Location: Richmond, VA
Job Category:  Part-time, 10-month
Classification: Exempt
Hours:   35 hours/week, Monday–Friday, approx. 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Salary Range: $35k
Department: Lower School
Start Date: July 1, 2025

Position Description

Sabot School, a progressive preschool–Grade 8 school in Richmond, Virginia, and a leader in the Reggio Emilia Approach®, seeks a Lower School Assistant Teacher-Researcher.

This role supports instruction in a classroom, grades K–5 as applicable, through a collaborative, inquiry-based, and Reggio Emilia-inspired approach. Working alongside a Lead Teacher-Researcher, the Assistant Teacher-Researcher helps facilitate a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment focused on the whole child.

Instruction is delivered through an inquiry-based, social-constructivist, and Reggio Emilia Approach as well as direct instruction and co-teaching modalities.  As an Assistant Teacher-Researcher, this position offers an opportunity to work in a deeply collaborative environment where teaching is viewed as an ongoing process of research, reflection, and relationship-building.

ESSENTIAL TASKS

• Collaborates with the Lead Teacher-Researcher to plan and implement inquiry-driven and standards-based curriculum.
• Guides students’ exploration, supporting the development of metacognition, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Helps adapt classroom materials and instruction to meet diverse learning needs.
• Participates in documentation of student learning through observations, photographs, and student work samples.
• Promotes equity and belonging by supporting inclusive practices for children and families.
• Supports classroom management and student well-being through supervision, proactive engagement, clear expectations, and respectful communication.
• Builds and maintains positive, responsive relationships with students and families.
• Participates in faculty meetings, parent conferences, field trips, school events, and admissions/enrollment activities.
• Engages in professional development and collaborative reflection and learning with colleagues.
• Assists with student supervision outside the classroom (e.g., lunch, recess, arrival/dismissal)
• Collaborates with the Lead Teacher, Program Director, and/or School Counselor to support individual student needs.
• Performs additional related duties as assigned by the Program Director.

Qualifications

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Education or a related field.
• Experience: Prior experience working with elementary-age children, ideally within a classroom or school-based setting—and preferably in a progressive or Reggio Emilia-inspired environment.
• Preferred Qualifications: Strong background or specialized training in early reading instruction, literacy development, or reading intervention strategies.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Must be able to complete a background check.

SPECIFIC TO THE LOWER SCHOOL ASSISTANT TEACHER-RESEARCHER POSITION

• Demonstrated understanding of the Reggio Emilia Approach® or an eagerness to learn about the approach. 
• Ability to co-teach in a respectful, collaborative partnership with a Lead Teacher-Researcher.
• Experience supporting emergent curriculum and student-centered learning.
• Familiarity with child development and supporting children’s social-emotional growth.
• Willingness to engage in ongoing professional reflection and growth.
• Capacity to support a diverse community of learners with cultural responsiveness and humility.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Willingness to participate fully in a dynamic day school environment in Richmond, Virginia.
• Demonstrates professionalism and serves as a role model by modeling honesty, accountability, understanding, tolerance, respect, love, and kindness for students.
• Develops and maintains professional, collaborative, and collegial relationships with faculty, staff, and community partners for the benefit of students and classes.
• Demonstrates professionalism, engagement, and kindness toward all children and families, regardless of race, religion, nationality, abilities, familial status, gender identity, or gender expression.
• Exhibits excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Establishes effective communication and relationships with students and parents.
• Displays curiosity, a positive attitude, flexibility, and a good sense of humor.
• Demonstrates creativity and flexibility in teaching practices, with a growth mindset toward professional goals and development.
• Guides students in discovery and understanding, fostering the development of reflective thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Exhibits excellent time management skills, completing reports and tasks in a timely and professional manner.
• Multi Tasks effectively, remains calm under pressure, and treats everyone with respect.
• Remains responsible for the supervision of students during classes and at all times while on or off campus.
• Learns new technology and systems as required by the program level.
• Adheres to all policies and procedures outlined in the Employee Handbook and Community Guide.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to stand, walk, and move around for extended periods of time during supervision and activities both indoors and outdoors..
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 lbs (e.g., lifting children, materials, or equipment).
• Ability to kneel, crouch, and bend down to the child's level for supervision, assistance, and engagement in activities.
• Ability to assist children with physical needs, such as helping with mobility, eating, or restroom routines.
• Ability to respond quickly to emergencies, which may include running, lifting, or assisting children to safety.
• Ability to supervise children during physical activities, such outdoor play, while remaining alert to potential safety hazards.

About Sabot School

Sabot School was founded in 2007 through the merger of Sabot School and Stony Point School, bringing together both an innovative early childhood program and a Pre-K through 8th grade program. Sabot has fully embraced the Reggio Emilia Approach throughout its program from preschool through the eighth grade. At Sabot, children are seen as capable thinkers and theorists. Working together, students research and come to understand themselves and their world in a deeper way. As articulated in the mission statement of Sabot, it is a school designed to sustain children’s quest for meaning and understanding, harness the power of their theories and ideas, and guide their inquiry and research. Sabot provides the resources and support for teachers and students to research, represent, and reflect together, in relationship, on challenging problems with curiosity, creativity, imagination and innovation. Students maintain their individuality while working together in community, celebrating each student’s unique gifts and talents. The historic campus in south Richmond celebrates its natural beauty which adjoins the 106 acre Larus Park, providing a unique location for innovation, discovery and learning.

Connections working at Sabot School