Lower School Teacher – 1st Grade

Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, Colorado, is looking for a Lower School (1st-5th grade) teacher.

Shining Mountain Waldorf School faculty shares a vision of teaching excellence that centers a pedagogy rooted in Waldorf education principles, best academic teaching practices, and a regular examination of curricular content that signifies our commitment to inclusion and belonging. We express collaboration through our participation in weekly meetings, committees, festivals, concerts and assemblies, after school and weekend events, and our tools for restorative practices.

We work in concert with our administrative staff and strive to manifest a community where everyone is seen and respected for their valuable contributions.

Full Job Description

Job Title
:
Lower School Class Teacher(Grade
1)

Program: Lower School Section

Reports to: School Director

FLSA Status:Exempt

Teaching Responsibilities

• Hours for teaching staff are 7:45 am to 3:30 pm Monday to Friday following the SMWS academic student calendar
• The class teacher is responsible for holding their class and will be expected to teach the morning lesson curriculum.
• In addition, class teachers are expected to teach subject classes either to their own class or others, depending on their particular skills.
• At SMWS class teachers teach in either grades 1-5 or 6-8 rotations.
• Colleagues and the School Director work collaboratively to maintain an overall vision of curricular expectations through the grades.
• Full time teachers are expected to participate in two committees, two tasks, their weekly department meeting, and the weekly plenum meeting.

Non-teaching Responsibilities

• Oversee an equitable share of arrival, dismissal, snack, lunch, and recess duties.
• Maintain a clean, orderly, and attractive classroom.
• Assure that classroom resources, tools, and equipment are cared for and replenished.
• Guide and supervise students through their daily class schedule transitions.
• Maintain a healthy relationship with parents and hold 4-5 parent evenings throughout the school year.
• Send parents a weekly email with pertinent classroom updates.
• Attend all festivals and evening class performances.
• Plan and attend all day and overnight field trips.
• Complete an end-of- year report for each student. Middle school (grades 6-8) teachers write end-of-block reports as well.

Professional Development and Support

• The Person nel Committee and the Governance Council consult with new teachers to assure that they receive a mentor who will support their integration into the school.
• The Person nel Committee will provide regular feedback in the form of scheduled reviews and provide professional development opportunities.
• Waldorf Associations (AWSNA) webinars and educational opportunities
• Weekly Sectional meetings, In-Service meetings (August and June), and weekly Plenum meetings offer collaboration and educational opportunities

Additional Responsibilities:

In accordance with the SMWS philosophy, the person filling this position may be required to carry out other duties necessary to the fulfillment of the school’s mission, strategies, and agreements.

Work Setting

• General classroom, outdoor recess area, field trip, and outdoor environments
• Occasional weekend and evening hours
• Summer movement of classroom

Education and Qualifications / Regulations

• Bachelor’s degree in education or specified subject area preferred
• A minimum of four years of teaching experience preferred
• Waldorf teaching and and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with students and colleagues, and an interest in active community engagement.
• A strong commitment to equity and inclusion.
• Demonstrated teaching capacity in experiential and project-based learning.
• A commitment to continued learning, i.e., Waldorf and general educational trends, research-based learning models, educational technology, curriculum development, learning standards, multicultural education, and current best practices.
• Organizational and computer skills are essential.

Physical Requirements

• SMWS fosters outdoor activities and settings include school campus, playground, surrounding parks and trails,…