Grade 1 Assistant Teacher (One-Year Position)

New Canaan Country School • New Canaan, CT

7h • Onsite

About The Position

New Canaan Country School is a co-ed, independent day school for students in Pre-K (ages 3 & 4) through Grade 9 living in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Located in New Canaan, CT, and serving approximately 550 students, our mission is to guide students to reach their intellectual, creative, moral, and physical potential. A talented and devoted faculty engages our students in developmentally appropriate ways, delivering a challenging curriculum that builds intellectual skills and fosters creative and critical thinking. We lead by example and challenge students to fulfill their potential, find their path, and follow their passions, whether in the classroom, on the playing fields, on the stage, or serving the community. The Lower School at Country School serves over 200 students in Grades 1 through 4. Our teachers support the educational mission of the school as well as its core values of community, courage, curiosity and kindness. A strong teacher presence and low student-teacher ratio help usher children through these critical formative years. Our Lower School teachers are experienced, dynamic and possess a strong sense of pedagogy. They demonstrate a commitment to bringing out the best in each student and ensure that each child is known, seen, loved, and valued. Responsive Classroom is robustly used as our social-emotional curriculum across all settings in the Lower School.
About the Grade 1 Assistant Teacher Position The Grade 1 Assistant Teacher serves as a member of our Lower School faculty. This is a one-year position for the 2026-2027 school year. This position offers the opportunity to teach across the three Grade 1 homerooms, partnering with the grade one teachers in delivering small group and whole group instruction. This role will serve as a member of the Grade 1 team, collaborating in planning day-to-day logistics and curriculum implementation. The person who takes this role will have the unique opportunity to collaborate closely with colleagues and foster relationships with students across the grade.

Requirements

• Understanding of the social, emotional and academic needs of students and the ability to connect with students of this age level
• A well-developed sense of pedagogy and classroom management skills
• Strong collaborative and communication skills
• Relevant experience teaching the age group and assessing student learning
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

Responsibilities

• Foster a joyful, vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming classroom community supported by strong classroom management skills
• Collaborate with the grade one team to plan, organize and implement a developmentally appropriate and pedagogically sound program across three homerooms
• Support the evaluation of students’ academic and social growth, help to keep appropriate records, help to prepare narrative reports and conduct parent conferences
• Support the differentiation of instruction by delivering curriculum in small group and whole group settings
• Partner with grade-level and divisional colleagues in short and long-term planning of curriculum
• Participate productively in grade level, department, division and all-employee meetings
• Supervise and engage with students in out-of-classroom activities during the day, such as recess, lunch, and during field trips and other events
• In partnership with the grade 1 team, identify student needs and partner with the Learning Resource Team to support student growth and development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level