Special Education and Life Skills Teacher

ROLE OVERVIEW

We're seeking a calm, thoughtful, highly relational educator to work one-on-one with a 21-year-old young adult in a deeply personalized, community-based learning environment.

This is not a traditional classroom teaching role. The right educator will help create structure, meaningful routines, learning experiences, and opportunities for growth across daily life. You'll support academics, communication, life skills, emotional regulation, community engagement, and increasing independence — while helping build a sustainable rhythm that allows the student and his family to feel more supported and hopeful.

This student has been significantly underestimated by traditional educational systems. His family is looking for someone who sees possibility where others have seen limitation — someone willing to meet him where he is, stay consistent, and thoughtfully build a program centered around dignity, growth, safety, and meaningful engagement.

This role offers unusual autonomy and the opportunity to make a profound long-term impact on both a student and an entire family system.

STUDENT PROFILE

You'll be working with a 21-year-old young adult with significant disabilities and a history of epilepsy that has contributed to educational disruption over the years.

The student struggles with expressive language and does not thrive in traditional desk-based or highly academic instructional environments. He benefits most from experiential learning, consistency, relationship-based support, and activities that are meaningful, engaging, and grounded in the real world.

The family is looking for someone who can help thoughtfully structure the student's days in a way that balances:

• Academics
• Life skills
• Vocational exploration
• Community participation
• Recreation and leisure
• Emotional regulation
• Independence-building
• Healthy routines

Success in this role is not defined only by academic growth. It's about helping the student feel regulated, engaged, safe, capable, and genuinely connected to the world around him.

The family is deeply invested in their son and eager to partner closely with the right educator. Building trust and maintaining consistent communication will be an important part of the role.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Build and implement a highly individualized learning and life-skills program based on the student's strengths, interests, regulation, and developmental needs
• Create thoughtful daily routines and structure that support emotional regulation, engagement, independence, and safety
• Support growth in areas including communication, academics, ADLs, vocational exploration, and community-based learning
• Plan and facilitate meaningful activities both at home and in the community, including outings, walks, exercise, recreation, and experiential learning opportunities
• Adapt instruction and pacing based on the student's energy, attention, communication, and responsiveness
• Help identify leisure activities and productive uses of downtime that contribute to quality of life and long-term independence
• Maintain proactive awareness around safety, regulation, and seizure-related considerations
• Partner closely with parents through regular communication, collaboration, and shared problem-solving
• Take initiative in shaping the program while remaining responsive to family priorities and evolving student needs
• Coordinate schedules, activities, materials, and overall day-to-day organization of the student's learning environment

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE

• You are calm, emotionally steady, and able to remain grounded during stressful or unpredictable moments
• You genuinely enjoy working with students with significant disabilities and believe deeply in their capacity for growth and connection
• You are patient, creative, and willing to keep trying new approaches when something is not working
• You can balance collaboration with independence — communicating openly with parents while confidently taking initiative day to day
• You understand that relationship-building, trust, consistency, and emotional safety are foundational to learning
• You are adaptable and comfortable working in a fluid, highly individualized environment rather than a rigid school structure
• You have experience supporting teenagers or young adults with significant disabilities, ideally in special education, transition programming, community-based instruction, or similar settings
• Experience with epilepsy and seizure care is strongly preferred

LOGISTICS & COMPENSATION

Location: Fairport, NY (in-person role)

Schedule: Approximately 4–5 days per week, roughly 6 hours per day

Start Date: As soon as possible

Compensation: ~$60,000–$75,000 annually, depending on experience and overall fit

Employment Type: W2 employee preferred

Benefits: Health insurance may be available

Transportation: Driving and community outings are expected as part of the role

Experience Preferred:

• Significant disabilities
• Transition or life-skills programming
• Community-based instruction
• Seizure-care familiarity or training

WHY THIS ROLE

This is an opportunity to do deeply meaningful work with a young adult who has too often been underestimated by traditional systems.

For the right educator, this role offers the chance to build something truly individualized — a learning environment centered around relationship, dignity, consistency, and real-life growth. You'll have the autonomy to think creatively, follow the student's needs, and help shape a program that supports not only his development, but the wellbeing of his entire family.

The impact of this work will extend far beyond academics. You'll help create greater independence, stability, confidence, connection, and possibility in daily life.

For someone who believes every student deserves the chance to be understood and supported well, this role has the potential to be extraordinarily rewarding.

ABOUT THRIVE EDUCATION PARTNERS

Thrive Education Partners connects exceptional educators with families seeking highly personalized, values-driven education.

Our placements go beyond traditional tutoring or classroom teaching. We help create thoughtful learning environments where students can grow academically, build confidence, develop independence, and experience the dignity of truly individualized support.

Thrive Education Partners · thrivetutoring.org · mallory@thrivetutoring.org

Pay: $60,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• Have you worked in a private home or family-based education setting before?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Special education: 3 years (Required)

License/Certification:

• teaching license (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Fairport, NY 14450 (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $60,000 - $75,000