Join a school for transformative learning.

Tru is seeking creative educators ready to engage in transformative experiences with children, grades K-5. Our unique program follows the philosophy of the founding teachers, who seek not merely to teach children but to awaken within them a sense of empathy and connection. Inspired by Parker Palmer, Nel Noddings, John Dewey, and many other voices in educational literature, the school believes that the inner experience of the child is crucial to meaningful growth.

About the Position

We are searching for a full-time lead teacher who embodies the following attributes:

• A willingness to engage in a transformative process himself or herself: to question personal beliefs and prejudices, and to critically examine his/her relationships with students;
• Warmth and kindness, firm expectations, knowledge of child development, and the conscious use of language in a school setting;
• Equipped with a growth mindset characterized by ongoing personal and professional development, while leading children to discover new capacities in themselves.

Teaching @ Trū

The school is organized into small mixed-age classes (up to 12 students). The teachers collaborate to determine integrative content strands and essential questions, then implement those strands through developmentally appropriate activities with their individual classes. They communicate regularly with parents to inform them about student work and assess student progress against standard benchmarks of achievement.

Teachers participate fully in school community events and outreach programs. They also create a yearly professional development plan to support continued growth in educational theory and practice. Our program requires educators to reflect on their practice, collaborate constantly, and bring a strong personal presence to their work. Our integrative approach necessitates the development of original activities that reach across the traditional disciplines of science, literature, social studies, etc. A desire to explore, research, and teach unfamiliar topics is essential.

Expectations

• Master’s degree preferred
• Elementary classroom teaching experience (at least 5 years) in all curriculum areas
• Familiarity with stages of child development
• Ability to develop curriculum following student interest and school themes
• Responsiveness to the needs of a spontaneous, child-oriented environment
• Ability to write and communicate well
• Strong collaboration skills
• Personal contemplative practice encouraged

Benefits

• Salary $90,800, commensurate with education and experience
• Health and retirement plan matching benefits
• Tuition credit for staff children
• Opportunities to apply school mission in creative ways
• Highly supportive staff and parent community
• Inclusive decision making process
• Developmentally appropriate teaching environment

About Trū

Based in Palo Alto, California, Trū is a progressive microschool serving children in grades K-5. Following progressive and constructivist principles of education, we provide many key characteristics of a research-based school:

• warm and engaging school climate
• integrated and thematic curriculum
• inquiry-based science
• conceptual mathematics
• direct investigations of the surrounding community
• school-wide theatrical performances with music and dance
• portfolio assessment
• mindfulness practice

Contact

• Send a resume and cover letter describing your interest to work@truschool.org.