2nd Grade Teacher - Gifted Education

AVERY COONLEY SCHOOL•Downers Grove, IL

20h•$60,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Avery Coonley School is seeking an engaging, thoughtful, and collaborative 2nd Grade Teacher who is passionate about working with bright and gifted learners. Our students are academically advanced, curious, creative, and eager to explore ideas deeply. The successful candidate will understand that teaching gifted children requires both academic challenge and thoughtful attention to their social and emotional development. The 2nd Grade Teacher creates a classroom environment in which students feel known, supported, challenged, and inspired to take intellectual risks. Instruction should provide appropriate depth, complexity, and pace while recognizing that gifted students have varied learning profiles and may develop at different rates academically, socially, and emotionally. Primary teaching responsibilities include mathematics, science, writing, and social-emotional learning, along with the broader responsibilities of supporting a positive and engaging classroom community.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution.
Teaching experience in an early or upper elementary school setting.
Strong knowledge of elementary mathematics, science, and writing instruction.
Demonstrated ability to plan engaging, rigorous, and differentiated instruction.
Strong classroom management, organization, relationship-building, and written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with teachers, specialists, support staff, families, and administrators.
Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines while remaining flexible in a dynamic school environment.
Commitment to high expectations for students while supporting individual academic and social-emotional needs.
Openness to feedback, reflection, and continued professional growth.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in education or a related field.
Experience teaching bright, gifted, or academically advanced students.
Coursework, professional development, endorsement, or certification in gifted education.
Experience differentiating or accelerating curriculum for advanced learners.
Experience with collaborative teaching, flexible grouping, or team-based instructional models.

Responsibilities

Plan and deliver engaging, rigorous, and developmentally appropriate instruction in mathematics, science, writing, and social-emotional learning for academically advanced and gifted students.
Design learning experiences that provide appropriate depth, complexity, pace, and challenge while encouraging curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and a growth mindset.
Differentiate instruction based on student readiness, interests, learning needs, and demonstrated mastery, including enrichment, remediation, and acceleration when appropriate.
Use assessments, observations, student work, and other data to monitor learning, guide instruction, and provide meaningful and timely feedback.
Maintain accurate records of student progress, attendance, and other required information.
Create a warm, inclusive, respectful, and intellectually engaging classroom responsive to the unique characteristics of gifted children.
Establish positive relationships with students and clear, consistent, developmentally appropriate expectations for behavior.
Support students' social-emotional growth, including self-awareness, self-regulation, resilience, empathy, collaboration, conflict resolution, and responsible decision-making.
Guide students through challenges and conflicts with empathy, consistency, appropriate boundaries, and sound judgment.
Foster respect for different perspectives, experiences, abilities, and ways of thinking.
Develop positive, professional relationships with families and engage parents and guardians as partners in their children's education.
Communicate proactively regarding classroom learning, student progress, accomplishments, and concerns, and respond to questions in a timely and thoughtful manner.
Participate in parent-teacher conferences and other meetings regarding student progress and support.
Maintain appropriate confidentiality and professional boundaries in all student and family communications.
Collaborate closely with the grade-level teaching partner, specialists, student support staff, administrators, and other faculty to provide a consistent and cohesive student experience.
Participate in faculty, division, and department meetings and contribute positively to the broader school community.
Attend and support school activities as required, including field trips, community events, and supervisory duties such as lunch or recess.
Meet established deadlines for report cards, family communications, student records, curriculum planning, and other professional responsibilities.
Demonstrate professionalism, discretion, reliability, flexibility, and a commitment to continuous growth.
Support the mission, values, policies, and expectations of The Avery Coonley School and perform other responsibilities consistent with the role as assigned.

Benefits

Group Health Insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL with 6 medical plan options including HSA compatible plan)
Dental PPO plan
Vision plan (EyeMed network)
Flexible Spending Account
Employee discount program through Blue 365
Employer Provided Life/AD&D Insurance (Term Life Insurance coverage equal to the full-time employee’s annual salary, $150,000 max, 100% cost contributed by school)
Employer Sponsored Disability Benefit (Short Term and Long-Term Disability insurance, 100% cost contributed by school)
Employee Assistance Program (through ALL One Health for emotional, legal, and financial issues, counseling, and work-life resources)
403(b) Plan (through TIAA with employer match based on years of service)
Paid Time Off Policy (10-month employees: 13 sick days, 5 personal days; 12-month employees: 13 sick days, 7 personal days, vacation leave starting at two weeks annually and increasing with service)
Paid leave accrual for part-time regular employees (1 hour of paid leave for each 40 hours worked, usable after 90 days)
Paid time off for professional development activities
Parental Leave (six-week maternity/paternity adoption leave at full salary)