K-5 Lead Teacher Opportunity Statement

Founded on the principle of building a school “where children come first,” The Fay School serves approximately 300 students aged 3 years to fifth grade in the Uptown area of Houston, Texas. It is among the best independent elementary and primary schools in the competitive Houston marketplace. By fostering their emotional intelligence and leadership development while providing challenging and engaging academics, The Fay School prepares its fifth graders to matriculate to Houston’s most sought-after middle schools.

A joyful educational oasis, the school sits on 8.5 acres of naturally landscaped property where children frequently work and play in its beautiful outdoor setting. Many Fay families speak of the immediate calm they feel as they drive onto the campus, delivering their children to this unique student-focused learning environment. To adapt to the evolving landscape of education and plan its direction for the next three to five years, The Fay School engaged in a partnership with Ian Symmonds & Associates, a leading firm in facilitating innovative strategic planning. The plan was unveiled during the 2020-2021 school year, making this an exciting time to be a part of a community focused on the future of education and innovative thinking.

Position Summary:

The Lead Teacher position is a benefits eligible, full-time position for the term of the school year, typically ten months from August to June.  This position reports to the Principal. Lead Teachers create a flexible program and class environment favorable to learning and personal growth. They build rapport with students and motivate them to develop skills, attitudes, and knowledge in accordance with each student’s ability. Lead Teachers establish positive relationships with parents and other Fay employees.

Responsibilities include the following:

• Uses a variety of teaching techniques and learning structures suitable to the age and needs of the students and subject matter.
• Maintains daily lesson plans and updates curriculum maps to reflect current student learning.
• Implements curricula within the context of the School’s overall program and strategic planning goals such as incorporating the use of the outdoors, experiential learning, and leadership development through emotional intelligence.
• Seeks opportunities to increase students’ time in the outdoors and bring the outdoors in.
• Utilizes the Assistant Teacher as outlined in the Assistant Teacher Performance Profile.
• Initiates regular parent communication through class newsletters, progress reports, report cards, individual emails, and phone calls so parents are well informed of events and student progress.
• Uses classroom technology effectively and according to the developmental appropriateness of the grade level. Technology usage is primarily active, and creation oriented.
• Maintains and continuously expands pedagogical knowledge using various resources.
• Sets annual goals and works toward them.
• Attends and contributes to weekly team planning time and aligns teaching with grade level team members.
• Attends weekly department meeting prepared to collaborate.
• Attends bi-monthly faculty meetings until 4:30 and in-service days.
• Volunteer for service at one or more Fay community events per year.
• Commitment to ongoing learning including participating in at least eight hours of summer professional development such as a conference or research on a topic approved by the Principal.
• Willing and able to routinely and appropriately use personal smartphone to utilize school apps to communicate, collaborate, and fulfill responsibilities as outlined in this Performance Profile.

Competency Profile:

• Celebrates diversity and is proactively inclusive of all racial, cultural, socio-economic, religious, and gender groups.
• Embraces the four domains of Responsive Classroom: Engaging Academics, Positive Community, Effective Management, and Developmentally Responsive Teaching.
• Exhibits self-awareness and self-monitoring in identifying and solving student, curricular, and school problems. At the same time, the teacher understands the vision, the mission, the strategic plan, and all policies of the school and, when questions or concerns arise, raises them with appropriate colleagues and supervisors.
• Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills.
• Differentiates instruction to meet the needs of all learners.
• Fosters collaboration among team to build curricula and ensure others are well informed of changes, initiatives, and progress.
• Embraces feedback and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Displays attitudes and actions that contribute to a healthy and collegial teacher culture.
• Supports and actively promotes the organization. Positively reflects the organization’s core values and addresses actions that don’t align with those values.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 3 years of teaching experience preferably in an Independent School
• Ability to enthusiastically work both indoors and outdoors in various weather conditions including rain, cold, heat, etc. and on various surfaces, some inclined, including grass, dirt, trails, decking, pavement and concrete
• Ability to perform sustained standing and walking, navigating stairs, kneeling, lifting and carrying up to 20 lbs., monitoring children and the immediate environment visibly and audibly and the ability to give audible instructions that can be understood by English speakers in a loud environment
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Teams and Google