School Hospital Teacher (Full Time, Days)

Nicklaus Children's•Miami, FL

About The Position

The Hospital School Teacher serves as the primary point of contact between the hospital and patients’ schools, coordinating educational services for chronically ill students receiving medical care. The role works with medical staff, school personnel, families, school districts, and education partners to support students’ academic needs during hospitalization or treatment. The teacher helps implement individualized education plans and grade-level curriculum, advocates for students and families, and supports continuity of education during and after a hospital stay. The position assesses students’ academic and learning needs, provides educational resources and support, manages a caseload, and plans and documents education plans. It coordinates communication among families, schools, and medical teams; supports school re-entry and educational accommodations; and contributes to programs and resources for students and school staff. The teacher also supports siblings of chronically ill patients, evaluates teaching outcomes, administers educational and cognitive tests as needed, and supervises school program volunteers and students.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Child Life Development, Elementary Education, or a related field.
Florida Educator Certification required within one year of hire and must be maintained as active and in good standing throughout employment.
American Heart Association BLS required within 90 days of hire and must be maintained as active and in good standing throughout employment.
1–3 years of experience as an educator in an elementary, middle, or high school.
Ability to adapt and react calmly under stressful conditions.
Ability to handle multiple assignments, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
Ability to work in a team environment.
Ability to work independently and flexibly with minimal supervision.
Ability to represent the department or function professionally, courteously, and efficiently.
Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Child Life Development, Elementary Education, or a related field.
Experience working with children.

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain supportive, balanced, and therapeutic relationships with patients and families while adhering to HIPAA regulations.
Identify patients’ and families’ learning needs, recognize barriers to learning, assess readiness to learn, and adapt academic support to age, chronic illness, developmental, and psychosocial factors.
Communicate and collaborate professionally with the healthcare team to support shared patient- and family-focused care goals.
Refer families to hospital educational services and assist with applications for homebound instruction and tutoring.
Assess academic needs of chronically ill patients and advocate for hospital homebound services, tutoring, and post-discharge educational support.
Manage and prioritize a caseload according to school program standards of care, and organize daily routines.
Implement school-aged educational enrichment programs that foster cognitive growth and development.
Communicate students’ educational potential and illness-related limitations to families, schools, and the medical team.
Plan, implement, and document education plans for hospitalized children to maintain continuity of learning.
Contribute educational resources and programs for school staff, administrators, and students concerning diagnoses and related educational or environmental accommodations.
Use problem-solving to address students’ school challenges and communication barriers with school teams.
Coordinate with school administrators, medical teams, and parents to reduce barriers to educational services.
Document communications about school program services in the electronic charting system and maintain accurate service data and statistics.
Engage with schools, families, and education partners by telephone, video conference, or in-person school visits.
Assist with school re-entry, including advocacy and preparation of IEP/504 documentation when needed.
Support school re-entry by educating school staff and students about a patient’s diagnosis and accommodations.
Support recruitment and onboarding of school program staff, interns, and volunteers.
Assess how each student learns best and adjust teaching techniques accordingly.
Develop and implement initiatives to enhance patients’ educational experiences.
Assess the academic needs of siblings of chronically ill patients and, with consent, communicate with schools to connect siblings to appropriate resources.
Evaluate outcomes by summarizing the effectiveness of school-based teaching methods.
Supervise school program volunteers and students.
Administer and interpret diagnostic educational and cognitive attitude tests as needed.