Lower School Support Teacher; Part Time

Overview

Start Date:
August 24, 2026

Schedule: 9 month position (September - June), part-time (20 hrs a week).

Lower School Support Teacher

Reports to:
Head of School

Final date to receive applications:
March 27, 2026. Position will remain open until filled and interviews will happen on a rolling basis.

Brightfield School is seeking an innovative and collaborative lower school support teacher to support our classrooms, place-based learning, and mathematics curriculum. This role will join a collaborative team of grades K-4, with a particular focus on our 3rd/4th grade cohort. This position comes with the unique opportunity to be a part of shaping the educational program and daily life of a school committed to place-based education using the whole child approach.

Faculty at Brightfield School are a student-centered, teacher-led, collaborative community. Brightfield’s teachers have direct responsibility for co-creating and delivering curriculum and educational experiences that:

• reflect Brightfield’s mission and vision,
• align with the place-based educational model and responsive classroom approach,
• foster opportunities for social-emotional learning and development, and
• value diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Staff use the land, area, and communities surrounding Brightfield as an extended classroom for an integrated academic curriculum that is experiential in nature. At full enrollment, the school has space for 5 cohorts of approximately 12 students:
Kindergarten, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8. Joining Brightfield’s team of educators represents a unique opportunity to shape the educational philosophy and daily life of a school community deeply committed to place-based education in Midcoast Maine.

• Support our Lower School Lead Teachers, particularly our 3/4 cohort, in daily classroom routines and student management.
• Plan and teach lesson plans for one grade-level of mathematics, using the Illustrative mathematics curriculum, in collaboration with Lead Teachers.
• Support intentional, age-appropriate daily literacy routines and lessons.
• Support the daily operations of the school, including weekly snack, lunch, and free play supervision responsibilities.
• Attend weekly staff meetings and occasional after school events (Learning Showcases, Open Houses, and Special Seasonal Events).
• Support Lower School Lead Teachers on fieldwork and place-based learning opportunities.

• Can create a safe, supportive, and inspiring learning community with students, focusing on the social-emotional importance of the school experience and using the ‘whole child’ approach.
• Is comfortable setting clear behavior and academic expectations for students, cultivating an intrinsic motivation to meet them, and using positive discipline as needed.
• Is ready to lead a multi-age group of up to 12 students, both indoors and outdoors.
• Values relevant and authentic learning experiences.
• Embraces collaboration with colleagues, students, parents, and the local community.
• Has strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Bonus if the candidate has experience delivering grade-level math instruction.
• Bonus if the candidate has experience in early literacy, or has an understanding of the theories of literacy, guided reading, phonics, and English Language Development.

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least 3 years of relevant teaching experience, with a preference for direct experience teaching grade-appropriate subjects or place-based or experiential education.
• Excellent communication skills (interpersonal and writing) and organizational skills.

Brightfield School is committed to providing competitive pay and a supportive working environment in which faculty collaborate to make critical decisions affecting their curriculum and students.

Please send a resume and cover letter to: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). with the subject line “Application for Lower School Support:
First and Last Name.” Applicants will be contacted on a rolling basis, beginning with a phone screening and then two interview rounds in person/on video. The ideal candidate would start at all staff training in late August, with some availability to onboard this school year in June 2026.