Study Skills Teacher - Upper School; Program

Study Skills Teacher - Upper School (Options Program)

SEATTLE ACADEMY is a dynamic community that challenges students to question, imagine, and create in order to contribute boldly to a changing world. This mission comes alive in our urban school setting, where we serve grades 6-12 in a vibrant, independent school environment.

Our diverse faculty is exceptionally qualified, strong academically, and combines rich life experience with passion for their disciplines. Our teaching philosophy is guided by our mission and core principles of Culture of Performance, College and Life, Know the Kid, and Inclusive Community.

Seattle Academy seeks a full-time Study Skills Teacher to join the Upper School Options Program beginning in the  school year.

The Options Program is a small-group learning model embedded within the SAAS Upper School, serving students in grades 9-12 in core academic courses with class sizes of 6-10 students. The program is designed for academically capable students for whom a traditional classroom environment has not been effective and focuses on rebuilding confidence as learners while maintaining high academic expectations with high support.

Options students are curious, perceptive, and often funny; they learn differently and thrive when the environment is built around how they actually work.

Students take small-group courses in core academic subjects such as English, History, and Math, while completing the remainder of their schedule through SAAS's broad elective offerings. The program emphasizes structured flexibility: faculty intentionally adjust pacing and workload while maintaining clear routines, accountability, and consistent expectations. Executive functioning and social-emotional skills are explicitly taught and reinforced within academic coursework, with particular attention to planning, pacing, and work production.

Instruction is designed to make learning processes visible and manageable within a predictable, well-designed environment.

Students in the Options Program also choose to participate in athletics, arts, outdoor programs, and clubs within the broader SAAS community.

This is a full-time faculty position with a standard teaching load of five sections across grade levels. A typical class size is 4-6 students. Faculty in this role may also serve as advisors, supporting a small group of students through regular advisory meetings focused on relationship-building, goal-setting, reflection, and student growth.

Study Skills is a small-group course within Seattle Academy's Learning Support program designed to help students develop executive functioning, self-advocacy, and academic skills that transfer across settings and over time. Situated within the Options Program, the course provides students with structured support as they learn to navigate increasing academic demands with greater independence.

Grounded in a strengths-based, systems-oriented approach, Study Skills teachers partner closely with students, families, classroom teachers, and support teams to identify barriers to learning and build effective systems for success. They help students better understand how they learn, develop strategies that align with their strengths, and build the confidence to advocate for themselves across contexts.

Instruction combines explicit skill-building, targeted mini-lessons, coaching conversations, and supported work time. Students frequently bring current coursework into class, creating opportunities to address immediate academic demands while practicing planning, organization, prioritization, and self-monitoring skills. The goal is not simply to complete assignments, but to help students develop the habits, systems, and self-awareness needed to work with increasing independence over time.

Faculty in this role balance empathy with structure and support with accountability. They create environments where students feel known, challenged, and capable, remain invested through setbacks and moments of resistance, and collaborate closely with families and colleagues. Above all, they are committed to helping students develop the skills, confidence, and independence needed for long-term success.

• Teach small-group Study Skills courses focused on executive functioning, self-advocacy, and academic skill development
• Use students' current coursework as an authentic context for teaching, practicing, and transferring executive functioning skills across settings
• Build systems that increase student independence over time while maintaining appropriate scaffolds and accountability
• Partner closely with classroom teachers to align supports and promote transfer of skills across environments
• Communicate proactively and effectively with students and families regarding progress, goals, and strategies
• Monitor student growth and adjust supports using observation, student feedback, and academic data, and collaborate with colleagues to ensure…