The Chapin School, an independent K-12 day school for girls located in New York City, seeks student-centered, collaborative, and innovative educators to serve as Lower School Associate Teachers in grades K-3 starting August of 2026.
The Associate Teacher position (Grades K–3) is a full-time position for collaborative and passionate educators who believe in our mission: empowering diverse, ambitious, and resolute young women.
Our Lower School Associate Teachers work in an apprenticeship with a Head Teacher. Associate Teachers receive support, coaching, and in-house professional development with the goal of building confidence in their authentic teaching style, curricular mastery, and a deep understanding of child development as they gain skills necessary for head teaching positions. Many candidates are early career teachers with one or two years of student teaching experience and have obtained or are working towards a Master’s degree. Chapin also welcomes recent graduates and career changers with a variety of experiences in early childhood settings.
Responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to:
Supporting and collaborating with a Head Teacher in planning and preparing daily lessons and materials
Planning and conducting small group or whole group lessons
Assessing and documenting students’ needs
Attending and participating in grade-level meetings, student support meetings, Associate Teacher meetings, and professional development
Participating in conversations around curricular planning and classroom management
Working with Co-curricular teachers to engage in interdisciplinary lessons and projects with guidance from Head and Co-curricular teachers
Assisting Spanish teachers during classes
Supervising lunch, recess, and bus duties
Chapin’s Next Associate Teachers Will Be:
Student-centered educators who value each student’s voice, experience, and history who
Understand and appreciate the Lower School learner within the context of child development
Demonstrate effective pedagogy, particularly in response to the needs of students with a variety of backgrounds, learning needs, and interests
Educators who actively cultivate a classroom and community of belonging by
Developing, alongside students, a safe and productive learning environment, building trust with students through clear guidelines and expectations
Cultivating an inclusive classroom that promotes diverse points of view and constructive dialogue through a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Educators who partner with students, their parents, and colleagues in teaching and learning by
Employing research-based strategies to reach all students through differentiated approaches, mindful of students’ receptive and expressive learning preferences
Enthusiastically approaching their work and demonstrating strong organizational skills, flexibility, and follow-through on assignments from Head Teachers and Associate Head of Lower School
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor’s Degree
Previous experience with Lower School aged students
Preferred
Demonstrate a passion for and recognize the importance of an all-girls setting
Are reflective about their practice and avail themselves of professional development opportunities.
Have strong collaboration skills and a sense of humor as this position requires working closely with a Head Teacher, Associate Head of Lower School, and other colleagues
Bilingual speakers are of special interest as our students learn Spanish starting in Kindergarten
Have facility with digital tools such as Seesaw, Canvas, Outlook, and the Google Suite for Education
OUR MISSION
The Chapin School is dedicated to empowering a diverse, ambitious and resolute community of young women to thrive and lead in their world. Guided by our motto, Fortiter et Recte, Chapin considers bravery, compassion, service and respect for self and others to be fundamental values. We believe that equity, inclusion and collaboration are critical to personal growth. By advancing and deepening each student’s agency, confidence and resilience within an affirming and joyful learning environment, Chapin strives to ensure that each student is emboldened to pursue distinction as a leader and contributing citizen.
ABOUT US
The Chapin School, founded in 1901, is an independent, all-girls day school in New York City currently serving 802 students K–12.
Chapin’s signature Focus Forward strategic plan, which guided our work for more than a decade, intensified Chapin’s historic commitment to offering the most challenging academic curriculum while also teaching the social, emotional and other skills that will set the stage for its students’ success in this century. Chapin’s institutional priorities continue to be imbued with the spirit of Focus Forward. We have fine-tuned our... articulation of the School’s purpose as we approach the third decade of the 21st century. A forward-focused learning community whose symbol is a wheel will never cease to strive toward achieving its vision of cultivating in girls the skills and attributes that will allow them to be brave for themselves and for others.
UNDER ONE ROOF
Chapin’s single building provides a unified learning environment under one roof for all students, the 128 faculty members who teach them and the 85 staff members who support all other aspects of school life. An ambitious construction project to be completed in 2020 will feature an entire floor dedicated to the arts and a gymnasium with suspended running track—all with spectacular views of our urban location. The Hayot Center for Innovation, to open in 2020, will provide our entire learning community the opportunity to extend our commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry-based investigations and explorations, deepening students’ interests through experimentation, invention and the development of out-of-the-box solutions to complex issues.
Our vibrant, inspiring and welcoming new spaces will further our commitment to a forward- focused learning environment that enables all students to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century to the best of their abilities. With these exciting new spaces as a canvas, we renew our pledge to develop curriculum and pedagogy that reflect current research and best practices, always placing each student at the center of her own learning.
