Lower School Teacher

Sheridan School, an independent K-8 school in Washington, D.C., is seeking a Lower School Teacher (K-4) starting in August, 2025.

This position is responsible for effectively collaborating in a co-teaching setting to create a nurturing educational environment, deliver high-quality instruction in reading, writing, math, spelling, and social studies and support the social-emotional growth of Lower School students.

Reports to: Lower School Division Head

Classification: Exempt

Full Time Equivalency: 1.0

Areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to:

Curriculum & Instruction:

Alignment with Sheridan mission, philosophy and program goals to provide a progressive, concept-based, rigorous curriculum.
Effective implementation of subject-area curriculum based on programs/approaches adopted by the school and utilizing a wide range of resources.
Use independent judgment for assessing curriculum to meet needs of students in a flexible and responsive manner.
Communicate the purpose of learning activities with clear instructions using age-appropriate methods.
Documentation of units of study, using a backwards-design model.
Use of a variety of instructional strategies suitable to the age and needs of a diverse set of students and subject matter being taught.
Implementation of a comprehensive assessment and feedback system that aligns with learning goals and Sheridan grading practices and informs future planning.
Responsiveness to interventions by school leadership and the Student Support Team.
Attendance at and active participation in Mountain Campus trips, as assigned.

Classroom Community

Creation of a nurturing, inclusive, safe classroom culture, using the Responsive Classroom Approach, that fosters respect and understanding, challenges bias and promotes social justice.
Implementation of an effective, mission-aligned classroom management system.
Establishment of positive relationships with students, which, while recognizing the differing roles of students and adults, are characterized by mutual respect and goodwill.
Management of student behavior in order to create an effective learning environment and help students learn from mistakes to promote growth.

Collaboration & Communication

Collaboration within departments to successfully plan, document and implement the program with a growth mindset.
Collaboration with colleagues on grade-wide, division or whole-school alignment of the program.
Collaboration with colleagues on school-wide initiatives.
Regular, timely and appropriate communication with families regarding student progress by phone, email or in person.
Management and on-time completion of institutionalized communication such as class newsletters, student-involved conferences and report cards.

Professional Responsibilities

Compliance with Sheridan policies/procedures as stated in the Employee Handbook.
Regular and punctual attendance during the school day and specifically at assigned classes and activities.
Completion of non-teaching duties, including arrival, morning meeting, lunch, recess, assembly and dismissal, as assigned.
Active participation in staff meetings, including division, department, grade-level, etc.
Participation in community events outside of regular school hours, including Back to School Night, admission open houses, etc., as assigned.
Completion of additional responsibilities in support of the school community, as assigned.
Participation in regular goal-setting, reflection and professional growth opportunities.
Use of independent judgment for assessing prospective students for the admission process.
Responsibility for upkeep of classroom, classroom technology, bulletin boards and outside hallway.
Management of a budget to purchase supplies and plan field trips and special events to support student learning.
Perform all other related work delegated or required to accomplish the objectives of the overall school program.

Minimum Qualifications

Related undergraduate degree
Mastery of skills/content/understandings of the subject(s) taught and knowledge of developmental stages of students taught
Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a team
Effective and grammatically correct communication skills (written and verbal)
Ability to talk, hear, operate a computer, handheld learning devices and other office equipment and school technology, reach with hands and arms, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and a completed Sheridan School Application in one PDF file to Sheridan via email at careers@sheridanschool.org. Please include “Lower School Teacher” in the subject line.

Sheridan School benchmarks faculty salaries to salary data collected and updated annually through the NAIS DASL survey, based on years of experience. Because the experience range is so broad, our salary range - based on experience - is equally broad. In compliance with the DC Wage Transparency Act, the estimated annual salary range for this position is between $65,000 - $105,000, based on experience. This is a 10 month position.

Sheridan School does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other category protected by law.

To learn more about working at Sheridan, please visit our Sheridan Careers page.

About Sheridan:

Founded in 1927, Sheridan is a progressive school with no more than 230 students that offers a joyful, intimate K-8 educational experience where mutual trust and positivity creates a healthy culture and learning environment. Inclusion and social justice work is very important to our community. At Sheridan, DEIJB is more than an initiative, department or headline — it is infused in how Sheridan operates each day. Sheridan is also a leader in experiential education, most notably through its memorable Mountain Campus and deliberate approach to student-driven learning.

High-achievement at Sheridan means high-engagement, high-challenge and high-growth; it does not mean high-stress or high-memorization. With instructional practices in place such as co-teaching, student differentiation, social-emotional learning and curricular innovation, Sheridan graduates are intellectual and compassionate contributors in high school and beyond.

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