Middle School Science Teacher and Curricular Lead

Middle School Science Teacher and Curricular Lead

Job Category:
Middle School:
Grades 6-8

Position Description

The Harts brook School Middle School Teacher and Curricular Lead position is a full-time role for the  school year. We seek a collaborative educator to serve as a grade-level advisor, specializing in teaching Science Main Lesson blocks (Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science) to students in grades 6-8. This role involves not only classroom instruction but also a commitment to curricular leadership. The teacher will create an intentionally inclusive classroom culture grounded in the tenets of Waldorf pedagogy, collaborate with colleagues on curricular development, and participate in the overall life of the school.

The teacher will provide a quality experience for a diverse group of students that reflects Harts brook’s philosophy and values, including actively implementing principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

The Harts brook School was founded in 1981 with five preschool students in a little farmhouse. We now have over 250 students with programming from Parent/Infant classes to Grade 12. Our faculty numbers around 60, with 10 staff members and an active and supportive Board of Directors. Our 54-acre campus, with views of farmland, woodlands, streams, and the Seven Sisters hills of the Holyoke Range, enhances and deepens our students’ daily experiences.

We are situated in the middle of the five-college area of the beautiful Pioneer Valley, which offers many world-class cultural events, restaurants, movies, galleries and boutiques, dance, music, and theater. Our faculty and staff are a multi-generational group who strive to support each other in our shared work.

The Harts brook School holds a vision in which our larger community is represented, reflected, and celebrated in our school – in race, economic situation, gender, sexuality, family composition, ability, nationality, religion, and more. Such a vision is rooted in and expands upon Harts brook’s mission to nurture the unique spirit of each child and to prepare students to meet the challenges of the future and to find purpose and meaning in their lives.

We have taken up the work of building a more equitable, diverse, and accessible school culture. We are committed to continuing to deepen our community’s ability to connect people from diverse backgrounds, build mutual understanding and friendship, and enrich the collective life of the school and our individual lives. We believe such work is healing, restorative, and life-giving for everyone involved.

As we learn to fully see and understand each other in our differences – and to celebrate those differences – we will move towards a more equitable, just, and welcoming school environment where everyone can feel a sense of belonging.

With the students:

• Designs and implements a rigorous, phenomenon-based Science Main Lesson curriculum for Grades 6-8 that aligns with Waldorf pedagogy and includes time for self-directed learning, direct experience, movement, and artistic activities.
• Teaches Main Lesson blocks such as Physics (Sound, Light, Heat, Mechanics), Chemistry (Combustion, Salts, Acids/Bases), and Earth Sciences.
• Designs and leads age-appropriate classes, conversations and activities fostering a sense of belonging for all students, addressing the specific developmental needs of the middle school adolescent.
• Infuses principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into the science curriculum and brings an eagerness to learn and grow in this area.
• Designs curriculum based on articulated learning outcomes, shares a comprehensive syllabus, and follows up with timely assessments and reports.

With colleagues:

• Curricular Leadership: Takes a lead role in the review, development, and refinement of the Middle School science curriculum.
• Demonstrates pedagogical leadership by mentoring colleagues and contributing to the professional growth of the faculty.
• Collaborates effectively with the middle school team to support one another in student assessment and shared responsibilities.
• Advise and inform the Lower School Director regarding any needs or…