Position Summary

Canterbury School seeks a dynamic, intellectually serious, and highly skilled English teacher to join the High School faculty beginning August 2026. This role is ideal for an educator who combines a deep love of literature with expert teaching of writing and who thrives in a college-preparatory environment that values seminar-style discussion, authentic student voice, and close faculty-student relationships.

The successful candidate will typically teach five sections of English, including at least one core grade-level course plus upper-level electives or seminar-style offerings, depending on departmental need and enrollment. As a mission-driven independent school, Canterbury also seeks a teacher who embraces the full life of the school: advising students, contributing to co-curricular programming, partnering with families, and collaborating actively with colleagues.

Canterbury’s portrait of graduates—Artist. Athlete. Scholar.—requires an English classroom where students learn to read with nuance, write with power and clarity, and speak with confidence, empathy, and evidence. It also calls for a faculty culture in which English teachers work across disciplines to help students make meaningful connections among ideas, texts, history, science, the arts, and contemporary questions. The school is especially interested in educators who see cross-curricular collaboration not as an add-on, but as an essential part of innovative and relevant teaching.

Core Responsibilities

Teaching, Learning Design, and Academic Rigor

Teach five sections of English in grades 9–12, typically including:

• at least one core grade-level course; and
• one or more upper-level electives or seminar offerings, depending on departmental assignment.

Design and deliver rigorous, engaging instruction that develops students’ abilities to:

• read closely and interpret complex texts across genres;
• write frequently and revisingly in multiple modes (analytical, argumentative, interpretive, and creative where appropriate); and
• speak and listen effectively in discussion-based seminars and presentations.

Use disciplined writing pedagogy grounded in evidence-informed practices, including explicit writing strategy instruction and feedback cycles that help students improve over time.

Maintain high expectations for academic integrity, source use, and ethical participation in the intellectual life of the classroom.

Develop learning experiences that encourage students to make connections across disciplines and contexts, including collaboration with colleagues on interdisciplinary projects, shared themes, or integrated units when appropriate.

Advanced Coursework and Seminar Teaching

If assigned to advanced coursework, design challenging, discussion-rich classes that prepare students for high-level reading, writing, and independent thinking.

Support students in managing the expectations of advanced study through strong course design, clear feedback, and attention to skill progression.

Classroom Culture and Student Experience

Create a classroom culture that is warm, structured, inclusive, and intellectually demanding—where students are known, challenged, and supported.

Foster respectful, evidence-driven discussion that promotes open-minded inquiry and mature engagement with multiple perspectives, consistent with the spirit of a strong college-preparatory classroom.

Select texts and design learning experiences that reflect both literary excellence and broad cultural and historical range, supporting students in encountering varied traditions and voices.

Assessment, Feedback, and Communication

Assess student learning with clarity and consistency through strong rubrics, transparent criteria, and timely feedback.

Maintain accurate records related to student performance and communicate proactively with students and families as appropriate to support progress and partnership.

Partner with school counselors, learning support personnel, and administrators when student needs extend beyond classroom instruction.

Collaboration and Departmental Contribution

Collaborate closely with English Department colleagues as part of a professional learning community focused on curriculum quality, common expectations, shared rubrics and skills, and continuous improvement.

Work across disciplines with faculty colleagues to support a more connected and innovative student experience, including opportunities for interdisciplinary planning, shared inquiry, and mission-aligned program development.

Participate fully in department meetings, faculty meetings, and professional development.

Advising and School Life Responsibilities

Serve as a student advisor, building close relationships with a small group of students and supporting their academic growth, wellbeing, and connection to school life; when appropriate, communicate with families in partnership with divisional leadership and counselors.

Contribute to the broader school community through supervision duties and participation in student life, such as coaching, club sponsorship, committee work, or other programming aligned to school needs and teacher strengths.

Required Qualifications

Canterbury seeks a teacher with the depth, craft, and professional presence expected in a high-performing independent school.

• Bachelor’s degree required (English, education, or related field strongly preferred); master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Significant successful experience teaching English at the high school level, with demonstrated strength in:
• teaching writing (process, craft, argumentation, revision, feedback);
• teaching literature with analytical depth; and
• leading discussion-based learning with high expectations and strong relational practice.
• Demonstrated ability to design academically rigorous courses and assessments and to help students grow as thinkers, writers, speakers, and readers.
• Ability to collaborate productively with colleagues and contribute to a coherent departmental program, including cross-curricular work that strengthens student learning.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with students, families, and colleagues.
• Demonstrated ability to support a range of learners while holding high expectations in a college-preparatory environment.
• Commitment to inclusive teaching, including selecting texts and building discussion norms that reflect a broad range of perspectives and help students practice respectful, evidence-based engagement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience teaching advanced high school English electives and seminars.
• Experience with advanced coursework design, including honors, seminar, or AP-level classes.
• Experience supporting student writing beyond the classroom (writing center, writing lab, editorial mentorship, journalism advising, etc.), consistent with benchmark independent-school roles.
• Comfort using instructional technology to enhance writing, revision, discussion, and assessment practices.
• Interest in interdisciplinary teaching and collaboration that helps students connect English study to broader academic and contemporary questions.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following materials:

• A cover letter expressing interest in the position and describing alignment with Canterbury’s mission and educational philosophy
• A current résumé
• A statement of teaching philosophy
• Contact information for three professional references

Application materials should be submitted to Autumn DeMott, Assistant to the Head of School, at ademott@canterburyschool.org. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

About Canterbury School, Inc

The mission of Canterbury School is to maximize the potential of young people by providing a challenging, enriching, and supportive learning environment in which students build the foundation for a life of purpose, passion, and meaning.

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