Why St. Michael’s Prep?

Located in the hills of southwest Austin, Texas, St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School is an outstanding co-educational Independent Catholic school serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in Austin, Texas. The Lower School is comprised of PreK 3-4th grades, the Middle School houses grades 5-8, and the Upper School contains grades 9-12. We are distinguished by our Catholic tradition, a welcoming and diverse community, excellent academic programs, and a variety of extracurricular activities. Additionally, we are a technology-rich school. Thus, teachers and staff are expected to demonstrate meaningful skill with technology and an enthusiasm for technological growth in order to create authentic learning experiences for their students. Teachers and staff at St. Michael’s Prep further serve as role models that inspire students to think critically, reflect, explore, and apply their faith concretely to their lives. We are one community with three divisions, united in our commitment to put students first as we educate them in mind, body, and spirit.

Our values: Integrity, Courage, & Excellence

Our mission: St. Michael’s Prep cultivates a transformative, Independent school experience rooted in Catholic spirituality where we seek excellence in every pursuit and form virtuous leaders who positively impact the world.

We are anchored by the Catholic Social Teachings (CST) and promote inclusion by advocating for a society based on love and justice, where all people have inherent dignity. We are passionate about cultivating a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment, celebrating and supporting differences.

We employ and optimize practices that promote growth of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity.

Summary of Position

St. Michael’s Prep is seeking a qualified and passionate Lead First Grade Teacher for the 2026-2027 academic year. We believe in teaching to the whole child, focusing on social and emotional development alongside a child’s academic progress. We know that children learn best and will take the necessary risks in the learning process when they feel confident, comfortable, and secure in their learning environment; therefore, we look to employ educators who value building relationships and teaching social and emotional skills in addition to providing excellent academic instruction. This role requires a collaborative educator who will lead a self-contained classroom while working with their grade level team and with other department members to plan, develop, and implement a comprehensive, vertically aligned curriculum. This is a full-time, 10-month position that begins in August 2026.

Ideal Candidates

Ideal candidates for positions at our school are experienced in and continue to develop expertise in social-emotional learning, project-based learning, STEAM integration, and technology-rich and differentiated instruction. Ideal candidates thrive in a collaborative environment, designing and delivering innovative and creative cross-curricular instructional units to students with diverse learning styles and needs.

Responsibilities

• Knowledge and understanding of the developmental stages and needs of students in early childhood and elementary school-aged children
• Experienced in, or willing to develop expertise in, social-emotional learning (Responsive Classroom) and project-based learning
• Teach in a responsive and inclusive manner
• Create a welcoming and inviting classroom environment that fosters a feeling of significance, belonging, and fun for all students
• Create, revise, and update grade-and course-specific curriculum map (Embark) to ensure all required subject matter is covered during the school year
• Experience in the Eureka math curriculum preferred
• Familiarity with the engineering and design process, project-based learning, technology integration, and guided math/math workshop
• Plan and implement math lessons that emphasize and develop conceptual as well as procedural understanding
• Understands and applies the latest theories and practices in education and child development.
• Possesses an exceptional knowledge of the Science of Reading and is comfortable implementing a structured literacy approach.
• Experience with the readers and writers workshop model
• Work and plan collaboratively with the teaching team
• Create lessons and projects that promote student collaboration
• Differentiate instruction for students based on ability and/or interest
• Conduct conferences with parents at scheduled intervals and on an as-needed basis
• Manage and monitor student learning
• Maintain thorough and accurate grades and comments using the Blackbaud platform
• Demonstrate effective classroom management, utilizing learning centers for differentiated and individualized instruction for remediation and enrichment
• Maintain effective and timely communication with parents regarding their children’s progress, performance, and areas of concern
• Comfortable using a variety of instructional techniques and practices to meet the learning needs of all students
• Participate in professional development opportunities to learn and utilize innovative tools and techniques that improve student learning
• Perform assigned duties such as carpool, lunch, and recess duties

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Possess a growth mindset
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to collaborate with students, department chairs, faculty, staff, and parents
• A positive attitude and the willingness to approach learning new skills in flexible and creative ways
• A bachelor’s degree is required
• At least five years of teaching experience is preferred
• Prior teaching experience within independent schools is preferred

Please submit an online application for employment and attach a cover letter and resume. Please send questions to jglenn@smcprep.org

St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers equal employment opportunity to all applicants for employment and all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, military service, application for military service, or any other status protected by applicable law.