Grammar School Teacher

Position Description

At Trinity, we pursue excellence in classical, Christ-centered education as we partner with families to cultivate students who are rooted in faith, grounded in truth, and equipped to think deeply, love rightly, and serve faithfully.

Our mission is to provide a rich and rigorous classical education that ignites a love for learning while shaping students into young men and women of wisdom, virtue, and godly character. We aim to form students who are prepared to influence culture and serve Christ in every sphere of life.

Our faculty and staff are committed to educating the whole person—spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically. As we teach and nurture students, we strive to model Christlike character and foster a joyful learning environment where Scripture guides wisdom, truth is pursued with diligence, and excellence honors the Lord.

We also value and invest in our team by fostering a collaborative work environment, ongoing professional development, and a supportive Christian community united in mission and purpose.

Spiritual Leadership  

• Uphold the school’s statement of faith as well as the policies regarding the teaching of primary and secondary doctrine.
• Take all appropriate opportunities to counsel, guide, and exhort all members of the community in godliness, as well as to console and encourage in life’s difficulties.
• Pursue peace in all relationships according to principles found in Matthew 18.
• Model respect for and obedience to authority through interactions with administrators.
• Actively, joyfully, participate in staff prayer meetings and required school events.
• Communicate with honesty and discretion, resolving to think the best of the intentions of all members of the school community.

Classroom Procedures  

• Establish a classroom décor that reflects and promotes a classical and Christian understanding of truth, goodness, and beauty.
• Enforce routines that require the students to take an active part in cleaning and maintaining the appearance of their room.
• Establish efficient routines for taking attendance, homework collection, daily cleaning schedules, materials storage and distribution, etc.
• Start and end class promptly.
• Ensure each class period is used efficiently and purposefully.
• Grade and record assignments in the web-based grade book according to the standards of timeliness and accuracy described in the Faculty Handbook.

Class Management and Discipline  

• Encourage students toward self-discipline.
• Be a model that shows rules are not ends in themselves, but are extensions of the Greatest Commandments of love for God and one another (Matthew 22).
• Uphold school rules and discipline policy as described in the Trinity Classical Academy Parent/Student Handbook.
• Establish, teach, and train classroom rules specific to grade level, coordinating with other grade level teachers and administrator expectations.
• Enforce the rules when disobedience occurs according to the school discipline policy with one or all of the following three levels of action as appropriate:

1. Verbal in-class correction.

2. Hallway conversation with the student: Including the identification of sin, the expression of repentance, the extending of forgiveness, and the offering of restoration and restitution as necessary. Hallway conversations should be followed by communication with the parent about the incident.

3.  Administrative discipline: When administrative discipline is necessary, the teacher is expected to accompany the student to the office and give the appropriate principal an accurate accounting of the student’s offense. In this case the teacher may be called upon to communicate the discipline circumstances to the parent.

• Emphasize personal sin, Christ-bought forgiveness, and Spirit-empowered sanctification in discipline related interactions with students.
• Avoid creative consequences when disciplining students; it is rarely as effective as the basic enforcement actions (outlined above), which allow the gospel to be clearly communicated and allow the parents to maintain the ultimate responsibility for training their child’s obedience.
  Seek calm and consistent enforcement of standards to avoid frustration. Carry out teaching, training, and enforcement of standards in a godly manner that respects the imago dei in each child (Ephesians 6:4).

Lesson Preparation, Presentation, and Student Learning  

• Incorporate a biblical worldview into all subjects and lessons taught using the school’s curriculum guide and the Bible.
• Encourage the students to see how all subjects are interrelated as parts of God’s integrated universe.
• Consistently use clear language and appropriate vocabulary.
• Prepare weekly lesson plans and turn in on time. Locate all electronic versions of plans, worksheets, and assessments in proper format on the school server.
• Present content and prepare assessments in accordance with the respective level of the Trivium as described in Dorothy Sayers, The Lost Tools of Learning. For each level, emphasis should be placed on, and the teacher should be adept in facilitating, the following:
  Grammar: chants, songs, recitations, memorization
• Design lessons in accordance with John Milton Gregory’s The Seven Laws of Teaching (see Grammar Teacher Handbook).
• Execute lessons as applicable to grade level.
• Teach with creativity, a good use of class time, and a variety of techniques of instruction and assessment in order to elicit student interest.
• Recognize and reasonably compensate for individual needs as necessary by incorporating a variety of techniques of instruction and testing to promote and measure the students’ progress.
• Plan and implement appropriate field trips and activities according to guidelines set forth in the Grammar Teacher Handbook.

