Place-Based Grades 1-2 Lead Teacher
Brightfield School is seeking an innovative, collaborative, and passionate educator to lead a multi-age classroom of up to 12 total grade 1 and 2 students. This position begins in August, 2024 and comes with the unique opportunity to shape the educational program and daily life of a new school community committed to place-based education using the whole child approach.
Summary
Faculty at Brightfield School find a student-centered, teacher-led, collaborative community. Brightfield’s Lead Teachers have direct responsibility for co-creating and delivering curriculum and educational experiences that:
- reflect Brightfield’s mission and vision,
- align with the place-based educational model and responsive classroom approach,
- foster opportunities for social-emotional learning and development, and
- value diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Lead Teachers use the land, area, and communities surrounding Brightfield as an extended classroom for an integrated academic curriculum that is experiential in nature. This position collaborates with all Brightfield faculty to plan and deliver meaningful educational experiences and to make critical educational philosophy, curriculum, and student behavior/progress decisions.
The ideal candidate:
- Is ready to teach a multi-age group of up to 12 students, both indoors and outdoors.
- Can create a safe, supportive, and inspiring learning community with students, focusing on the social-emotional importance of the school experience and using the ‘whole child’ and responsive classroom approaches.
- Has experience delivering grade-level math and phonics-based literacy instruction.
- Has experience with competency-based student assessment.
- Creatively incorporates the local natural environment and community into teaching across the curriculum.
- Is comfortable setting clear behavior and learning expectations for students, motivating students to meet them, and applying positive discipline as needed.
- Is well-versed in developmental stages and theory, as well as academic learning benchmarks for young learners (grades 1 and 2).
- Possesses general natural history knowledge, is familiar with the Maine coast, and can craft theme units that are developmentally appropriate.
- Values relevant and authentic learning experiences.
- Embraces collaboration with colleagues, students, parents, and the local community.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree.
- At least 3 years of relevant classroom teaching experience, including direct experience teaching grade-appropriate subjects and skills and experience implementing place-based or experiential education.
- Excellent communication skills (interpersonal and writing).
- Experience balancing a solid social-emotional curriculum with a robust and balanced academic curriculum.
- Understanding of positive discipline.
- Ability to be physically active with students in a variety of activities; ?eld sports, wilderness trip overnights, cross-country skiing, ice skating, running club, etc.
Joining Brightfield’s team of founding educators represents a unique opportunity to shape the educational philosophy and daily life of a new school community deeply committed to place-based education in Midcoast Maine. Brightfield School is committed to providing competitive pay and benefits, a supportive working environment in which faculty collaborate to make critical decisions affecting their curriculum and students, and ample professional development opportunities.
To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to: info@brightfieldschool.org.