Pre-Kindergarten Co-Teacher (Full-Time)

Harding Academy is an independent co-ed school, accredited by the SAIS, serving students from Pre-Kindergarten to the 8th grade. It is a warm and caring school environment where respect is the key ingredient. Every child, parent, and colleague is a unique individual worthy of our understanding and greatest effort. Harding Academy employs outstanding faculty, staff, and administrators, provides technologically enhanced facilities, and offers a broad and challenging curriculum designed to develop the whole person.

The mission of our school is to educate and inspire young people to become thoughtful, creative, lifelong learners and self-disciplined, responsible, caring citizens. Members of the faculty are an important part of this effort. We strive and serve so that the students may become young men and women who are able to make choices that will benefit themselves, our society, and our world.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Knowing that a classroom of students is comprised of individual and diverse learners, we believe that students learn best when instructional practices include:

• differentiated instruction that is designed according to student readiness, progress, and achievement, and is aligned with curriculum standards;
• academic enrichment that challenges students through accelerated learning experiences to advance critical thinking development;
• academic support that addresses the needs of students who require additional practice and alternative instruction to achieve content mastery;
• a brain-based pedagogical model that is informed by current research in human development and neuro-cognitive sciences which provides common language and consistent practices schoolwide.

The primary teaching responsibilities of the Full-Time Pre-Kindergarten Co-Teacher include delivery of the Harding Academy Pre-Kindergarten academic and social-emotional curriculum, and other duties as assigned by Supervisory Team.

 In order to achieve this, Harding Academy faculty work with their students, families, and colleagues across the following four domains.

1. Instructional
   1. Employs a variety of teaching methods to engage different learning styles and ability levels in the classroom.
   2. Assists in developing curriculum reflects child development, creativity, and student abilities.
   3. Encourages an inclusive and equitable classroom that accepts the different perspectives and backgrounds of the students and elicits a greater understanding of the world around them with a global perspective.
   4. Utilizes a variety of classroom play based assessments and uses data in the classroom to develop lessons and instructional activities needed.
   5. Assists in updating curriculum and materials as needed.

1. Teaching and Learning Environment
   1. Creating a play-based learning environment that is a motivating and an age-appropriate setting with instructional resources that support classroom learning.
   2. Seeks to actively know students’ strengths and challenges and responds promptly and with care to parent concerns. Communicates effectively with parents, colleagues, and administrators.
   3. Utilizes school’s online system to maintain an accurate and organized system for monitoring student progress and records.
   4. Meets reporting deadlines and requirements and follows school-wide procedures for reporting grades.
   5. Assists in preparing well-thought out and thorough conference reports and written documentation on student progress.
   6. Assists in maintaining substitute plans and engages substitutes in advance when needed and when possible.
   7. Assist in preparing the classroom environment each day including preparing classroom materials and equipment.
   8. Greets and settles in students each morning and signs students in and out each day using attendance app.
   9. Assists in coordinating the scheduling of special area classes with those teachers.
   10. Supervises children at all times, including lunch and recess.
   11. Demonstrates classroom management skills.

1. Professional Development
   1. Demonstrates a willingness to learn, grow, and improve as an educator.
   2. Continues to update knowledge of content area(s) taught, as well as instructional practices.
   3. Engages in goal setting and review process with assigned administrator.
   4. Attends and participates appropriately in full, divisional, and departmental/team faculty meetings.
   5. Engages in classroom compliance with all DOE Pre-Kindergarten standards.

1. School Community
   1. Maintains a positive attitude and approach.
   2. Supports colleagues.
   3. Represents the school in the larger community in a positive manner.
   4. Assists with projects and school-wide initiatives.
   5. Other work-related duties as assigned by supervisor or management.  Full time Pre-Kindergarten Teacher will also assist the Primary Division Director by coordinating and ordering library books for curricular topics, organizing, scheduling, and coordinating student birthday celebrations, ordering classroom snacks, and transporting and supervising children to and from special classes.

COMPETENCIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The competencies listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Professional maturity and the ability to respond calmly and effectively in stressful and dangerous situations.
2. Professional and effective written, oral, and listening communication skills.
3. Respectful attitude toward school faculty, students, and parents.
4. Ability to maintain integrity and confidentiality of personal information.
5. Ability to demonstrate a high level of work, personal, and professional ethics.
6. Enthusiasm for working collaboratively as part of the Harding Academy team.
7. Active involvement in school functions, goals, activities, etc.
8. Ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills.
9. Working knowledge of technology including email, spreadsheets, written and electronic correspondence, internet, school’s online portal, and smartboards.
10. Must have reliable transportation.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: speak, hear, stand, walk, sit; use his/her hands or fingers to: handle, grasp or feel; to: reach with hands and arms; and to: smell. The employee must have the ability to lift 100 pounds, move quickly to keep pace with young children, and stamina to remain alert and energetic for 8 hours. Employee may often be required to kneel or crouch. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be available to allow the employee to perform the essential functions of the job. 

This is a full-time position beginning no earlier than August 3, 2026.*  The position offers applicable full-time benefits which may include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and Disability insurance.

* The position may require some limited pre-work during the summer with our Director of Teaching & Learning and/or Primary Division Director.

This application form is intended for use in evaluating your qualifications for employment.  This application is not an employment contract.  Please answer all questions completely and accurately.  False or misleading statements made during the interview or on this form are grounds for terminating the application process or, if discovered after employment, for terminating employment.

Requirements:  Bachelor’s degree in Education or in Early Childhood Development

                           Current or transferable teacher certification in the State of Tennessee

                           Ability to clear a background and fingerprint screening

Preference:       Master’s degree and/or at least two-year's experience in an instructional role

Harding Academy is a warm and caring school environment where respect is the key ingredient. Every child, parent, and colleague is a unique individual worthy of our understanding and greatest effort. Harding Academy employs outstanding faculty, staff, and administrators, provides technologically enhanced facilities, and offers a broad and challenging curriculum designed to develop the whole person.  It is Harding Academy’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, handicap, or disability in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. It is the intent and resolve of Harding Academy to comply with the letter and the spirit of the law in the implementation of all facets of equal opportunity. This equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, compensation, and training.  Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all qualified individuals with a disability in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Subject to the provisions of federal law, Harding Academy will provide reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental disabilities of a qualified individual with a disability who is able to perform the essential functions of a job with such reasonable accommodation. Harding Academy will also provide reasonable accommodation for the sincerely held religious beliefs of an employee or applicant in accordance with federal law. Any questions about reasonable accommodation should be directed to the head of school.

Harding Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Human Resources Title IX and ADA Coordinator

170 Windsor Dr.

Nashville, TN 37205

(615) 356-8198