Mathematics Teacher - Elementary/Primary School Level

Mathematics Guide - Elementary

Dates: August 24 - November 28, 2026 (14 weeks)

Location: Jelsa, Croatia

About The Field School of Hvar

The Field School of Hvar is a full-time enrichment program located in a seaside village in Croatia. We bring together children ages 3 through 15 from around the world for deep engagement with ideas, culture, and the natural world. Small groups, meaningful work, and genuine community are at the heart of everything we do. Elementary learners encounter mathematics through nature-based lessons, intriguing puzzles, and hands-on projects.

About the Role

We are looking for a patient, inventive educator to lead mathematics for our two younger school-age groups: Lower Primary (8 children ages 7 and 8) and Upper Primary (10 children ages 9 and 10). You will work with both groups daily during the morning skill-building block, meeting each in a focused session before the school transitions to lunch and afternoon programming.

Our elementary mathematics program is grounded in a conviction that children love mathematical reasoning when they encounter it purposefully and playfully — in a kitchen, in a garden, in a game. Sessions draw on a nature-based curriculum called Wild Math, supplemented by a weekly rotation of food-based and market math activities. Direct instruction is brief; most of the session is hands-on, applied, and playful.

Math Program

Curriculum

Both groups work from the Wild Math curriculum (discoverwildlearning.com/wild-math/), which connects number sense, measurement, and early operations to the outdoor and natural world. Children work in skill-based small groups within each session, receiving a brief focused tutorial before moving into applied practice.

Session Structure

Each morning math session runs approximately 60 minutes. Within each session:

• 15-minute tutorial from Wild Math, delivered to a skill-based small group
• Applied math activity drawn from the weekly rotation (see below)

Sessions take place inside the learning center or outside, depending on the activity and the weather.

Weekly Activity Rotation

Both groups rotate through the following activities each week, with content calibrated to each group's level:

Recipe math

Children scale recipes up or down, measure ingredients, and convert between units in the context of food preservation — fermentation, pickling, and drying. Lower Primary focuses on doubling and halving; Upper Primary works with fractions, ratios, and multi-step conversions.

Market game

A structured roleplay in which children buy and sell produce, make change, and negotiate quantities. Lower Primary develops comfort with coins and simple transactions; Upper Primary adds multi-step purchases, simple budgets, and working with running totals.

Estimation and data collection

Children estimate quantities — beans in a jar, the weight of a bunch of herbs, how long a ferment has been going — then measure and record. Upper Primary extends these activities into basic graphing and quantitative reasoning based on observations of the garden and natural world.

Schedule and Responsibilities

Teaching Days

The school day runs 9:00am–4:00pm. Math and Language Arts take place in the morning, from 9:00am–12:00pm, followed by a faculty hour from 12:00–1:00pm. During the faculty hour, teachers manage assessment documentation, communicate with the administrative team, and prepare materials for the following day.

On Fridays, you will help students prepare and present a brief summary of the week’s work for parents. This is a valued part of how we keep families connected to their children’s learning.

Non-Teaching Day

One day each week (equivalent to one day in five) is reserved for non-teaching work, divided among three activities:

• Planning and administration — curriculum preparation, collaboration with other guides and specialist fellows, and coordination with the administrative team
• Workshop for local children — a free or low-cost offering for children from the Jelsa community who are enrolled in Croatian public school and cannot participate in the full program
• Workshop for community adults — open to Field School parents and local adults, connecting the school’s activities to a wider audience

Assessment and Documentation

There is no formal grading. Instead, you will be expected to:

• Administer entry and exit skill assessments for our internal planning
• Maintain ongoing observational notes on each student’s development
• Issue a brief weekly summary of work covered with each group
• Contribute to ongoing program assessment — what’s working, what needs adjustment

The administrative team manages parent communication, disciplinary matters, and family concerns. Teachers are not expected to interface with parents beyond the Friday presentations, community workshops, and everyday pleasantries. Our communication policies are described in detail in the staff handbook.

About You

We are looking for someone who brings several of the following:

• Ease with young children — the ability to maintain a patient, encouraging presence while keeping a small group on task
• Passion for teaching mathematics through beauty, curiosity, and real-world contexts
• Comfort with skill-based differentiation — meeting children at their current level and moving them forward
• Enthusiasm for food, gardening, and the natural world, and the ability to find the mathematics inside everyday activities
• Adaptability within a small, close-knit school community

Other Details

Fluency in English is required. Croatian is not required but warmly welcomed.

This position may be combined with another full-time role (like the upper school math teaching position) for a full-time position / salary. We are also open to hiring permanent faculty, if that is of interest.

For more information about our program, visit www.fieldschoolhvar.org

Please apply through the form on our Careers page. We look forward to meeting you!

Fluency in English is essential.