self-evaluation toward goals set by the teacher and/or in conjunction with the Primary Program Coordinator.

2. Maintains her/his teaching skills and participates in professional learning activities (both within the school community and attendance at conferences, workshops, etc.). 

3. Participates in collegial activities designed to make the entire school a productive learning environment, for example, age-level meetings, curriculum discussion groups, working committees, mentoring, etc. 

4. Operates within an annual budget and is responsible for submitting an accounting of these funds.

5. Is responsible for reading and adhering to the guidelines established in the personnel handbook and adhering to all school policies.

6. Is responsible for complying with all state regulations and requirements of accrediting organizations. 

7. Conducts new student interviews/evaluations and hosts prospective student applicants in the classroom as requested through admissions.

8. Is responsible for keeping the Primary Program Coordinator and Director of Lower School updated on events, issues, schedule, and curricular coordination.

9. Performs other duties assigned by the Primary Program Coordinator and/or Director of Lower School.

Related Duties:

1. Completes and maintains all records, reports, evaluations, and inventories of student records and tests.

2. Is responsible for following up on students absent for more than 1 day and reporting health/family concerns to the Primary Coordinator and Director of Lower School.

3. Plans field trips, holiday and classroom events, and special events as required.

4. Works with the Room Parent to plan and coordinate in-class activities and events in which parents/caregivers and/or families participate.

5. Coordinates all classroom volunteers.

6. Is responsible for communicating between program levels regarding student transition.

7. Is responsible for the training, supervision, and evaluation of an Associate Teacher who may be assigned to the classroom.

8. Is responsible for the supervision of any substitute teachers that may be assigned to the classroom.

9. Is responsible for keeping the Primary Program Coordinator updated on events, personal and professional issues, schedule, and curricular coordination that could impact their performance.

10. Collaborates with the admissions office in regard to tours, sharing schedules, and hosting visitors and prospective parents.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree in education preferred but not required, Montessori training preferred but not required.
2. At least three years of teaching experience.
3. Deep capability to engage in differentiated instruction strategies for reading and writing. 
4. Ability to make connections across disciplines and respond to students' ideas and inquiries by adapting lesson plans.
5. Exceptionally strong interpersonal skills. 
6. Excellent verbal and written communication skills to engage in a collaborative community. 
7. Strong English language & literature skills, scaffolding reading-/writing-related work, and providing an evaluation of work to students.

Required Competencies:

1. Planning & Organizing
2. Interpersonal/relationship management skills
3. Collaboration & Teamwork
4. Innovation
5. Integrity and Trust
6. Adaptability
7. Attentive listener

Work Authorization: The candidate must be authorized to work in the US.

Compensation: Competitive and commensurate with experience.

Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance,  403(b), LTD and STD, paid & holidays, and life insurance.

Start Date: ASAP

To Apply: https://www.thediscoveryschool.org/about/employment 

The Discovery School is an equal opportunity employer.