Parent Communications 

• Provide a welcoming environment for parents (and visitors).
• Parents should feel welcome to visit and assist/observe in the classroom at virtually all times.
• Teachers should make efforts to attend student concerts, school athletics, and other school-sponsored events during the year to demonstrate godly care and interest in students and their families.
• Publish a syllabus (upper school) and a classroom policies letter (all grades) to students and parents.
• Setup and maintain a clear and efficient electronic grade book in which student grades are entered in a timely manner and made accessible to parents.
• Issue quarterly and semester grade reports via RenWeb for all students.
• Conduct parent teacher conferences on an as needed basis.
• Communicate with parents during Back-to-School Night and participate in Open Houses as required.
• Communicate with parents about discipline issues on the day problems occur via phone call, email, or hand-written note (communication book).
• Grammar Teachers (K-6) will publish a weekly letter to classroom parents that informs parents of classroom activities and upcoming school events, and casts a vision for Classical Christian Education.
• Welcome and make use of parent volunteers for various classroom needs. (Parent volunteer assignments should be vetted by the teacher with the Director of Operations.)

Professionalism  

• Punctually attend and actively participate in morning prayer/announcements, weekly staff meetings, school assemblies, open houses, and all required school events.
• Dress according to standards outlined in the Faculty Handbook.
• Attend school day duties outside of class as assigned (e.g. monitoring of lunch, recess, or student service, etc.)
• Speak well of and to students, parents, colleagues, and administrators at all times.

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL TEACHER

In addition to the general responsibilities outlined above, the grammar teacher is expected to perform specific responsibilities in the classroom that include the following:

• Welcome students to the classroom each morning and provide meaningful “morning work” to assist young students in setting a tone for the day’s work.
• Know the whereabouts of the students and engage them in meaningful work at all times
• Begin and end the day with prayer as well as leading the class in prayer at appropriate times of the day.
• Coordinate all class period transitions, test scheduling, and general schedule changes with non-classroom teachers (e.g. music, art, P.E., Latin, etc.).
• Compose a weekly parent letter to be distributed each Friday for the following week. (A homework assignment sheet is to be included.)
• Aid in prompt and efficient dismissal of students each instruction day.

TEACHER QUALIFICATION AND ASSIGNMENT

Trinity Classical Academy desires to hire and retain only the highest caliber of teacher for our classrooms. The first and foremost criterion is that each teacher must clearly exhibit godly character, demonstrating an active and growing faith in Jesus Christ. Trinity teachers are expected to be students and lovers of God’s Word. This foundational principle will then be reflected in all aspects of our teacher’s lives as they consistently exhibit love, joy, peace and spiritual maturity at school and at home. Our teachers are Christian role models for the students at all times as they live their lives coram deo.

Having met this first qualification, the qualifications listed below will also be considered. This is not a checklist of mandatory requirements, but a guide for the Administration and School Board to use in determining character, teaching aptitude and subject matter expertise in potential candidates. Teachers at Trinity receive significant training and oversight, so the Administration and School Board must determine if the diligence and motivation exist in potential teaching candidates for them to pour themselves into their students with wisdom, discernment and excellence.

• Church background and a candidate’s testimony
• Personal and family background
• Academic background and demonstrated academic achievement
• Military experience and specialties
• Work and job background and performance, as well as any professional development, leadership training, courses, seminars or workshops
• Teaching experience and subject matter expertise
• Understanding of and familiarity with Christian and classical education

Trinity Classical Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, or employment policies, or any other programs administered by the school.