JOB TITLE: Lower School Reading Teacher 

REPORTS TO: Director of Lower School 

DIRECTLY SUPERVISES: None 

STATUS: Salary, 40 hours/week, Teacher Contract 

JOB SUMMARY: The Lower School Reading Teacher has the responsibility of providing  support, in-depth knowledge of the Science of Reading, and the best teaching practices for  students with learning differences. This position will play a critical role in partnering with  Department Chair and the Lower School Director. 

DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES & ACTIVITIES (Including Physical Function):

• Commitment to Briarwood’s mission, purpose, and culture 
• Strive to inspire a love of the field of study in students
• Partner proactively with faculty and administration to support students with Dyslexia and  LD and teachers in their efforts to advance students with learning differences
• Observe and evaluate individual students displaying academic or behavioral difficulties and assess their learning strengths and challenges
• Direct one-on-one or small-group instruction
• Prepare lesson plans
• Document progress, assist goals for students
• Developing and issuing educational content, including notes, tests, and assignments
• Supervising classes to ensure all students are learning in a safe and productive environment
• Organizing supplies and resources for lectures and presentations
• Delivering personalized instruction to each student by encouraging interactive learning
• Planning and implementing educational activities and events
• Ensuring your classroom is clean and orderly
• Preparing and distributing periodic progress reports and semester report cards
• Attending parent-teacher meetings
• Evaluating and documenting student progress
• Experience and/or training in Orton-Gillingham-related curricula (e.g., Wilson Language Systems, BLS, Fundations), Neuhaus
• Experience and/or training in the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy
• Allocating and grading homework, assignments, and tests
• Work with parents, faculty, and division heads when academic concerns arise regarding students
• Implement a focus on technology use and adoption within the School
• Represent the school at educational conferences and associations
• Participate in any accreditation process for the school
• Attend all staff meetings and staff retreats
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Lower School or the Head of School

The Briarwood School offers a competitive health insurance program, retirement benefits, paid time off, and robust professional development opportunities. 

The Briarwood Philosophy 

"Every student can learn, and every student has the right to be taught in the way he or she learns best." 

The Briarwood Core Values 

Community through Connections 

Our school community is a diverse group of learners who treat each other with kindness and respect. 

We value the connections that our faculty and staff make with our students. 

We value our partnerships with families. 

We strive to ensure that our community offers academic, social, and emotional growth opportunities. 

Transformation through Confidence 

Our faculty creates a structured and challenging academic environment. They hold themselves and their students accountable as they build confident, self-advocating learners prepared for an ever-challenging and complex world. We set high expectations for social behavior and academic success, which students attain through perseverance and a growth mindset. 

Each candidate is expected to understand and support the Briarwood Teaching Philosophy and Core Values. 

The Briarwood School is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Briarwood prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, or any other protected characteristic outlined by federal, state, or local laws. 

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. The Briarwood School makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time. 

March 2025

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree, Teacher Certificate, with a Specialty in Reading or Equivalent 

EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in independent schools, with a strong background in Reading 2
• Exceptionally capable in both written and oral communication
• Excellent organizational and presentation skills
• Technologically savvy
• Proven success at working collaboratively
• Passionate about the chosen field of study 

Physical Abilities: Maintain physical ability to complete all essential functions and activities of  the position. 

About The Briarwood School

The Briarwood School is a not-for-profit, independent co-ed day school devoted to educating students in grades K-12 with diagnosed learning disabilities, language disorders and/or ADHD. Founded in 1967 and accredited by Cognia, The Briarwood School serves over 300 students in small class sizes of 10 or fewer students. All of the students in Lower, Middle and Upper Schools demonstrate average to above-average intelligence with a broad range of learning disabilities that include dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, speech/language disorders, along with written and expressive language disorders. Additional diagnoses addressed through accommodations include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and processing disorders as they relate to academic issues. The Briarwood School is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Briarwood prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

Connections working at The Briarwood School