First Grade Teacher 2020-2021 at Golden Bridges School

First Grade teacher for 2020-2021 school year 

Golden Bridges School, San Francisco, CA

Golden Bridges School is a small, groundbreaking school in its 7th full school year as of September 2019. GBS was founded by Waldorf-trained teachers and currently operates in San Francisco’s southern Mission and Glen Park areas, serving preschool through fifth grade with 95 students and 25 staff members. Next year the school will expand to include a sixth grade. The school intends to grow into a full preschool-8th grade school.

GBS is taking a fresh look at Waldorf education, asking what the children of today, and in San Francisco, need from teachers and education. One major result of this question is the development of a robust outdoor curriculum in the natural parks of SF and the ownership of our own agricultural urban farm, a 3⁄4 acre plot, complete with animals, growing orchard, crops, greenhouse and outdoor kitchen.

The preschool spends its days outdoors in one of San Francisco’s vast natural parks and at our school farm. Our two kindergarten classes spend one full day hiking in a natural park, three days at the school farm, and one full day indoors on our campus. Our grades program balances “main lesson” work in the morning with respective class teachers, specialty classes such as handwork, music, movement, Spanish, and outdoor time at our school farm. For grades 1 and 2, Fridays are entirely outdoor days, rotating exploration at different natural parks seasonally.

GBS is also challenging long-standing models of governance, tuition, teaching structure, and the interplay between the school and the surrounding community. We are dedicated to becoming an anti-racist school, committed to social justice, internally and externally, that is inclusive and welcoming to all. We are supported in this work by different organizations and mentors.

Our faculty meets weekly and incorporates anthroposophy into each meeting.

For the 2020-2021 school year we are looking for a First Grade teacher to join our strong team. This teacher will work collaboratively with the other grades teachers (2nd-6th), while also having individual freedom within their classroom.

A Grades Teacher’s responsibilities include:

• Developing age-appropriate curriculum for both the indoors and outdoors
• A commitment to each child’s growth through inner work and the practical art of teaching
• Parent education and meetings
• Faculty meetings and school committees involvement (each faculty member is required to serve on two committees)

The type of teacher we are looking for:

• Extremely flexible. ​We are an evolving, developing program that relies on change and adaptation. Because we are outdoors so much we are also subject to the elements – fire, rain, wind – which ask us to change our schedule for the day at an hour’s notice.
• Strong cultural competency and confidence working with diverse family backgrounds striving to create a community that is socially just and equitable.
• Inspired to be part of a groundbreaking and developing school in an urban city. We are still very much in the creation phase and are looking for teachers who take initiative to help build on the foundation of the school.
• Previous experience in a grades teaching environment, either as a lead or long-time assistant.
• Ability and desire to collaborate with other teachers.
• Inspired by teaching and learning outdoors.
• Confident in Waldorf curriculum and anthroposophy, enough to create a curriculum rather than simply following one from the past that may not serve the students’ needs for today. If new to Waldorf, then must come with a willingness to do continuing education in Waldorf curriculum. 
• Speaks a second language fluently, preferred.

We look forward to hearing from all interested teachers from around the world. Competitive salary and benefits available.

Please send a letter of interest and resume to ​jobs@goldenbridgesschool.org​. Upon receipt of the cover letter, we will schedule a short phone call with a member of our Hiring Committee. Qualified applicants will then be invited to visit the school and faculty in early spring.

It shall be the operational policy of Golden Bridges School not to discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or affectional preference, age, or handicap in any of its policies, procedures, or practices. This policy of non-discrimination covers school programs and activities, including but not limited to: academic, admissions, financial aid, educational services, and employment.