Lower School First Grade Teacher

Job Description
The Blake School seeks to hire an imaginative, caring and talented educator to lead a first grade classroom beginning in the 2024-25 school year. The ideal candidate will have a passion for working with first grade students, experience implementing best practices in progressive, constructivist early childhood education, a lively intellect and a thoughtful approach to education. Blake's Early Learning Center is a Reggio-inspired program with an emphasis on reflective teaching, emergent curriculum and documentation of children's learning. Experience with the Science of Reading, Teachers College Readers and Writers Project, Singapore-based math and teaching phonemic awareness is preferred. This is a 1.0 FTE position on the Blake campus in Hopkins. Committed to recruiting a diverse faculty and to creating a culture that supports continuous growth and development, Blake seeks an educator who is reflective, open to feedback and eager for professional collaboration. Blake is particularly interested in candidates who will enrich the diversity of identity, lived experience and thinking that makes our community strong and empowers students to engage productively with those who are different from them.

The search committee will begin reviewing resumes immediately and will continue to welcome applications. Blake covers the travel and lodging costs for finalist candidates visiting from out of town.

Experience and Skills
Strong candidates will demonstrate a creative, joyful approach to learning and teaching and dedication to continual professional learning and growth. In addition, we seek candidates who bring:

• Deep respect for children and their potential
• Collaborative working style
• Flexibility, confidence and a sense of humor
• Strong organizational skills; resourceful planning
• Knowledge of children's social, emotional, cognitive and physical developmental stages
• Effective classroom management skills
• Reggio-inspired educational philosophy with expertise in process-oriented learning and teaching

The Blake School is a pre-kindergarten through grade 12, co-educational, nonsectarian, independent day school enrolling 1,331 bright, talented students from nearly 56 Twin Cities-area communities. Founded in 1900, The Blake School has the advantage of facilities and campuses designed for specific developmental ages. Blake's mission is to engage students with a dynamic, academically challenging education in a diverse and supportive community committed to pluralism and a common set of values. Students pursue an integrated program of academic, artistic and athletic activities, preparing for college, lifelong learning and purposeful lives as community and global citizens. The school community is also guided by its Commitment to Pluralism and core values.

The Blake School believes that a diverse society enriches all individuals and communities. Diversity of race, ethnicity, national origin, geography, religion, gender, affectional or sexual orientation, age, physical ability, and marital, parental or economic status forms the fabric of our society. As a result of these beliefs, The Blake School actively seeks students, families and employees who value and contribute to the fullness of a diverse community within the context of its mission. In doing so, we recognize our responsibility to help make each person's experience a success. EOE