Teacher, Special Education Teacher

Description

Pierceton Woods Academy is seeking a professional, mission-driven teacher who wants to help students experience school, learning, and themselves differently.

Many of our students have not always felt successful, capable, or connected in school. At PWA, teaching is about more than delivering content. It is about helping students rebuild trust, develop academic confidence, strengthen self-efficacy, and begin to believe that growth is possible for them.

We are looking for an educator who understands and believes that every student deserves a real chance to learn and can provide strong instruction in a supportive, nontraditional school environment.

PWA serves approximately 35 male students at a time in grades 5–12, with most students typically in grades 9–11. Students come from communities across Indiana and bring a wide range of backgrounds, strengths, academic needs, life experiences, and school histories.

Students are served across several classrooms, with class sizes typically no larger than 12 students. Teachers also work with trained classroom support staff who assist with student engagement, regulation, supervision, and behavioral concerns.

This is not a traditional school setting. For the right educator, that is exactly what makes the work meaningful.

We are primarily seeking an Indiana licensed teacher in one or more of the following areas:

• Social Studies (5-12)
• Math (5-12)
• Science (5-12)
• Special Education

While licensure area matters, our highest need is a teacher with strong pedagogical understanding and application
. The right candidate must be able to design, adapt, and deliver instruction using a variety of strategies to reach students with diverse academic, behavioral, emotional, and developmental needs.

We are seeking a teacher who can do more than assign work. The ideal candidate can engage reluctant learners, differentiate instruction, build background knowledge, provide meaningful feedback, and help students make progress from wherever they are starting.

At PWA, teachers have the opportunity to:

• Help students build academic confidence and belief in themselves
• Transform how students experience school, learning, and relationships with adults
• Build meaningful relationships with students who need consistency and belonging
• Create engaging, accessible lessons for students with a wide range of skill levels
• Work as part of a team supporting the whole student, including academic, emotional, behavioral, physical, and spiritual needs
• Receive regular feedback, training, and administrative support

Teachers are not expected to manage significant behavioral needs alone. Our staffing structure typically allows for a high level of support, with a 1:4 staff‑to‑student ratio, in addition to the teacher. Teachers also receive evidence-based training in de‑escalation, trauma‑informed practices, and working with youth who have experienced significant adversity.

PWA teachers are full‑time, year‑round employees rather than traditional contracted teachers. Year‑round does not mean more work simply for the sake of more work. It means the work is structured differently so teachers have time to do the full work of teaching well and students have the opportunity to experience consistency throughout the year.

Teachers typically provide about 6 hours of instruction Monday through Thursday
. The typical work schedule falls within an 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. window
, with exact start and end times discussed during the interview process.

Fridays are non‑student days, with time reserved for the behind‑the‑scenes work that strong teaching requires: lesson planning, creative instructional design, collaboration, student feedback, professional development, training, administrative tasks, and preparation. At least one Friday per month is typically used for mandatory training or staff meetings, which are usually less than a full day.

The school year includes 180 instructional days
. There are 9 paid Holidays as well as paid time off provided throughout the year and is encouraged to be used when…