Job Description

The Kew-Forest School, a PS-12 co-educational day school founded in 1918 in Forest Hills, NY, seeks experienced Lead Teachers in Kindergarten and Grades 1 - 5. Kew-Forest is proud to enroll an astonishingly diverse student body representative of Queens and New York City, including approximately nine percent international students.  Kew-Forest students have varied cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, and many are multilingual.  The Kew-Forest School promotes diversity in its hiring process and is committed to supporting its inclusive community by hiring culturally diverse faculty to work with our equally diverse students and families.  

At Kew-Forest, our mission is to do more than just educate—it is to deeply inspire.  The Kew-Forest School is embarking on an exciting new chapter as it enters its 108th year of operation. The Kew-Forest School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate school for the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). The individual who fills this position must be energetic, creative, imaginative, and thoughtful in their approach to curriculum and pedagogy and will contribute substantially to the revamping of our Lower School program as the School enters its era of Kew-Forest 2.0.

Position Description

The Kew-Forest School seeks warm, creative, and motivated Lead Teachers for its Kindergarten and Grades 1-5 classrooms for the  2025-2026 school year. Our Lower School classes typically comprise 16-18 students led by a Lead Teacher and an Associate / Assistant Teacher, age and enrollment dependent. Lower School classrooms provide a rich environment for cognitive, social, and emotional development and actively engage each child in the learning process. 

Ideal candidates have experience with child-centered, differentiated, and inquiry-based curricula. Excellent written and oral communication skills, a passion for working with children and their families, a willingness to collaborate and reflect on one's practice, and a sense of humor are essential. In addition, candidates should be invested in supervising and mentoring an Associate Teacher (if applicable), helping them become experienced in all areas of life in a classroom. Lead Teachers report to the Head of Lower School.

Responsibilities include:

Planning, Teaching, and Classroom Environment

• Develops daily lesson plans and ensures classroom and instructional materials' care, maintenance, and inventory.
• Designs well-planned learning experiences based on best practices, with clear objectives and achievable outcomes that support and challenge all students.
• Demonstrates strong content knowledge and an understanding of the developmental needs of children.
• Differentiates instruction to meet the diverse needs and strengths of all students.
• Takes responsibility for students’ language development and addresses the diversity of their language needs.
• Uses a range of teaching strategies and flexible groupings to personalize learning, inspire and engage students, and challenge their intellectual curiosity.
• Incorporates the IB PYP framework to deliver authentic, inquiry-based learning experiences that promote student agency, curiosity, and a love for learning.
• Provides time for students to wonder, explore, build and revise theories, engage in research, and reflect on how, what, and why they are learning.
• Makes connections between subjects in planned, spontaneous, or incidental ways through units of inquiry.
• Designs and delivers a grade-level program of inquiry aligned with the IB PYP framework, the school curricula, and state/national standards.

Classroom Environment and Pastoral Duties

• Creates a safe, warm, respectful, and inclusive environment.
• Sets high expectations for behavior and establishes a discipline framework following the principles and practices of the Responsive Classroom Approach.
• Maintains positive, respectful, and productive relationships with students.
• Models respectful behavior and uses language that helps children learn to communicate their feelings and thoughts effectively.
• Develops and promotes international-mindedness and all attributes of the IB Learner Profile.
• Designs flexible learning spaces that encourage exploration, wonder, creativity, risk-taking, and learning through play.
• Prepares an orderly and clean classroom environment that corresponds to the needs of the group.
• Maintains and updates learning walls to document and celebrate student learning, ensuring displays are current and relevant.
• Maintains a classroom environment that meets or exceeds State health, fire, and child-care requirements.
• Takes responsibility for the safety and physical well-being of students at all times. Trains and supervises students in fire and other safety drills and reports any accidents and incidents immediately.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date attendance records.
• Demonstrates self-awareness and self-monitoring in identifying and resolving student, curricular, parent, and school-related issues. Notifies the Division Head immediately of personal or professional difficulties involving students, parents, or staff.  

