Lower School Assistant Teacher/Substitute

About Us

The Fessenden School is an all boys independent day and boarding school serving 525 students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 9 in West Newton, MA. The Fessenden School’s mission is to cultivate each boy’s talents and develop in balance his character, mind, and body in an inclusive and joyful community. For more than 100 years, The Fessenden School has offered state-of-the-art facilities, curriculum, and programs specifically designed to meet the educational needs of boys.

Position Summary

The Fessenden School seeks an Assistant Teacher/Substitute for Pre-K to Grade 4. The Assistant Teacher helps teachers with duties, classroom activities, specialist classes, recess and lunch. Substituting covers all the teaching of a classroom teacher or specialist teacher when they are absent from school or need coverage during the day. Subbing could include any grade level in the Lower School.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Substitute in various classrooms in the Lower School (Pre-K - Grade 4) on short and long term bases
• Perform duties as assigned by the division head and assistant head
• Learn the general curriculum in language arts, social studies and math in the designated grades. 
• Understand the integration of equity, inclusion, and social justice. 
• Exemplify the School’s mission and community principles, including the core values of honesty, respect and compassion 
• Perform duties such as supervising drop-off and dismissal, recess, and lunch.
• Maintain all documentation connected with the curriculum and students
• Attend professional development meetings; three 8:30am to 4:00pm and three 3:00pm to 5:00pm
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance
• Maintain current CPR/AED and first aid certification and child abuse prevention training

Schedule

• Orientation August 21st and 22nd
• School year August 28th to June 11th
• Monday - Friday, 7:30am to 2:50pm

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience in instructing children in an academic, athletic, or camp programs
• Enthusiasm and communication skills to engage boys and build meaningful relationships
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills to manage a classroom
• Ability to perform critical thinking, organization, prioritization, and problem solving with minimal supervision
• Ability to serve in a diverse community of colleagues, students, and parents
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, social justice, diversity, and equity
• A commitment to boys and boys’ education

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in elementary education
• 2+ years experience working in an independent school setting

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that are essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. The requirements for performing the duties of this position are as follows: 

• Frequently required to walk, stand, sit, talk, and hear 
• Regularly required to bend, stoop, and crouch and/or kneel
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds
• Majority of work is performed in a school/classroom environment, and the noise level in the environment is usually moderate