Career Center

Lower School Teacher – Group Two*

The Avery Coonley School is seeking an experienced (3 years) well qualified, dynamic, student-centered Group Two* teacher for our lower school. The second group program nurtures the social, emotional, and academic development of each child. Instructional groups are flexible and dynamic, and a desire to work in a team-based collaborative classroom is essential. In addition to a broad range of teaching responsibilities including the areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies, teachers are expected to engage with the broader community experience by advising students, chaperoning school events, and participating in school meetings, committees, and events. The Avery Coonley School is particularly interested in candidates who will enrich the diversity of identity, lived experience, and thinking that makes a community strong and empowers students to engage across differences.

* We refer to each grade as a “Group” because the curriculum is at least a year above grade level. By the end of Group Eight, students will have completed the equivalent of ninth-grade work.

Duties

• Plan, prepare, and present effective daily instruction
• Develop lessons that are engaging and grade level appropriate
• Challenge, guide, counsel, and discipline students in appropriate ways
• Communicate with parents in a timely manner and engage them in a partnership to support their children's education
• Keep clear and complete records
• Meet all deadlines for report cards, communications with parents, and other professional requirements
• Demonstrate professionalism in appearance, words, and actions
• Perform routine additional duties as assigned
• Anticipated start date is August 2023

The statements in this job description are intended to represent the key duties, essential nature, and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be all responsibilities or qualifications of the job.

Salary is competitive and dependent upon experience and qualifications.

Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited institution. Master’s degree preferred.
• Three or more year of teaching experience in lower school setting
• Excellent writing, communication, presentation, and group facilitation skills
• “Can do” attitude and ability to work as part of a team
• Willingness to develop differentiated learning experiences for gifted and high-achieving students
• Ability to receive feedback and engage in continuous self-improvement
• Ability to adapt to a dynamic, rapidly changing work environment
• Ability to build positive relationships
• Ability to work collaboratively, plan with Group teaching partner, and team teach
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams, departments, and divisions
• Firm belief in personal accountability, producing measurable outcomes, and sustaining high expectations

About Avery Coonley School

Located in the western suburbs of Chicago and serving 325 children from 40 communities in grades PreK to 8, The Avery Coonley School (ACS) welcomes highly motivated, high-ability learners who eagerly seek new challenges. Gifted and high-achieving students flourish in a unique and collaborative culture where the drive to learn transcends all other differences. Founded in 1906, ACS enjoys a storied place in the history of gifted and progressive education for younger students in Chicago and across the nation. Learning spaces brim with energy, project-based learning, and individual exploration. On the historic 11-acre campus, which is adjacent to a forest preserve, members of the Avery Coonley community thrive in a learning environment that allows for flexibility, creativity, and innovation.

Connections working at Avery Coonley School