Collaboration and Professional Growth

• Engages in sustained collaborative planning and reflection to support the effective implementation of the PYP.
• Collaborates with colleagues and the PYP Coordinator to develop, review, and refine the program of inquiry, ensuring it is coherent, horizontally, and vertically articulated, integrates transdisciplinary connections across subject areas, and aligns with the PYP framework and state and national standards.
• Actively participates in and supports the broader Kew-Forest professional learning community, including curriculum reviews and improvement planning, to support school development and enhance student learning outcomes.
• Mentors Assistant / Associate Teachers, as applicable.  
• Models inquiry-based teaching and continually reflects on lessons, instructional approaches, and students' learning processes as a means of ongoing professional development.
• Pursues intellectual and professional growth by seeking observation opportunities such as conferences, courses, professional literature, and other learning experiences.  
• Cooperates with and participates in professional observations, evaluations, achievement of annual goals and objectives, and adheres to professional guidelines and standards of professional excellence.
• Attends faculty meetings and any other special meetings as requested by the Head of School and/or Division Head.

Evidencing Learning

• Maintains evidence of student learning over time across the curriculum.
• Uses a range of strategies and tools to assess student learning and inform teaching and learning practices.
• Provides timely, constructive feedback to students and encourages them to reflect and respond to the feedback.
• Monitors, documents, measures, and reports on students’ ability to understand and apply subject-specific knowledge, conceptual understandings, and skills within authentic contexts.
• Creates opportunities for students to participate in and reflect on the assessment of their work.
• Analyzes assessment data to inform teaching and learning strategies.
• Submits academic and other records during the year as requested by the Head of School and/or Division Head.  
• Prepares timely detailed progress reports that reflect student growth toward learning goals and provide clear next steps for achieving mastery.
• Maintains up-to-date and accurate online grading systems, as required.

Family and Community Engagement

• Demonstrates the IB Learner Profile and contributes positively to the wider life and ethos of the School.
• Ensures interactions with students are predictable, supportive, and respectful of the growing and developing child. 
• Communicates effectively with individual parents regarding their child's specific needs, including conference reports and report cards, and responds to parent questions and concerns in a timely and professional manner. 
• Holds conferences as required by division or as needed to support student progress. 
• Shares regular updates with parents through class newsletters, emails, or other appropriate channels and collaborates with classroom parent representatives.
• Assists the School's leadership in developing and implementing events such as Back to School nights, parent education courses, Open Houses, and other events, as requested.

Additional Responsibilities

• Plans and implements field trips and other class excursions.
• Supports other projects, programs, and planning initiatives as assigned or requested by the Head of School and/or Division Head.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Certification:

• Bachelor's degree in elementary or early childhood education preferred.
• Master's degree in elementary education preferred.
• International Baccalaureate experience is a plus.

The ideal candidate is a trustworthy, compassionate, and reflective individual who has:

• A minimum of three years of classroom teaching experience is preferred.
• Familiarity with and enthusiasm for designing curricula aligned with the IB philosophy and the PYP is preferred.
• A commitment to a collaborative curriculum development approach.
• A commitment to a constructivist, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning that promotes the development of critical-thinking skills.
• A strong understanding of the New York State grade-level standards, with the ability to effectively align curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices to meet and exceed these standards.
• Experience working with students of diverse backgrounds.
• A deep understanding of promoting social-emotional competencies in the elementary grades to enhance students’ intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive skills. 
• A desire to stay current with best practices, trends, and innovative techniques in childhood and elementary education.
• A commitment to developing personal cultural competency and pursuing professional growth.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Excellent listening, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. 
• The capacity to identify and respond to students’ needs.

Salary Range

$60,000 - $110,000 per annum, commensurate with years of experience.

To apply:

Please send a resume, cover letter, and list of at least three references to Karin Bernstein, Head of Lower School, at kbernstein@kewforest.org , and include Lower School Lead Teacher in the subject line.

The Kew-Forest School is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), the  Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and the New York State Department of Education. Kew-Forest is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Independent School Admissions  Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), and the Guild of Independent Schools of New York (GISNY).

To learn more about The Kew-Forest School, please visit our website: .

MISSION

We are The Kew-Forest School.

Our  community nurtures lifelong learners from around the world.

Our  educators inspire young people to think boldly and find their voices.

Our  students support each other and explore thoughtfully as they shape the future.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION

The Kew-Forest School believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity. The School prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, culture, background, physical or mental disability, or any other legally protected classes or classifications. No employee or job applicant will be discriminated against in recruitment, compensation, promotion, or termination practices.

About The Kew-Forest School

The Kew-Forest School is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and the New York State Department of Education. The School is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), and the Guild of Independent Schools of New York (GISNY). *The Kew-Forest School is a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association (NYSAISAA), the Private School Athletic Association (PSAA), and the Long Island Athletic Association of Independent Schools (LIAAIS).

Connections working at The Kew-Forest School

Job Tags

Full time, Immediate start, Flexible hours, Night shift,

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