Friends Community School (FCS) is a progressive co-ed Quaker K-8 day school serving a diverse student body from the greater Washington, D.C. area. FCS offers a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, integrity, community, environmental stewardship, simplicity, and peaceful conflict resolution, rooted in our Quaker heritage. Faculty and staff are highly engaged and enjoy flexibility, autonomy, and creativity. FCS’s LEED-certified building is situated on 17 acres surrounded by Greenbelt National Park, nine minutes from the University of Maryland, College Park, and thirty minutes from Washington, D.C.
Now in its 4th decade, FCS has cultivated a diverse community of students, families, and employees. Fifty-four percent of its student body self-identifies as people of color and students and employees represent various gender identities, faiths, family structures, and socio-economic backgrounds.
FCS seeks a full-time Classroom Teacher. The qualified candidate should possess and demonstrate:
An understanding of child development and progressive pedagogy.
Knowledge of TERC Investigations and Reading and Writing Workshops.
Experience with project-based and experiential learning.
Strong classroom management skills and the ability to create a welcoming and supportive classroom environment using Responsive Classroom.
Respect for and understanding of issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion with the ability to incorporate this knowledge into their practice and the curriculum.
Experience with designing curricula including units of study and assessment tools.
A Lower School Teacher teaches 16-18 students in a multi-disciplinary program of Language Arts, math, and social studies. The teacher serves on a teaching team with two other grade-level teachers and will collaborate on, design, and create lessons and units of study together.
Responsibilities include:
Possessing and demonstrating optimism toward teaching and student learning
Assessing needs of students and implementing effective lessons using anecdotal observations and formal assessments
Evaluating, assessing, and enhancing curriculum and materials
Providing differentiated instruction and designing project-based and experiential units of study
Creating a safe and respectful learning environment that reflects Quaker values and supports diverse learning styles
Utilizing conflict resolution, Responsive Classroom, and other developmentally appropriate methods of classroom management
Maintaining an attractive, welcoming, and organized classroom environment conducive to learning
Seeking professional development opportunities, which will be paid for by the school, to enhance knowledge of and practice in teaching
Organizing and facilitating classroom field trips related to curriculum and the School traditions
Documenting curriculum annually using Rubicon Atlas (training will be provided)
Supervising lunch and recess for students
Communicating with parents on a regular basis via email, telephone, or in-person
Writing detailed progress reports and conducting two parent-teacher conferences each school year as well as a Back-to-School Night presentation
4-year college degree; advanced degree(s) preferred
A minimum of 3 years of teaching experience
Familiarity with reading/writing workshop model from Teacher's College and Guided Reading, and Understanding by Design
A commitment and understanding of equity and inclusion
Strong classroom management skills and knowledge of Responsive Classroom
Effective and strong oral and written communication skills
Knowledge and skill using technology (such as Google Suite, Blackbaud)
