Career Center

Fourth Grade Teacher               

Type: Full-Time (10-month employee)

Supervisor: Head of Lower School Location: Chicago, IL

Start Date: August 2023

Mission Statement

Catherine Cook School is a vibrant learning community that fosters curiosity, develops critical thinking, and inspires compassionate leadership for students in preschool through 8th grade.

Diversity Statement

Catherine Cook School is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and compassionate community grounded in a culture of integrity.

 At Catherine Cook, we value a diverse and inclusive community. We define diversity as the range of differences and similarities between social identifiers including, but not limited to: race, socio-economic status, ability, age, gender identity, sexual identity, religion, and ethnicity. The ideal candidate is eager to join this type of professional community. We specifically seek candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

Job Description

Catherine Cook School is looking for an experienced, innovative Fourth Grade teacher. The ideal candidate has a background with hands-on, inquiry-based instruction, leading social action work with children, reading and writing workshop, and constructivist mathematics. Applicants should be experienced in differentiating learning for a wide range of children’s abilities and interests. We follow a responsive approach to social-emotional learning.

Major responsibilities for a lead teacher include:

• Create a nurturing, curious, and joyful classroom community where children explore and express their ideas
• Build a dynamic classroom community and effective classroom management while incorporating Responsive Classroom techniques
• Implement strategies for Social-Emotional Learning where students acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to demonstrate self-regulation, empathy, and ability to establish and maintain positive relationships 
• Contribute and collaborate as a grade level team to share ideas, responsibilities, and planning time to create lessons, units, and shared experiences
• Foster productive partnerships and communicate thoughtfully, respectfully, and clearly with parents/caregivers
• Develop differentiated, integrated, and innovative curriculum in all subject areas (Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies/Research Workshop)
• Implement the components of a balanced literacy program, including small group instruction, where students are agentic learners
• Assess student progress using a wide range of formative and summative strategies, including conferring and student work moderation
• Utilize technology to expand learning opportunities and create a collaborative learning environment
• Invest in developing one’s own cultural competency
• Integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices and curriculum that are developmentally appropriate, to encourage kindness, bravery, and empathy within our classrooms and foster a student’s perspective of self, others, and the larger world regarding race, ethnicity, and culture 
• Mentor and work closely with the Teaching Assistant to maximize student engagement and support
• Attend faculty meetings and actively pursue professional development
• Reflect consistently on their practice with the Head of Lower School
• Create informative and well-written progress reports

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Education; M.A. in Education preferred
• At least three years of teaching experience at the Lower School level
• Willingness to learn and grow professionally

Catherine Cook School’s educational program focuses on the whole child. Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with children is the foundation of our pedagogical approach. Curriculum must be developmentally appropriate and support the growth of knowledge, skills, and personal assets of children. Click here to learn more about our strategic plan and our future.

Visit www.catherinecookschool.org to learn more about our school and culture. Catherine Cook School is an equal opportunity employer.

Qualified applicants can submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to Gina Workman, Lower School Coordinator, at gworkman@ccookschool.org.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Education; M.A. in Education preferred
• At least three years of teaching experience at the Lower School level
• Willingness to learn and grow professionally

About Catherine Cook School

Catherine Cook empowers students from preschool through eighth grade to be adaptive, confident and productive stewards of an evolving world. Our community engages with ideals of cultural competence, progressive academics, ethical literacy, and innovation designed to inspire personal excellence and compassionate leadership.

Connections working at Catherine Cook School