Career Center

Fifth Grade Teacher (Lower School)

Berkshire Country Day School

Stockbridge, MA

Position Start Date: August 2022

Status: Full-Time

Berkshire Country Day School seeks a fifth-grade teacher for our Lower School (Grades K-5) for the 2022-2023 school year. The successful candidate must understand the age group, be able to work cooperatively with other teachers, and be competent in language arts, mathematics and social studies instruction. The fifth-grade teacher will also be expected to use the Responsive Classroom method for morning meetings, social-emotional learning, and conflict resolution.

At Berkshire Country Day School, we are engaged in an educational program that goes beyond our classrooms working to create a whole-school environment that provides students, families, and teachers with exceptional educational opportunities to become engaged and active citizens who use their unique strengths to create a more just and sustainable future. Grounded in our core values of empathy, literacy, sustainability, engagement, and social justice, rooted in a growth and inquiry mindset, BCD is a leader in elementary school civics education where each child is at the center of their own learning. Our mission is to prepare students to be lifelong citizens dedicated to a sustainable and just future. Berkshire Country Day School serves students in Preschool (beginning at age 2) through Eighth Grade.

It is expected that a successful candidate will:

• Support the school’s educational mission by challenging, engaging, and nurturing students
• Demonstrate an understanding of thematic learning
• Work in a collaborative grade-level team
• Engage and support students of varied identities, lifestyles, and beliefs
• Create an environment that fosters open discussion with the freedom to express varied points of view
• Establish and enact community norms with students, using a positive approach to classroom management
• Have a successful track record and proven ability in planning and executing instruction and engagement of elementary students
• Develop and implement curriculum plans for writing, reading, word study, and social studies
• Demonstrate skill in differentiating among students with clear methods to provide appropriate challenges and support.
• Communicate effectively, with students, parents/guardians, and co-workers
• Complete progress reports, including thoughtful and specific narrative comments, two times in the year (January and June); lead parent-teacher conferences
• Perform additional duties such as lunch, recess, and car-line duties and participate in the life of the school

In addition, a candidate should possess the following personal qualities:

• Strong collaboration skills
• An interest in and openness to professional growth and development
• A commitment to diversity and inclusion
• A sense of humor, warm personality, and energy
• Flexibility

Community and Professional Life

We are not only a school, we are a community. Feeling supported in your professional development and personal growth and well-being is one of the greatest benefits we offer our faculty and staff. Of course, we provide traditional and non-traditional benefits including:

• A beautiful campus, set on 27 acres including a pond and trails, located across the street from the Stockbridge Bowl
• Ski Friday Program; students (ages 6 and up) and faculty are dismissed at 12:30 pm for 9 Fridays in Jan-March to ski at Ski Butternut
• Coaching and after-care program opportunities
• Tuition remission for children of full-time employees
• Planned $50,000 investment in professional development over the next two academic years
• Full portfolio of employee benefits
• Paid Vacation (2 weeks in December, 2 weeks in March, summer break, as well as other holidays throughout the year)

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• 403(b) matching if currently enrolled in a plan
• Disability insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

A minimum of three years of upper elementary experience is required as well as a bachelor’s degree. Interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume, statement of teaching philosophy, and contact information for three references to Kate Skivington, Head of Lower School, kskivington@berkshirecountryday.org.

As a condition of employment, all employees who are employed with the school are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and able to provide proof of such vaccination. To apply for a medical or religious exemption, please share this information in your CV.

Our Location

Berkshire and Columbia Counties are a unique, special place that people dream of living in. Hiking in the mountains, biking in the forest, canoeing, skating on ponds, swimming in quarries and lakes. There are numerous seasonal festivals, concerts, and farmer’s markets to check out including the Lenox Apple Squeeze, The Berkshire Arts Festival, Shakespeare and Company, Ski Resorts, and more. The Berkshires and Columbia County have a rural, small-town area feel. Both counties have so much to offer with a beautiful backdrop. There are mountains, valleys, campgrounds, forests, and farms. Tanglewood in Lenox, MA is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as a long list of other artists including James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Star, Van Morrison, and The Moody Blues among others. The Norman Rockwell Museum is in Stockbridge, MA not far from the Historical Red Lion Inn, and MASS MoCA is a quick drive to North Adams, MA. Columbia County is home to the Olana State Historic Site and the Art Omi Sculpture and Architectural Park. Great places for day trips include Kinderhook, Hudson, Chatham, as well as Rhinebeck (Dutchess County) and the Capital Region. There are multiple ski areas including Catamount, Bosquet, Ski Butternut, Otis Ridge, and Jiminy Peak. Bed and Breakfasts are common for visitors as are antique stores, particularly in Sheffield, MA.  In the winter months, Western Massachusetts is often visited for snowmobiling, ice fishing, skiing and hunting. Looking for a quick trip to the city? New York City is a scenic train ride away with numerous stops along the Hudson River. This entire region offers a wide diversity of outdoor adventures and is the ideal place for an active and healthy lifestyle.