Grade School Class Teacher

Waldorf School of Princetonis seeking a class teacher for one of our early grades. This could be a 1st grade position, or someone willing to step into another of grades 2-5.

Love where you work! The Waldorf School of Princeton sits on 80 acres of beautifully tended campus and biodynamic farm, including access to a creek, forest walks, and carefully tended gardens. The campus is within easy reach of the thriving village center of Hopewell and the college town of Princeton. Further afield, New York City, Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore provide endless entertainment at weekends.

An Associate Member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, the Waldorf School of Princeton is committed to providing a rich Waldorf education to all its students, from pre-K through 8th grade. In 2021, the school committed to a nine-year plan to build our school into a beacon for the local community, with a team of dedicated, well-supported, excellent educators at its heart. Since 2020, our enrollment has grown from 107 to 160 students and we are preparing for continued growth in the coming years.

We are excited to welcome new members of our team to help us on this journey. We are committed to a program of investment in professional development for our faculty.

Joining the Waldorf School of Princeton, you will find yourself among kindred spirits. Our faculty and staff form a supportive group, working together for the children in our care, encouraging one another to do their best work, and extending grace when we struggle.

Experienced teachers who are not familiar withWaldorf educationwill be supported through the training and professional development needed to deliver our carefully crafted curriculum that meets the developmental needs of each child.

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to:

Rachel Ullman, Faculty Coordinator,rullman@princetonwaldorf.org

Class Teacher Job Description

Primary Function:

To serve as guiding teacher for a class in grades 1-5 (lower grades teacher) or 6-8 (middle school team teacher). Class teachers typically stay with a class for several years, teaching the same group of children.

The central part of the school day in Waldorf education is the main lesson, delivered in the mornings. Main lessons are typically divided into 3-4 week blocks, focusing on one topic at a time. The class teacher teaches the main lesson content and developmentally appropriate study skills.

The class teacher also coordinates with special subject teachers, communicates with parents, and carries responsibility for the welfare of the students in the class.

Responsibilities:

The class teacher begins the day with the students and incorporates an introductory warm-up with the class which can include poetry, music, recorder, speech, mental math, or movement. Besides the Main Lesson blocks for the curriculum for the year, the class teacher offers support skills depending on the needs for that grade level. We do offer time in the day for lesson planning.

Teachers are expected to attend faculty meetings, offer parent meetings (about 4 per year), and meet with parents in conferences twice a year. Teachers write individual reports for each child in time for the end of the school year.

The social life of a class is dependent on the guidance of the class teacher with support from subject teachers. It is important to enforce discipline, respect, and safety in the classroom. Sometimes this requires extra conversations with parents. A class teacher stays with their class for snack, lunch, and dismissal, and has some recess duties. Extra duties are Open Houses and Festival days with the community.

Part of the life of a class is a class play each year and a class trip (except grades 1 and 2). The Class teacher is expected to plan each of these, supported by the parents and the school. In the middle school, teachers may work together to create one middle school play.

The teacher maintains a relationship with the class parent representative who attends Parent & Caregiver Association meetings. The class teacher also writes a weekly update to parents that reviews class work and updates them on upcoming class events.

The class teacher is responsible for the class supplies budget.

All teachers follow the employee manual and school policies.

Required Skills:

Ability to engage a class of up to 20 students in line with the Waldorf curriculum, ability to communicate in English effectively verbally and in writing, ability to organize activities for class, ability to work cooperatively with colleagues and parents, ability to address social conflict among students.

Desirable Skills:

We value teachers who bring additional specialist skills e.g. handwork, music, movement and games, dance, circus arts, digital literacy, second language etc.

Required Training and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree, plus experience working with children aged 6-13.

Willingness to complete Waldorf teacher training while working at the school.

Desirable Training and Experience:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in education.

Completed Waldorf teacher training.

Experience teaching in classrooms in school settings.

Remuneration:

Teachers' salaries are set based on an assessment of their prior experience and qualifications according to a salary scale. Increments are awarded for experience and training both inside and outside Waldorf education, with a higher weighting given to Waldorf-specific training and qualifications. Teachers earn increments for each year of teaching experience up to 15 years, and additional increments for the breadth of skills and experience that they bring to the school. The anticipated range for 2024/25 is $50,000 to $92,000, with most salaries falling in the middle of this scale. Full-time employees are entitled to health benefits and are eligible to receive 3% pension contribution.