Trinity School, a coeducational, K-12 institution located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, seeks a Lower School Science Assistant Teacher (Grades 1-4), beginning September 2015.
 
The assistant teacher program in the Lower School is designed for college graduates interested in pursuing a teaching career.  In most cases the appointment is for two years during which time it is hoped that the assistant teacher will be enrolled in a teacher-training program.  Qualified candidates will possess intellectual curiosity both within and outside the discipline of science, a desire to be mentored, an openness to growth, strong communication skills, a willingness to learn on the job and reflect upon their emerging teaching practices.  Candidates from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
The principle role of the assistant teacher is instructional as well as to provide support for the head teacher with the day-to-day routines of running the lab.  Most likely this will begin on a one-on-one and small group basis.  As the assistant teacher is ready, he/she will be given responsibility for whole group instruction.  It is our intention that the head teacher and assistant teacher work together to achieve the best balance between their experience and preferences and the demands of the grade program.
 
The head teacher is ultimately responsible for the academic program, parent conferences and conveying information about individual children to the parents.  The assistant teacher is to refer all parent questions to the head teacher, who has primary accountability for reporting on the growth, learning style and behavior of the children.  The assistant teacher will play a supportive role in these situations.
 
Assistant teachers are members of the faculty and therefore attend faculty and science department meetings.  Work in the classroom before and after school (8:00am – 4:00pm) will be negotiated with the head Science teacher.  The Lower School Science Assistant teacher should expect to help the Lead Science teacher with preparation during times when children are in homeroom classes.
 
The liaison for Lower School assistant teachers is the Assistant Principal.  All Lower School assistant teachers will meet regularly with the Assistant Principal to discuss issues, which are relevant to their roles in the school.  The agenda items for these meetings can be selected by the assistants, who are encouraged to bring ideas they would like to share.  The Assistant Principal will also meet with the head teachers to discuss the progress of the assistant teachers.
 
In order to facilitate the developing relationship between head teachers and the assistant teachers we recommend assistants consider the following:

• You should assume that the head teacher will set up regular meeting times when you are able to ask questions and help plan.
• Be sure to indicate to your head teachers, areas you are interested in and/or skills you would like to begin developing.
• Individual teaching styles, levels of experience and compatibility create a variety of assistant teacher roles. These may range from: assistant teacher further developing their teaching practice through observation and modeling or head teachers formally mentoring their assistants or continuous significant enlargement of the assistant teacher’s scope of responsibility. All of these are found at Trinity. If you have any concerns about your role, please be assured that your head teacher welcomes your input.
• Additionally, the Lower School Science Assistant Teacher will provide support for the maintenance of the LS Lab and periodic maintenance of equipment located within homerooms.

Assistants are teachers. They are introduced to both students and parents as such.  The head teacher supports that role in all situations.  An Equal Opportunity Employer, Trinity School seeks candidates who will add to the diversity of our school community.