Lower School Assistant Teacher

Friends Central School Corporation•Wynnewood, PA

20h•Onsite

About The Position

Friends’ Central School is an independent, coeducational Quaker day school founded in 1845 and serving approximately 880 students in Nursery through grade 12. Located in the Philadelphia suburbs, the School has two campuses. The Middle & Upper Schools are located just outside of West Philadelphia in Wynnewood, and the Lower School is on our Old Gulph Road campus in the heart of Wynnewood. The Lower School has approximately 280 students. The exceptional faculty at Friends’ Central offers a curriculum that cultivates the intellectual, spiritual, and ethical growth of our students. Our pedagogy is grounded in continuing revelation, reflection, integrity, and a willingness to accept responsibility. From Nursery to Grade 12, our students participate in a process designed to foster creative, critical, and flexible thinking, along with compassion. As they transform from playful children to skilled, self-possessed teenagers, they are always intellectually curious and engaged thinkers. Friends’ Central prepares graduates to succeed in college and in life. Friends’ Central School seeks full-time Lower School Assistant Teachers. Ideal candidates will demonstrate knowledge of and experience in hands-on and integrated learning; be highly motivated, hard-working, collaborative, and flexible; demonstrate a desire to learn; show initiative; and have a sense of humor. In addition to having the required professional and educational background, we seek a passionate, motivated, and energetic candidate. Assistant Teacher positions are 10-month, exempt positions and will be under the supervision of the Lower School Assistant Principal. Employment letters may be renewed on an annual basis and are sent on or around March for the next academic school year. Lower School Assistant Teacher Program The Assistant Teacher Program (ATP) serves as the cornerstone of our thriving Lower School community by transforming classrooms into dynamic teaching and learning environments for both students and educators. ATP creates a sustainable model for adequate staffing, mentorship, and educational excellence while ensuring high-quality support in Nursery-2nd grade. The two pathways recognize how our excellent educators have diverse career goals and prepare them accordingly. Career Assistant Teacher Pathway: Assistant Teachers are selecting the pathway that places them as career assistant teachers and decide to not pursue a lead teaching position at FCS Lower School. This track validates the Assistant Teacher role as a valued, long-term career choice and continues to excel at the supportive and relational aspects of teaching. For Assistant Teachers, the collaborative nature of the program fosters authentic professional development through daily mentorship, shared problem-solving and reflective practice. This pathway allows educators committed to their craft of assistant teaching to be supported through their own growth and to fine-tune their skills alongside mentor teachers and the Assistant Principal. Aspiring Lead Teacher Pathway: Assistant teachers may have prior teaching experience or be new to teaching. The Aspiring Lead pathway is a 3-year program at the Lower School with the goal of pursuing Lead Teaching positions at FCS or beyond. This track serves as an intentional pathway towards confidence and competence in developing the full skill set needed to acquire a Lead role. The ATP provides professional growth opportunities for Assistant Teachers to strengthen their existing skills and talents, experiences with highly qualified educational mentors, and professional development workshops for those who seek lead teaching opportunities. The goal is to build a pipeline of skilled educators who deeply understand our school culture, community values, and pedagogical approach, and desire a lead teaching position. Friends’ Central School seeks candidates with a commitment to fostering an inclusive learning community, who will address issues of diversity, as well as enhance the Philosophy of Inclusivity and Awareness articulated in our Diversity Statement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in progress or earned in a related field
A passion for teaching and learning
A desire to work with young children
Demonstrate an active and earnest commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including anti-bias and anti-racist practices
Possess the willingness to partner with colleagues intentionally
Show interest in learning about thematic teaching
Exude the mindset of a lifelong learner
Have an interest in Quaker education

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of and experience in hands-on and integrated learning
Highly motivated, hard-working, collaborative, and flexible
Desire to learn
Show initiative
Sense of humor
Passionate, motivated, and energetic candidate

Responsibilities

Assists the Lead Teacher in preparing the classroom each school day
Assists the Lead Teacher with reviewing and organizing student work
Supports small group learning in partnership with the Lead Teacher
Supervises student transitions within and outside of the classroom
Provides careful supervision of students during snack, recess, and lunch
Supports the healthy social and emotional development of each child
Develops positive working relationships with students and their families
Works alongside lead teachers to create and update classroom communication, including weekly communications and Seesaw posts
Supports the Lead Teacher in preparing for conferences and report cards
Fulfills Lead Teacher role in the absence of the Lead Teacher
Has morning care duty and other duties as assigned
Meets monthly with the Lower School Assistant Principal
Engages in yearly performance evaluations with the Lower School Assistant Principal
Participate in a school life committee to support the school’s commitment to continued learning and shared leadership
Aforementioned responsibilities of the Assistant Teacher
Actively collaborates with the Lead Teacher, Specialist Teachers, and Support Services Team (as needed) on classroom programming, activities, and responsibilities
Throughout the course of the program, aspiring leads will work up to planning and executing lessons or units in Social/Emotional, Math, Literacy, and/or Social Studies in partnership with the Lead Teacher.
Year 1: Leads Morning Meeting (Responsive Classroom), Meeting for Worship Facing Bench, and content lessons in the spring
Year 2: Continuation of year one plus a scheduled rotation of Fundations, Literacy, Math, and Social Studies
Assists the Lead Teacher in preparing for conferences and co-facilitates the communication about their students as assigned
Assists the Lead Teacher in report card writing and co-authors narratives as assigned
Meets weekly with the Lower School Assistant Principal
Year 1: Weekly meetings
Year 2 & 3: Bi-weekly meetings
Actively participates in aspiring lead teacher professional development opportunities
Engages in yearly performance evaluations with the Lower School Assistant Principal
Seasonal peer observations and feedback
Lead/mentor teacher feedback
Attendance 7:45 am to 3:45 pm in addition to required professional commitments (i.e. faculty meetings, committee meetings, Admissions events, Parent Teacher conferences, etc.)
Attends weekly faculty meetings and school-wide professional development days