Resident Teacher
Exempt 1.0 FTE
Reports to: Director of Educational Mentorship

All UCDS employees are expected to embody the school’s mission to design a culture of inquiry essential to meaningful learning; cultivate reflective, collaborative, skillful thinkers who ignite positive change in their communities; and engage diverse perspectives in an ongoing effort to shape and share our innovative education model.

Overview
University Child Development School (UCDS) located in Seattle, Washington is an independent school serving 390+ Infant/Toddler, Early Elementary (Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten) and Elementary (1st through 5th grade) students. In addition, the UCDS education institution comprises the UCDS Graduate School of Education. UCDS uniquely serves to prepare teachers, educate children, and develop innovations in curriculum and teaching. UCDS’s unique design as a place where both teachers and children learn, where early career teachers develop their practice, and where experienced teachers research and design curriculum, gives rise to its innovation. The Master of Education program is the evolution of UCDS’ deep history of developing and supporting exceptional educators.

Job Summary

The Resident Teacher Program at UCDS provides new teachers with the opportunity to work and learn alongside experienced faculty members in an Infant-Toddler, Early Elementary, or Elementary classroom at an innovative independent school in Seattle, WA. Through mentorship, reflective practice, and professional development workshops, Resident Teachers gain deep insight into student learning, responsive teaching, and curriculum design.

Resident Teachers join the faculty in mid-August and work throughout the school year, ending in mid-June. They are fully immersed in classroom teaching, contributing to curriculum planning, implementing instructional practices, and participating in school-wide activities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with experienced teachers to develop and implement curriculum in a dynamic, multi-age classroom environment.
• Partner closely with mentor teachers and grade-level team members.
• Contribute to classroom management and small group teaching, fostering a supportive learning environment for all students.
• Participate in formal and informal planning meetings during and after school hours.
• Engage in recess and lunch duties, offering opportunities to facilitate Social Emotional Learning.
• Support school-wide equity initiatives and participate in regular Resident Cohort meetings
• Attend and engage in regular professional development workshops.

Qualifications 

• Passion for education and learning.
• Strong collaborative and teamwork skills.
• Flexibility and high engagement in the learning process.
• A love for learning and growth.
• Commitment to advancing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive teaching and learning environment 
• Consistently demonstrates reliability and commitment to responsibilities.  

Application Process

We’re excited to learn more about how you align with UCDS’s mission and values. To be considered for the Resident position, the application consists of two parts: a resume and a reflection. 

At UCDS, we encourage students to stretch, reflect, collaborate, and think expansively. Instead of a traditional cover letter, we are asking that Resident applicants submit a reflection about a meaningful education experience (as a learner or teacher) you’ve had and how this experience may shape your approach to teaching and learning. This experience may have influenced your education philosophy, personal or professional growth, your core values and beliefs, and more! 

Please fill out an application at www.ucds.org/resident-program-application. The application has a place to upload your resume and reflection. The types of files that can be uploaded for the reflection are: pdf, doc, docx, jpg, png. If your reflection is not one of those file types, there is a place in the application to provide a link. 

Your reflection could be:

• A digital portfolio (using tools like Google Sites, Slides, or Canva)
• A written essay, poem, or short story
• Spoken word
• An original musical piece 
• Artwork with a video explanation or written statement

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

UCDS aspires to be a welcoming learning community with a deep commitment and appreciation for diversity in all forms. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are central values at UCDS. From our youngest to our oldest students, we strive to help them develop a worldview that identifies, understands, and values diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, religion, ability, and more. We weave opportunities for these meaningful conversations, experiences, and learning throughout students’ days. Over the past few years, UCDS has continued to refine our approach and review our DEIB programming to continue to improve the ways we support students, parents, and employees by bringing an equity lens to academic and operational systems across the school.

We encourage members of marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, as well as members of other underrepresented groups, to apply and potentially become a part of our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive educational environment.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement
UCDS is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities. We will provide reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. Physical requirements and job duties listed in this posting are essential to the role. If you believe you need an accommodation to perform these functions, we encourage you to apply and discuss potential accommodations with our team.

If you require accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact Lauryn Mascareñaz, Director of Organizational Development & Personnel  at laurynm@ucds.org.

Notice of Nondiscrimination
UCDS strives to provide equal opportunity to all employees. The school's policy is not to discriminate in employment based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, creed, age, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status or any other status protected under applicable local, state or federal law. The School is committed to administering employment decisions, including hiring, promotions, compensation benefits, transfers, layoffs, return from layoffs, terminations, training, sabbaticals, tuition assistance, and other programs, without regard to an employee's protected status.

Education and/or Experience

A Bachelor's Degree (BA or BS equivalent)

Experience working with youth (informal or formal, mentorships, coaching, etc.)

About UCDS

UCDS is a dynamic learning environment for students and teachers alike, located in Seattle’s University District. UCDS designs a culture of inquiry essential to meaningful learning. We cultivate reflective, collaborative, skillful thinkers who ignite positive change in their communities. We engage diverse perspectives in an ongoing effort to shape and share our innovative education model.

Connections working at UCDS