Elementary Class Teacher
Opening Statement
The Elementary Class Teacher role at The Hartsbrook School involves leading a diverse Elementary class, collaborating with colleagues on a daily basis, participating in caregiver, department, and faculty meetings, and contributing to an intentionally inclusive school culture, both within the classroom as well as the wider school community.
Following the principles of Waldorf education as established by AWSNA and benchmark guidelines established by the Faculty Conference, the teacher will design daily and weekly activities, establish a healthy rhythm, and implement a yearly curriculum reflecting the developmental stage and needs of the students as well as the seasons and festivals.
The Class Teacher will work in alignment with Hartsbrook’s philosophy and values, including actively implementing principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
About
The Hartsbrook School was founded in 1981 in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts by parents. As a fledgling Waldorf school, located on a biodynamic farm, we began with one teacher and a handful of kindergarteners. Today, The Hartsbrook School continues to thrive, enrolling about 250 students from early childhood through grade twelve at our 54 acre campus in Hadley, Massachusetts.
Hartsbrook’s campus encompasses extraordinary acres of preserved land, working farmland, woodlands, wetlands, and an ever-changing view of the Holyoke Range. Forty-two of our 54 acres are part of the Agricultural Preservation Restriction program, which grounds our integrated Land Stewardship program: agricultural arts, animal husbandry, pollinators, and CSA. Our teaching spaces include our original 1900s farmhouse, new sustainable buildings, advanced science labs, barnyards, greenhouses, gardens, forest classrooms, and fields.
The Hartsbrook School offers our students an education that builds the capacities needed to meet the challenges of today’s world. Our programs – from early childhood through high school – fully engage each child, nurturing and inspiring them as their unique gifts unfold. Our approach is unhurried, intentional, and deeply informed by our understanding of childhood and adolescent development. Academics are learned through experience and experimentation. Days are filled with arts, music, movement, academics, and meaningful work guided by our teachers who are committed to excellence and authorities on their subject matter, as well as storytellers, musicians, artists, and actors.
The Hartsbrook School stands on the ancestral homelands of the Nipemaug, of Awanusk and her people of the Kwinitekw Valley. We honor and deeply respect the Indigenous peoples of these broad lands. It is our task to understand the history that led to The Hartsbrook School being here today, including the harms of colonization both past and present; to develop relationships with the Indigenous peoples in this area; and, through our approach to the education of children and in joining with others, to restore balance and health to the land, to the human community, and to the being of the earth.The Hartsbrook School and Waldorf education embraces our common humanity. We promote an understanding of all the world’s peoples and their experiences. We are independent and non-sectarian, educating all children while valuing our many cultural or religious backgrounds. The Hartsbrook School is committed to antiracism and strives to make this work a priority in the life of the community. We reject discrimination based on racial identity, sexual orientation, gender identiy or expression, creed, religion, national origin, or ethnicity.
Qualifications
- Understanding of developmental stages of children as articulated in Waldorf Education.
- Ability to bring the curriculum in an imaginative, lively, and meaningful way through artistic mediums, somatic experiences, nature, and integrated subject matter.
- Ability to adapt teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of students.
- Interpersonal skills and to build relationships with students, families, faculty and staff.
- Capacity to work collaboratively and cooperatively with colleagues, parents, and families.
- Excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills.
- Enjoys working outdoors and in an experiential learning environment.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Requirements:
| ● Bachelor’s degree● Waldorf Elementary teacher training
● Previous experience in an AWSNA-recognized elementary program ● Complete Vector compliance training upon hiring ● Ability to pass CORI/SORI check and fingerprinting ● First Aid/CPR/AED Certification – school can provide ● Allergy/Epi-Pen training – school can provide |
Employment Details
The base salary for a full-time teacher is $45,432, increasing to $54,875 with 15 years of experience. Additional consideration for those with over 15 years of experience.
Benefits include employer contributions to health and dental plans, short-term and long-term disability insurance, sick time, personal time, and professional development funding. Tuition remission is available for eligible children enrolling at Hartsbrook.
403(b) retirement contributions have been paused for 2025-2026 school year. The contributions from the school generally begin only after one year of working at the school.
To Apply
Please send your complete application for the above openings to employment@hartsbrook.org which will include:
- A cover letter explaining your interest and suitability;
- Your most recent and up-to-date resume;
- A completed Employment Application including the names of at least three (3) references;
- All employees need to pass a background check, including fingerprinting, and must possess the legal right to work in the United States.
The Hartsbrook School is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, or any protected class. People of color and others underrepresented in our community are encouraged to apply. We recognize that the range of ethnicities, nationalities, languages, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientation, learning differences, and life experiences within our community enhance the school’s learning environment, and we are committed to fostering equity and inclusion. The Hartsbrook School is dedicated to dismantling racism and oppression, to continuing to learn and grow and ask the difficult questions of ourselves, our communities, and the world.
