The Waverly School seeks teachers who resonate with the school’s mission to cultivate curious, resourceful, confident learners who demonstrate intellectual engagement, critical and creative thinking, respect for individual differences, a strong awareness of personal responsibility, and an active commitment to social justice. The ideal candidate is a progressive social studies teacher who wants to be involved in the community in the classroom and beyond.

The Humanities teacher seeks to be an inquiry-based and hands-on program where students are challenged to make meaningful connections between history and their own lived experience, gaining a deeper understanding of the world and their positionality in it. The successful candidate will incorporate the understanding that history is not just facts about the past but is a study that can illuminate reasons why structures and systems operate the way they do today and can help us make informed choices for the betterment of the future. The Humanities teacher will have the capacity to meet the needs of a range of learners in high school.

Teachers at Waverly are collaborative and the high school teachers function as a team supporting student growth in an interdisciplinary way that cultivates deep interest in students as individual learners. The Humanities program makes connections to history, literature, current events, and culture.  Waverly teachers enjoy freedom to design curriculum to meet the needs of students. The ideal candidate will have a strong history, civics, and/or humanities background and be excited about curriculum design.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Plan and design curriculum that aligns with Waverly’s scope and sequence and as aligned with the school mission and philosophy
• Teach courses dependent upon experience and interest such as Ancient Literature, US Government, US History, Latin American History, Global Studies, and more.
• Teach one section of journalism/creative writing or other electives in middle school
• Use teaching strategies that include small and large group instruction, hands-on experiential learning, inquiry-based learning, integrated learning
• Culturally Responsive Teaching pedagogy, social justice frameworks and techniques to set-up, run and develop a consistent, caring classroom environment
• Serve as a club advisor, advisor, and faculty mentor
• Create clubs or other extracurricular opportunities for student engagement
• Collaborate with other high school faculty to deepen learning experiences for students.
• Use formative and summative assessment tools to meet student’s learning needs
• Monitor and document student progress throughout the year and evaluate learning development
• Lead family/teacher conferences
• Write and edit semester reports that include checklists and narrative writing
• Chaperone field trips, outdoor education trips, or other experiential learning opportunities
• Build and maintain positive relationship with members of the school community
• Have regular communication with parents-via email and newsletters
• Support admissions and other school events (i.e. parent education nights, graduation, etc.)
• Attend special events during evenings and weekends as needed.
• Attend and participate in weekly faculty meetings (after school) and occasional workshops, in-service opportunities, and other training seminars
• Work in person, on campus
• Adhere to policies and procedures as outlined in the the employee and faculty handbooks
• Complete other duties as assigned by the Division Director or Head of School

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong commitment to inclusive practices that support students of all backgrounds to succeed
• Ability to self-reflect and demonstrate personal growth
• Ability to plan, manage, and evaluate curriculum
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with adults and children
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with teachers, staff, parents, and students in a positive and constructive way
• Proficient in Microsoft office suite or related software as required for recordkeeping and documentation
• Confident with remote learning platforms such as Zoom and Google Classroom
• Genuine interest in and respect for students in their middle and high school years
• Strong sense of healthy teacher/student boundaries

Education and Experience

• Bachelor of Arts or higher in history or closely related field.  Master’s degree preferred
• 2-5 years teaching experience, preferably in high school
• Preference for progressive educational experiences

Physical requirements

• Teacher is expected to work in person, on campus during school hours.
• Prolonged periods of standing and walking throughout classrooms and between several campus locations including the school farm.
• Regularly spend long hours sitting and using office equipment and computers.
• Occasionally lift 15-45 pounds.
• Regularly move up and down stairs.

School Contact:

Interested candidates should email a resume, statement of educational philosophy and letter of introduction in a single document to:

Director of Human Resources
vella@thewaverlyschool.org

The Waverly School is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination based on the race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, transgender, transsexualism, sexual orientation, age, national origin, citizenship, primary language, military or veteran status, physical handicap, disability, medical condition, mental disability, genetic characteristic or information, ancestry, or based on any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.

School Information

The Waverly School is a nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory, progressive day school that spans preschool through high school. Waverly provides an experience-based, cross-disciplinary education in which students are expected to work to their highest potential. Waverly is dedicated to helping students become confident, curious, resourceful learners who demonstrate intellectual engagement, critical and creative thinking, respect for individual differences, and a strong sense of personal and social responsibility. The Waverly School has three campuses and a one-acre organic farm, all within walking distance of one another, in Pasadena, CA.

Established in 1993, Waverly fosters lifelong learning in a child-centered and intellectually challenging environment. With nearly 315 students, Waverly offers an exceptional faculty, thoughtful programs, and expressive students within three adjacent campuses. Waverly is economically diverse and culturally rich; Waverly families live in many Los Angeles area neighborhoods. The school is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the California Association of Independent Schools and is a member of A Better Chance, POCIS, and The Alliance.

Committed to a humanistic approach, our high school teachers encourage their students to be creative, self-disciplined, and independent intellectuals capable of high academic achievement and personal growth. Faculty share and model lifetime learning by developing new classes and working with students on a range of activities outside the classroom.