2nd Grade Teacher - Gifted Community

The Avery Coonley School is seeking an engaging, thoughtful, and collaborative 2nd Grade Teacher who is passionate about working with bright and gifted learners. Our students are academically advanced, curious, creative, and eager to explore ideas deeply. The successful candidate will understand that teaching gifted children requires both academic challenge and thoughtful attention to their social and emotional development. The 2nd Grade Teacher creates a classroom environment in which students feel known, supported, challenged, and inspired to take intellectual risks. Instruction should provide appropriate depth, complexity, and pace while recognizing that gifted students have varied learning profiles and may develop at different rates academically, socially, and emotionally.
Primary teaching responsibilities include mathematics, science, writing, and social-emotional learning, along with the broader responsibilities of supporting a positive and engaging classroom community.

Essential Responsibilities
Teaching & Learning
• Plan and deliver engaging, rigorous, and developmentally appropriate instruction in mathematics, science, writing, and social-emotional learning for academically advanced and gifted students.
• Design learning experiences that provide appropriate depth, complexity, pace, and challenge while encouraging curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and a growth mindset.
• Differentiate instruction based on student readiness, interests, learning needs, and demonstrated mastery, including enrichment, remediation, and acceleration when appropriate.
• Use assessments, observations, student work, and other data to monitor learning, guide instruction, and provide meaningful and timely feedback.
• Maintain accurate records of student progress, attendance, and other required information.

Classroom Community & Student Development
• Create a warm, inclusive, respectful, and intellectually engaging classroom responsive to the unique characteristics of gifted children.
• Establish positive relationships with students and clear, consistent, developmentally appropriate expectations for behavior.
• Support students' social-emotional growth, including self-awareness, self-regulation, resilience, empathy, collaboration, conflict resolution, and responsible decision-making.
• Guide students through challenges and conflicts with empathy, consistency, appropriate boundaries, and sound judgment.
• Foster respect for different perspectives, experiences, abilities, and ways of thinking.

Family Communication & Partnership
• Develop positive, professional relationships with families and engage parents and guardians as partners in their children's education.
• Communicate proactively regarding classroom learning, student progress, accomplishments, and concerns, and respond to questions in a timely and thoughtful manner.
• Participate in parent-teacher conferences and other meetings regarding student progress and support.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and professional boundaries in all student and family communications.

Collaboration & School Community
• Collaborate closely with the grade-level teaching partner, specialists, student support staff, administrators, and other faculty to provide a consistent and cohesive student experience.
• Participate in faculty, division, and department meetings and contribute positively to the broader school community.
• Attend and support school activities as required, including field trips, community events, and supervisory duties such as lunch or recess.
• Meet established deadlines for report cards, family communications, student records, curriculum planning, and other professional responsibilities.
• Demonstrate professionalism, discretion, reliability, flexibility, and a commitment to continuous growth.
• Support the mission, values, policies, and expectations of The Avery Coonley School and perform other responsibilities consistent with the role as assigned.

Qualifications
Required
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution.
• Teaching experience in an early or upper elementary school setting.
• Strong knowledge of elementary mathematics, science, and writing instruction.
• Demonstrated ability to plan engaging, rigorous, and differentiated instruction.
• Strong classroom management, organization, relationship-building, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with teachers, specialists, support staff, families, and administrators.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines while remaining flexible in a dynamic school environment.
• Commitment to high expectations for students while supporting individual academic and social emotional needs.
• Openness to feedback, reflection, and continued professional growth.

Preferred
• Master's degree in education or a related field.
• Experience teaching bright, gifted, or academically advanced students.
• Coursework, professional development, endorsement, or certification in gifted education.
• Experience differentiating or accelerating curriculum for advanced learners.
• Experience with collaborative teaching, flexible grouping, or team-based instructional models.

This job description describes the general nature and level of work associated with the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties or responsibilities. Responsibilities may be modified or assigned based on the needs of the School.

BENEFITS: Full-time employees who work at least 30 hours per week are eligible for benefits the first day of the month following their date of hire .

GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE: Full-time employees (who work at least 30 hours per week) and their dependents are eligible to enroll in health benefits provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL. There are 6 medical plan options including a Health Savings Account (HSA) compatible plan. In addition, a Dental PPO plan is available as well as a Vision plan utilizing the EyeMed network. Additional offerings include option to setting up a Flexible Spending Account and an employee discount program through Blue 365.

EMPLOYER PROVIDED LIFE/AD&D INSURANCE: Avery Coonley provides Term Life Insurance coverage equal to the full-time employee’s annual salary ($150,000 max). The school will contribute 100% of the cost of the Life Insurance Policy.

EMPLOYER SPONSORED DISABILITY BENEFIT: Short (STD) and Long-Term Disability (LTD) insurance is an employer-provided benefit and provides protection from loss of income in the event that a full-time employee is unable to work due to illness, injury, or accident for a long period of time. This benefit is paid entirely by Avery Coonley School and has no cost to the employee.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: Full-time Employees may utilize the Employee Assistance Program through ALL One Health to assist themselves and their immediate family with convenient resources to help address emotional, legal and financial issues. EAP provides support, counseling as well as work-life resources.

403(b) PLAN: Avery Coonley School provides a retirement program through TIAA. Eligible employees may participate in the program on a voluntary basis during their first year of employment. ACS will match the full-time employee’s contribution and the match percentage is based on the employee’s years of service.

PAID TIME OFF POLICY: Avery Coonley School provides a competitive paid time off policy for all of their regular employees. All 10- month full time employees receive 13 days of sick leave and 5 personal days. All 12- month full- time employees receive 13 days of sick leave, 7 personal days, and vacation leave that begins at two weeks annually and increases based on years of service to the School. Part-time regular employees will accrue one (1) hour of paid leave for each forty (40) hours actually worked. Part-time regular employees can begin to use accrued paid leave ninety (90) days after hire date. In addition, the School may grant paid time off for professional development activities.

PARENTAL LEAVE: Avery Coonley School will provide six-week maternity/paternity adoption leave at full salary. The six weeks of leave must be taken immediately after the birth/adoption of the child(ren).