Position(s): 3-8 Classroom Teacher
Reports To: Principal & Literary Director
Compensation: Very competitive and commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits package and extensive professional development opportunities are also available.
Status: Full Time
Works Schedule: Monday – Friday, 7:45AM - 4:00PM
FLSA Status: Exempt
Join our Team!!
Merrick Academy Charter School is seeking a passionate and dedicated Elementary Humanities Teacher to join our team. As an IB Candidate School, Merrick Academy is committed to developing knowledgeable, thoughtful, and internationally minded students through rigorous and engaging instruction. A teacher to plan, organize and implement an appropriate instructional program in a school learning environment that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential. Someone who will work closely with School Leadership, students, teachers, and parents.
About Merrick Academy
Merrick Academy is one of the first charter schools to open in New York City and the first to open (2000) in Queens. With a rich history and deep roots in the local community, Merrick Academy is an all-inclusive, independent Charter School with approximately 600 students in grades K-8 and a faculty and staff of 125. Queens’ first charter school, Merrick, has been educating children for over 25 years. Merrick Academy is a STEAM-based school cultivating critical thinking, problem-solving, and inquiry amongst all learners in an environment that provides extensive whole-child support based on ensuring equity and empowerment for all learners through effective and innovative approaches to teaching and learning fostered by a world-class faculty. Merrick is an IB candidate school, and as an institution we are actively going through the rigorous, multi-year authorization process to offer one or more International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. This developmental status signifies the school is aligning its curriculum, teacher training, and administrative practices with global IB standards.
Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities
In grades 3–8, Merrick Academy utilizes a departmentalized model, with Humanities teachers responsible for teaching both English Language Arts and Social Studies. Our Humanities program is grounded in high-quality instructional materials, including Wit & Wisdom, Lavinia RedThread, and TCI Social Studies. We are looking for an educator who is deeply committed to literacy instruction and helping students read, think, discuss, and write about texts at the deepest level of meaning. Successful candidates will value collaboration, engage actively in curriculum internalization and team planning, and use student data to drive instruction. Teachers are supported through weekly professional learning, collaborative planning structures, and ongoing coaching from a Humanities Department Lead. If you are passionate about developing strong readers, writers, critical thinkers, and globally minded learners, we encourage you to apply.
Incorporate short-response, open-ended, and constructed response questions weekly to facilitate scholars’ application of their knowledge. Integrate reading and writing into all subject areas.
- Learn about the cultural backgrounds of your scholars and incorporate it into the classroom culture and lesson plans.
- Use assessments for measuring student progress on a regular basis.
- Make cross-curricular connections among subject areas.
- Incorporate the relationship between the teacher, the student, and the curriculum. Teach the curriculum as it aligns with the standards of the school.
- Differentiate instruction for all students, especially for students with special needs.
- Prepare for class daily while creating and maintaining a warm and inclusive classroom environment.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with students and their families, focusing on how to align school and home life around continued student growth and success.
- Engage in and support new initiatives, including the use of blended learning, project-based learning
- Supervise the health, safety, and welfare of students at all times. Bring all significant information relevant to health, safety and welfare to the immediate attention of the Principal.
- Utilize all avenues to incorporate past lessons, the performance standards, and staff development sessions to design and deliver outstanding lessons.
- Design additional remediation for students falling behind in any aspect of the curriculum. Identify students with specific issues and work with the Principal and school-based staff developers to address their needs.
- Work with Special Education Teachers/Coordinator(s). Work with specialists contracted to service students with special needs inside the classroom, as they pull students aside or out for specific services.
- Manage administration of the classroom, including marking daily attendance and lateness, checking notebooks, checking homework, making photocopies, displaying student work, completing meal tracking forms, helping to maintain a clean physical classroom environment, as well as any other administrative aspect of teaching.
- Organize classroom — including materials, and visual aids in an educationally appropriate way.
- Record each student’s progress through both monitoring forms and marking books. Prepare progress reports (3 times per year) and report cards (4 times per year) and arrange and conduct Parent-Teacher Conferences (3 times per year).
- Attend, contribute and listen effectively in meetings and conferences
- Interact with students in a firm, positive and constructive way always
- Engage in conversation and behavior that uplifts and guides children
- Recognize and encourage positive behavior
Non-Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities
- Maintains professional competence by attending staff development programs, curriculum development meetings and other professional activities.
- Participates in various student and family activities which occur in school including PTO, student clubs and after-school activities.
- Knowledgeable of several technology platforms such as google (etc; google doc., and google classroom), zoom and etc;
- Performs any other related duties as assigned by the Principal or other appropriate school leader
Qualifications & Behavioral Competencies
- Bachelor’s Degree in Education or related field required; Master’s Degree preferred
- Minimum of 2 years classroom teaching experience
- Knowledgeable on the Danielson Aligned Lesson Plan Template
- Able to interact with colleagues, parents, students, and visitors professionally
- New York State Certification in subject area
- Strong instructional and classroom management skills
- Demonstrated mastery and enthusiasm for content knowledge
- Strong organization, planning, and time management skills
- Professional and friendly demeanor and the ability to communicate successfully with individuals from diverse backgrounds
- Computer proficiency using email services and Microsoft Office
- Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
- Ability to learn quickly and thrive in a fast-paced environment
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to think and act strategically
- Passion for contributing to a team-oriented, mission-driven school culture
- Open to feedback and committed to continuously improving
- Knowledgeable of Fundations; instructional materials, including Wit & Wisdom, Lavinia RedThread, and TCI Social Studies.
Americans with Disability Specifications
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
I acknowledge that:
I have read and understand the responsibilities and qualifications required to successfully perform this job. This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an individual in this position. This description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed and it is not an exhaustive list of all knowledge, skills or abilities required. There may be additional duties as assigned and the employee must follow any job-related instructions and perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.
This description excludes the marginal functions incident to the performance of this job’s fundamental duties. All essential job duties and responsibilities are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Merrick Academy to provide educational and employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, alienage and citizen status, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, prior record of arrest or conviction (except as provided by law), sexual orientation, gender (sex), or any other protected class, and to maintain an environment free of discriminatory harassment, including sexual harassment, or retaliation as required by civil rights law.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $60,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- Teaching: 1 year (Preferred)
Ability to Relocate:
- Queens, NY 11413: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person
