Kindergarten Teacher

Why only learn behind a desk when you can learn outside?  Why limit students to one building when we have a whole city to explore?  At The Balsam School our city and nature are important classrooms.   Our purpose is to continue to expand the depth of student learning at all grade levels through the purposeful and pedagogically sound incorporation of our community and nature as vital, comprehensive, and integrated learning spaces .  Our students build learning confidence and resiliency by pushing beyond the expected.  Our students are always safe, but not always comfortable.

As an International Baccalaureate PYP Candidate School, and a fully certified Group 1 Independent School, The Balsam School aspires to be a true alternative learning option for families and  not re-create what is already available in our public school, or independent school systems.  The Balsam School offers a unique and demanding learning program that exposes children to many incredible experiences, environments, and engaging learning opportunities.  From visits to Art Galleries, lessons with local chefs, wild foods foraging and long hikes in the forest, Balsam goes to where the learning is and fosters the creation of deep connections with nature and our community. 

When a teacher joins the Balsam School, they take up a unique and challenging mantle.  Teaching at The Balsam School is a very demanding experience and expectations are set very high.  For a teacher employed by a traditional school the only variables he or she needs to manage are planning and preparing learning experiences to occur 99% of the time within their classroom.  A Balsam Teacher is expected to create and execute learning experiences that occur in three very different learning spaces: their classroom, nature, and our community, within the expectation of a pedagogically sound and planned lesson that meets the requirements of the BC curriculum.  Our teachers love the additional challenge of teaching at the Balsam School because they know the immense reward in learning that our students experience.   Learning time and depth is expected to be maximized each day at Balsam . 

To support the success of our staff, all teachers receive focussed professional development opportunities in outdoor and place-based learning and International Baccalaureate certification.

As you can imagine, there are many moving pieces in any learning experience created by our teachers.  One of the variables that can undo hours of preparation and limit the both the time and depth of learning is student behaviour that is disruptive. We strive to allocate school resources and protect teacher time and creativity, to be focused on planning, implementing, and reflecting on high quality learning experiences and student development . Students participating in behaviour that consistently disrupts learning are provided with targeted interventions and supports, and given until the end of the academic term to meet behavioural expectations. If expected participation in the program is not able to be reached within the given timeframe, then students and families are supported to transition to a different learning environment that can better meet their needs, or level of engagement with learning.  Due to our continued growth, we have openings for two 1.0 FTE positions, as well as TOC positions. International Baccalaureate training and experience a plus, but not a requirement.

Teachers looking for a high performance, collaborative and supportive professional learning community where boundaries are pushed and risk encouraged are welcome to apply!