Private Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

We're looking for an experienced, warm educator ready to take on a richly varied teaching role with four siblings, ranging from Kindergarten through 9th grade. You'll deliver direct instruction to the two youngest students using the family's chosen curriculum and classical Christian education principles, while providing coaching, structure, and accountability support to the older two.

This is a role for a teacher who genuinely enjoys the variety of multi-age instruction and knows how to meet each learner where they are. You'll bring structure and warmth in equal measure. The family values classical Christian education and is looking for someone who shares or is genuinely open to those principles.

The students work at a dedicated classroom space in their community in Elkview, just outside of Charleston. It's a real, purposeful learning environment, and the family has invested meaningfully in creating the right setting for their kids.

Student Profile

You'll work with four siblings across a wide developmental range, each with a distinct personality and a different level of academic independence.

The youngest, a 5-year-old in Kindergarten, is bright, excitable, and loves doing school tasks in short bursts. She thrives through play, art, and song, and benefits from hands-on materials and consistent, enthusiastic direction. She's enrolled in a foundational math course and an online art class, with additional family-selected curriculum requiring lesson planning and implementation from you.

Her 8-year-old brother in 3rd grade is a sweet, reserved boy who loves crafts, drawing, art, and being read to. He works through four online courses and a pre-recorded Earth Science class, and needs regular support to check for understanding, fill gaps, and pace his work well. He's working on building stamina and confidence as a learner. Frequent breaks and chunked instruction are key strategies for him.

The 12-year-old in 6th grade is outgoing and funny, with a love of cooking, reading, and his younger siblings. He's managing a demanding five-course schedule with one asynchronous class. Mostly independent, he benefits from explicit executive functioning support, organizational coaching, and occasional math help.

The 15-year-old in 9th grade is self-directed, dry-humored, and very polite. He carries a rigorous six-course academic schedule and will occasionally need support with writing, expanding ideas, and project work. He plays cello, competes in club and high school baseball, and is active in his church youth group.

All four children play violin. Faith, character, and academic excellence are central to this family's values, and they're looking for an educator who will genuinely support all three.

What You'll Do

• Plan and deliver daily instruction for the Kindergarten and 3rd grade students using the family's chosen curriculum and classical Christian education principles
• Design hands-on activities, enrichment projects, and creative learning experiences -- including crafts, kitchen science, outdoor exploration, and life skills -- that make concepts meaningful and memorable for young learners
• Facilitate the 3rd grader's online coursework with consistent check-ins, gap-filling, and pacing support; build in frequent breaks and structured routines to increase his stamina and confidence as a learner
• Provide executive functioning coaching, organizational support, and subject-specific help to the 6th grader as he manages his demanding course load
• Offer oversight, writing support, and occasional content guidance to the 9th grader as he moves through his independent, rigorous schedule
• Maintain clear routines and structure across all four students, creating an environment where each child knows what to expect and can work with focus
• Communicate regularly with parents, sharing progress updates, observations, and recommendations
• Manage academic records, lesson planning, and materials for all four students; transport children to approved activities as needed (clean driving record required)

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role

• You have experience teaching across multiple grade levels and genuinely enjoy the variety and flexibility that comes with a multi-age setting
• You know how to calibrate -- warm and playful with a kindergartner, patient and confidence-building with a third grader who doubts himself, coach-like with a middle schooler navigating executive functioning, and collegial with a self-directed teenager
• Organized enough to hold four different academic threads simultaneously and proactive enough to stay ahead of each student's needs
• You bring real structure alongside warmth: you set routines, maintain expectations, and follow through
• You are at home in a classical Christian education environment, or genuinely open to learning its principles and priorities
• You communicate clearly and honestly with families, treating this role as the close, collaborative partnership it is

Requirements

Credentials

• Bachelor's degree in Education or a related field; master's degree preferred but not required
• State teaching certification or BCBA license required

Experience

• Minimum 5 years classroom teaching, private tutoring, or homeschool instruction experience
• Proven ability to teach across multiple subjects and grade levels (all K-12 subjects considered)
• Experience working with diverse learners, including students with learning differences, gifted learners, or nontraditional educational backgrounds
• Background in or genuine openness to classical Christian education principles

Skills

• Curriculum design: ability to select, adapt, or build lesson plans from a variety of frameworks (classical, Charlotte Mason, project-based, or traditional)
• Differentiated instruction: comfortable adjusting pace, depth, and method to match the student
• Assessment and progress tracking: ability to set measurable academic goals and report progress clearly to parents
• Strong organizational skills and ability to plan and manage across multiple students simultaneously
• Proficiency with digital learning tools, educational platforms, and standard productivity software

Professional Standards

• Current background check (required; Thrive facilitates)
• Verifiable references from prior teaching or tutoring roles
• NDA may be required
• Professionalism, discretion, and adaptability -- you are working inside someone's home

Benefits

Compensation

• $45,000 - $55,000/yr, commensurate with experience, credentials, and placement scope
• Compensation is negotiated directly with the family; Thrive advocates for fair market rates on your behalf

Logistics

• Location: Elkview, WV (just outside Charleston) -- in-person at family's community classroom
• Schedule: Monday-Thursday: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM (instructional), Friday: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (instruction) + 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM (planning), Total: 35 hours of instructional time per week
• Start Date: Late summer 2026 to prep fora strong start to the upcoming school year

Work Environment

• One-on-one or small-group instruction -- no classroom management overhead
• Deep, ongoing relationships with students and families rather than high-volume throughput
• Schedule flexibility that mirrors the academic calendar you design together
• Opportunity to teach the way you believe learning actually works

Support

• Personalized matching -- Thrive vets families thoroughly before introductions, so your time is spent with qualified, serious clients
• Dedicated placement coordinator throughout the process
• Access to Thrive's educator network, resources, and ongoing placement opportunities
• Long-term career development: many of our educators build lasting careers across successive placements