Third Grade Teacher
Opening Statement
Position Description – Full Time Salary Position
The purpose of a Grades Teacher is to embody the principles of Waldorf education, while meeting the educational and social-emotional needs of the children, cultivating and leading your parent community, and contributing actively to the overall class and school culture and well-being of the School.
OVERVIEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES:
The essential duties of the Grades Teacher are as follows:
Teaching appropriate educational content in a manner consistent with the principles of Waldorf education as defined by AWSNA and the school’s updated scope and sequence;
Guiding the students’ development in their academic, artistic, practical and social activities;
Providing parents with communication, including weekly or twice/month news of the overall class, reports of their individual student’s progress, and opportunities for learning about child development and Waldorf education;
Fulfilling administrative duties on behalf of the whole school as agreed upon prior to the school year, including participating in recess duty, faculty meetings, in-services, all-school festivals, outreach events and all-school meetings;
Developing class culture through implementation of Social Inclusion tools, restorative practices, and other class and school social agreements; and
Abiding by the guidelines in the Employee and Parent Handbooks and any other written agreements.
REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY:
A WIWS Grades Teacher is hired by the school’s hiring committee, participates in the Grades Section and Faculty meetings, retreats, and in-services and participates in the annual professional development calendar for faculty and staff self-evaluation, goal setting, and statements of intention for the following school year.
HOURS:
WIWS Grades Class Teachers are expected to be on campus on regular school days by 8:00am.
The morning verse is at 8:05am, and teachers are strongly encouraged to participate.
Grades class teachers are expected to participate with their students in the morning circle at 8:25.
Grades class teachers are expected to close with their class and remain with their class until all students are picked up.
Class teachers are expected to attend weekly section, faculty, and committee meetings as well as designated in-service days, retreats, and festivals.
This is a year-round position. Grades Teachers are expected to work “as needed” during school breaks. Break dates are defined by the school calendar.
About
We invite you to join our Beautiful School Community on Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island Waldorf School (WIWS) is a small, loving community school nestled in the stunning beauty of Whidbey Island, just an hour north of Seattle and a short ten-minute drive from Langley-by-the-Sea. Our school offers programs from preschool through 8th grade, creating an enriching and nurturing environment for children to grow and learn. Surrounded by deep forests, the vast ocean, and the majestic mountains lining the horizon, WIWS provides a holistic, arts-integrated curriculum that is enlivened by the natural world.
At WIWS, we believe in nurturing the whole child—intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually—through an integrated approach that fosters independent thinking, compassion, and creativity. Our community is built on collaboration and a shared sense of purpose, where students, parents, teachers, and friends come together to create a supportive and joyful learning environment. WIWS is a place where children develop not only a love for learning but also the moral and creative strength to thrive in the rapidly changing world.
Essential Job Duties
TYPICAL TASKS AND DUTIES:
GRADES TEACHING AND STUDENT SUPPORT
Plan the curriculum for the year, including the main lesson block rotation, daily and weekly main lesson plans, skills classes, field trips, the class play and special events.
The block rotation and weekly schedule should be completed and approved by your section in a timely way for review in order to be sent to class parents by August 15 in the teacher’s Back-to-School Letter.
Assessment of students, writing Fall and Spring Individual Progress Reports for each student, as well as Block Reports for middle school students, and creating year-end reports as appropriate, based on the grade level of the students and according to the school calendar.
Track, document, and report the status of new students to the ISS Team Chair and parents during the 6-week probationary period.
Bring into conversation with the Integrative Student Support Team students needing more support and co-create and write Student Support Plans as needed with the consultation of the ISS Team.
Learn and work with the principles of Social Inclusion with individual students, the classroom and the holding of the school; including learning to navigate the Integrative Student Support website.
Establish, care for and maintain an orderly, beautiful and clean educational environment including the classroom and surrounding areas. Work with the Class Coordinator to solicit and arrange parent volunteer support as needed.
PARENT COMMUNICATION AND MEETINGS
Process new student enrollment in conjunction with Admin, and, when necessary, the ISS Team (Placement Process, as example).
Prepare for and conduct parent-teacher conferences. (2x/year)
Prepare for and conduct in-person class parent meetings (at least 3x/year–fall, winter, spring)
Specialty Teachers to a class parent meeting early in the year to be introduced to parents and to give an overview of the specialty programs.
Keep parents updated through weekly email communications to class parents and encourage their participation in school activities and events.
Abide by the parent and school communications policies detailed in the Employee Handbook.
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES
Participate in weekly faculty and section meetings and, if absent, reading notes and doing other follow-up.
Participate in in-service days, outreach activities, in-service days, joint board-faculty retreats, the annual all-school meeting, the annual open house (if required), all-school festivals, and grades and all-school assemblies.
Participate in June Review Days and August Retreat Days.
After the first year of employment, serve as a contributing member and/or leader of one or more faculty and all-school committees or as the faculty representative to the Board, as agreed upon with the faculty prior to the new school year. Committee and faculty board representative work require additional meeting times which may/may not occur during regular school hours.
Supporting and driving the school’s relationship with AWSNA by engaging in conferences, webinars, work groups, and membership processes including the self study, site visit, and taking up recommendations.
COLLEAGUE WORK
Serve as a peer mentor support for colleagues as mutually agreed upon.
Communicating with subject teachers, admin, operations and substitutes regarding blocks, field trips, plays.
Help out in other classrooms when requested as able.
Help colleagues when requested as able, and request help when needed.
May be asked to teach a regular class in another grade as needed.
Collaborate with colleagues in grades above and below for curricular support and incorporate agreed upon recommendations—embodying accountability and creativity in teaching within shared agreements.
SCHOOL CULTURE
Help to develop and maintain a collaborative and positive school culture by working in partnership with colleagues and all employees to develop shared agreements and hold those at the forefront of all workings in the school.
Uphold these shared agreements within the class community (parents, students, volunteers).
Help uphold a supportive and collaborative relationship with the Whidbey Institute through respectful interactions with people and land.
Hold oneself as representative of WIWS in the greater community.
ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Work on continued professional and personal development and submit documentation according to the dates on the professional development calendar.
Participate in annual professional training, including a grade-specific program if it’s the first time teaching a particular grade and/or a training specifically designed to support a development need such as parent communication and engagement.
OTHER DUTIES AS DETERMINED
This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all tasks or responsibilities of a faculty member at WIWS.
As part of a faculty-led Waldorf school, needs for leadership, administrative support, service and outreach will arise that need to be tended to and you may be called upon to be a part of that tending at any time- in stewardship of the school and community.
Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
AWSNA recognized Waldorf teaching certificate or actively enrolled in an AWSNA recognized Waldorf teaching training.
A bachelor’s degree.
Employment Details
Salary range: $45,000-$58,000
To Apply
Does this sound like you or someone you know? For additional information and to apply, email WIWS-hiring@wiws.org. Applicants, please submit a letter of interest, resume and 3 professional references via the email above or button below.
WIWS is an equal opportunity employer. WIWS does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, physical or mental disability, or age.