1st Grade Lead Teacher Job Role
Friends School of Wilmington seeks a joyful, student-centered educator to join our Lower School (K-5) teaching team as 1st Grade Lead Teacher. Our ideal candidate is someone who will contribute to a learning environment where academic excellence is infused with the spirit of inquiry and a passion for lifelong learning. They will be a dynamic instructor with… experience teaching structured literacy (i.e., phonological awareness, phonics, explicit reading and writing instruction, and small groups), guided math that follows the Everyday Mathematics approach, and thematically-scaffolded science and social studies units. They will be enthusiastic to embrace place-based learning, outdoor exploration, and environmental education as essential components of their teaching practice. They will implement and uplift our students social and emotional development through a Responsive Classroom framework. They will be knowledgeable about and fully embrace the Quaker history of our campus, including our foundational valuessimplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship, or, the SPICES for short. Ultimately, they will be a mission-aligned, compassionate educator who loves their students and the joys of teaching.
The selected candidate will co-teach alongside the current Lead and Assistant Teacher in November and December, with an official start date in January after winter break.
Areas of Responsibility
Deliver thoughtful, relevant, and student-centered lesson plans that promote an environment of critical thinking and academic rigor.
Uplift experiential learning principles through dynamic instruction that engages, motivates, and empowers students to take ownership of their learning.
Review and analyze sources of data to measure and assess student growth aligned to instructional goals and adjust instructional strategies and content delivery as needed.
Maintain a physically and emotionally safe, supportive learning environment that is characterized by efficient and effective routines, clear and high expectations for all student behavior, and organization that maximizes student learning.
Utilize positive behavioral management strategies that invest students in their academic goals and motivate them to be actively engaged in their learning journeys.
Work to establish and maintain open lines of communication with students and their parents concerning academic and behavioral goals, including directing parent-teacher conferences to discuss student progress, strategies for improvement, and home/school collaboration.
Attend and actively engage in collaborative professional development (in-service), faculty meetings, and division-level planning.
Seek feedback and professional learning opportunities throughout the year to improve instruction and drive student achievement.
Support school-wide programs and events, including the occasional evening or weekend function, to foster community and parental engagement.
Supervise children during lunch and recess, ensuring a safe and respectful environment.
Perform any other duties as assigned by school leadership.
Qualifications
Bachelors or Masters degree from an accredited college or university in education, elementary education, or a related discipline.
Experience working with elementary-aged children in a student-centered, experiential learning program.
A deep investment in the Friends School of Wilmington mission statement and guiding values.
Essential Duties
The essential duties described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the everyday functions of this job. The employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is often required to stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must be able to exert a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Employees in this job must be energetic and flexible and possess the visual acuity to prepare data, work with records processes, and do extensive reading and research. Due to amount of time spent standing and/or walking, physical requirements are consistent with those for Light work, as defined by the Social Security Administrations Code of Federal Regulations.
Salary & Benefits
This role is an exempt, salaried, ten-month position. Consistent with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Salary Schedule, salary is commensurate with education and experience. Benefits include retirement, health/dental/vision insurance, paid holidays and time off.
Applicant Information
Individuals who would like to be considered for the 1st Grade Lead Teacher position should be prepared to submit all of the following by APPLYING HERE. Only applications received through this portal will be considered.
Cover letter
Resume/curriculum vitae
Contact information for three (3) professional references
All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of a criminal background check prior to beginning work. Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate ability to legally work in the United States.
Who We Are
Friends School of Wilmington is a preschool-8th grade independent?school, rooted in Quaker values, dedicated to fostering a lifelong love of learning and a drive to act always with courage, integrity, and love.
At FSW, our educational mission is grounded in?a sustained commitment to academic excellence and moral character; a learning environment where students are equipped to lead lives guided by curiosity and kindness, wisdom and empathy. Starting in our Montessori preschool classrooms, we empower children to explore the world around them through creative, hands-on discovery. Our Lower and Middle School students develop as self-confident critical thinkers who solve problems with authenticity, adaptability, and collaboration.
Our teachers and administrators are the best of the best, the majority of whom hold postgraduate degrees. Through an innovative, robust curriculum that draws upon experiential and service-learning principles, we help each child reach their highest individual potential. Please visit our website at www.fsow.org for more information.
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Friends School of Wilmington actively strives to be a community of staff, students, and families of diverse backgrounds. FSW does not discriminate based on age, race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, socio-economic background, family structure, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, or military service in the administration of its policies and program. We are an equal opportunity employer in both policy and practice
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