Upper Elementary Teacher

Upper Elementary Teacher
Alexandria, Va.

Elementary School Teacher Wanted for Small Progressive School, Alexandria VA
The River Farm Cooperative School in Alexandria, VA, seeks a full-time 3rd-5th grade teacher for our Upper Elementary School in a small, mixed-age classroom of students age 8-11 to begin September 2018.

This is an incredible opportunity to teach in an ideal setting: you’ll have a very small class of motivated students (currently 7, capped at 10), a dedicated parent community, and a high level of autonomy and creativity in the classroom. There are 2 other classes in the school, which has a total maximum enrollment of 34 children.

About the River Farm Cooperative Based in Alexandria, VA, the River Farm Cooperative is a secular, parent-run independent k-8 private school featuring mixed age classrooms and a focus on nature and community-building. We encourage each child’s natural desire to learn by helping them develop self-motivation, self-knowledge, and respect for self, others, and the world. While academics are important, our program is unique in that we also emphasize socio-emotional growth, relationship-building, and curiosity and respect for the natural world. To facilitate this growth, we rely on weekly hikes, daily free time in nature (rain-or-shine), and 1-2 field trips per month to encourage students to connect with their bodies, their peers, and the world around them.

​Job Details Reporting to the Director of School and the Board of Directors, the Upper Elementary School teacher is responsible for preparing daily lesson plans and for instruction of children in language arts, math, science, history, geography, cultural studies, nature study, and music appreciation. Must be able to inspire and challenge children and to develop and teach innovative lesson plans adaptable to multiple age and grade levels. The ideal applicant will be inspired to share a love of learning with children and will have a passion for progressive education, strong classroom management skills and experience as a lead teacher in a mixed age classroom, and a genuine curiosity about the world. School is in session September-mid June, 8:45 am – 3:00 pm. Teachers are expected to come in a bit earlier to prepare and sometimes stay a bit later to chat with parents, and to attend a reasonable number of meetings and events.

Benefits include generous paid time off and tuition discount. Holidays and most school vacations follow Fairfax County. Minimum Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in education (or related) OR four years of experience teaching in a progressive environment. • Two years of experience teaching students in grades 3-5. • Teaching experience in a mixed-age environment. Preferred Qualifications • Montessori Training • Waldorf Training • Reggio Emilia Training • Understanding of progressive education. • Bilingual (Spanish) and able to provide twice weekly Spanish lessons to students in grades K-5. • Love of, and knowledge about, the outdoors. Willing and able to hike outdoors in all kinds of weather. • An understanding of and appreciation for intercultural differences; commitment to diversity and social justice. • A passion for working in a cooperative educational environment. • High-energy, creative, flexible, nurturing, and collaborative spirit.

Compensation $33,000 Paid time off Professional Development Opportunities Benefits are not currently offered
If interested, please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to: UpperSchool@RiverFarmCooperative.com. Cover letter should convey to us why you would be a great fit for the position.