Lower School 5th Grade Teacher

Lower School Teacher - 5th Grade

Westtown School is seeking a full-time lead Lower School Teacher to teach 5th grade beginning in late August 2024. Our Lower School serves students in Pre-K through 5th grade. 

Westtown School is an independent, Quaker co-educational, pre-K to 12, college preparatory day and boarding school located in suburban West Chester, PA, approximately 30 miles from Philadelphia. On a beautiful 600-acre campus, Westtown offers a program where our committed faculty and staff inspire and prepare our students to be stewards and leaders of a better world. 

Essential Responsibilities

• Teaches core academic subjects in the areas of literacy, math, and thematic studies with a culturally responsive and inclusive lens;
• Ignites a love of learning through the development and implementation of engaging, inquiry-based curriculum;
• Helps students develop the essential skills of critical thinking, communication, and empathy;
• Supports students’ social-emotional and identity development;
• Contributes to building and sustaining an inclusive community and a program that reflects diverse cultures and perspectives;
• Communicates effectively with all constituents – students, colleagues, administrators, and parents;
• Contributes to students’ development of Quaker values;
• Engages in decision-making aligned with Quaker process in service to the school community;
• Collaborates with the other 5th grade teacher, special area teachers, and the student support team;
• Writes narrative reports, leads parent/teacher conferences, and maintains home-school connections;
• Integrates technology seamlessly into teaching strategies and practices;
• Engages in divisional community responsibilities as assigned (e.g. arrival/dismissal, lunch/recess, weekly faculty meetings);
• Plans and chaperones field trips;
• Serves on faculty and staff committees;
• Enthusiastically seeks out and participates in school-sponsored and self-selected professional development opportunities to grow as an instructional leader and community member.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of relevant classroom teaching experience required;
• BA or BS degree in Education; advanced degree preferred; 
• Demonstrated passion and joy for working with Lower School students;
• Knowledge of child development and a commitment to social-emotional learning, differentiated instruction, and inquiry- and project-based teaching;
• Strong speaking, writing, and listening skills;
• A demonstrated commitment to inclusive Quaker pedagogy based on cultural competence, commitment to social justice, and respect for all voices;
• Familiarity with Google products and ability to integrate technology into best teaching practices;
• A strong affinity for the mission of Westtown School and an appreciation for Quaker values and how these inform community processes  (meeting structures, decision-making, student discipline, etc.) and interactions.

As Westtown strives to fulfill our commitment to becoming an anti-bias, anti-racist (ABAR) school, we are seeking culturally competent educators with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion who are eager to engage in ongoing professional development in these areas. This will be evidenced in their approach to curriculum and pedagogy, their ability to foster and develop inclusive communities, and through their personal and professional interactions with diverse groups of students, families, faculty, and staff.

For additional information about Westtown School and to explore current career opportunities, please visit our website westtown.edu/careers. Interested applicants can apply online by submitting their resume, cover letter, and three professional references, directly to the specific job posting on the faculty employment portal.