K-3rd Grade Microschool Teacher

About Iron Village Preparatory Academy

Iron Village Preparatory Academy is an innovative K–8 microschool located in Richmond, Virginia, currently preparing for its second academic year. We center academic exploration, cultural celebration, and community engagement through a student-led, project-based learning model. Our small class sizes, mixed-grade cohorts, and individualized learning plans allow educators to teach deeply, creatively, and relationally.

Our Innovators cohort serves students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, maintaining a 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio to ensure personalized attention and strong foundational development. This cohort lays the academic, social-emotional, and cultural groundwork for lifelong learning.

We are seeking an early-career to mid-level elementary educator to serve as the primary instructor for our Innovators (K–3rd grade) classroom. This role is ideal for a recent college graduate through educators with up to 5 years of experience who are excited by progressive education, small learning environments, and meaningful relationships with students and families.

The Innovators Teacher will work closely with our Lead Teacher (Trailblazers) and Executive Director to implement curriculum aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning, while bringing lessons to life through inquiry, play, and project-based exploration.

Key Responsibilities

Teaching & Instruction

Serve as the lead classroom teacher for the Innovators (K–3rd grade) cohort.

Design and facilitate engaging, developmentally appropriate lessons across core subject areas.

Differentiate instruction to support a range of learning styles, abilities, and grade levels.

Create a warm, structured classroom environment that supports curiosity, independence, and belonging.

Curriculum Implementation

Implement Iron Village Prep’s project-based, student-led curriculum framework.

Align instruction with Virginia Standards of Learning while maintaining flexibility and creativity.

Collaborate with the Lead Teacher to ensure vertical alignment between Innovators and Trailblazers.

Student Support & Assessment

Monitor student progress through observation, portfolios, and informal assessments.

Contribute to individualized education success plans for each student.

Communicate student growth and needs clearly with families.

Community & School Engagement

Build strong, trusting relationships with families.

Participate in family events, conferences, and community gatherings.

Collaborate with staff, mentors, and enrichment partners to support whole-child development.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education or a closely related field (required).

Virginia teaching license preferred but not required for the right candidate.

Experience

0–5 years of classroom teaching experience.

Student teaching or residency experience welcomed and valued.

Skills & Dispositions

Strong classroom management rooted in relationship-building.

Comfort teaching across multiple grade levels.

Enthusiasm for project-based, culturally responsive, and student-centered learning.

Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Bilingual candidates encouraged to apply.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary range: $42,000 – $48,000, based on experience.

Supportive leadership and mentorship from an experienced Lead Teacher.

Opportunity to grow professionally within a start-up school environment.

Meaningful autonomy, small class sizes, and deep community impact.