Director of Instructional Practices

The Chapin School•New York, NY

17h•Onsite

About The Position

The Chapin School, an independent K–12 day school for girls in New York City, seeks a student-centered, collaborative, and innovative educator to serve as Director of Instructional Practices. This 12-month role begins July 1, 2027. The Director reports to the Director of Academic Program and works in partnership with Division Heads and Department Heads to advance the School’s mission and core values through teaching and learning. Working across Chapin’s three divisions, the Director will foster reflective professional growth and develop structures, systems, and strategies that establish shared expectations for excellent classroom instruction. The Director will help further articulate standards for effective classroom practice and design a sustainable model of coaching and faculty support that embeds those standards in a professional growth and development plan. This work includes collaborating with educators to define and implement a research-based, mission-aligned Framework of Instructional Practices.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or a field relevant to the role.
At least 7 years of exemplary classroom teaching and instructional coaching experience.
Demonstrated success designing and facilitating professional learning and coaching educators.
Experience across multiple divisions of a K–12 learning environment.
Deep understanding of girls’ education, student development, and effective pedagogy.
Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, with the ability to inspire, support, and hold others accountable.
Commitment to equity, innovation, and the holistic development of girls.

Nice To Haves

Classroom teaching and instructional coaching experience in independent schools is preferred.

Responsibilities

Co-design and implement Chapin’s Framework for Instructional Practices as a shared vision for innovative, inquiry-driven, student-centered teaching aligned with the School’s mission and values.
Partner with the Director of Academic Program, Division Heads, Department Heads, and teachers to align instructional practices with student engagement and curricular goals across grade levels.
Lead faculty in adopting evidence-based practices that promote students’ critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and confidence.
Conduct regular classroom observations and informal visits, offering formative feedback to support instructional improvement.
Co-create and lead a professional learning program focused on research-based instructional design and pedagogy.
Work with faculty to align instructional approaches with the School’s mission, core values, and instructional framework.
Coach Department Heads and other academic leaders in observation and feedback methods based on Chapin’s framework.
Mentor faculty and emerging leaders through coaching, collaborative planning, and reflective dialogue.
Coordinate new teacher orientation and mentoring programs.
Promote faculty growth, often through co-teaching, by modeling classroom instruction that reflects the instructional framework, effective differentiation, and use of student-level data.
Build cooperative relationships and nurture a professional community of adult learners who communicate openly about teaching and learning.
Prioritize clear and consistent spoken and written communication.
Promote and design professional development grounded in current research.
Understand and support Lower, Middle, and Upper School learners and their distinct developmental needs; use a range of teaching and learning strategies, including for students with learning differences.
Model inclusive teaching, encourage colleagues to advance inclusive practices, and cultivate a culture where innovative inclusion efforts are the norm.
Examine teaching practices and policies to ensure they are equitably designed and applied.