STEM Teacher (Middle Years)

🕒 4 min read

Location: Pear Tree School, Vancouver, BC

Start: August 2026  |  Type: Full-time  |  Salary: $85,000-$95,000/year

Note: A graduate degree in education (M.Ed. or equivalent) is a non-negotiable requirement for this role.

The school & the mission

Pear Tree School exists to transform education so young people can live happy, fulfilling lives and become positive agents of change. We move beyond traditional schooling by integrating academic excellence, social-emotional growth, physical well-being, and ethical development into one cohesive approach – delivered through theme-based, inquiry-driven, hands-on learning.

We are expanding for 2026-27 and are hiring teachers who want to do the best work of their career in a school that takes educational craft seriously.

The role

This is a combined Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology teaching role.

For the 2026–27 school year, the STEM Specialist Teacher will:

• Serve as homeroom teacher for one grade grouping (Grade 6/7 or Grade 8/9), and
• Teach STEM across both grade groupings, as scheduled, within our theme-based program.

This is not a “technology projects” role. The STEM specialist is responsible for helping students understand and apply scientific thinking, mathematical reasoning, and problem-solving in meaningful, real-world contexts.

What this looks like in practice

Depending on the theme, the STEM specialist may:

• Teach the BC Mathematics curriculum through the themes—building strong number sense, problem-solving, and mathematical reasoning, and helping students apply math confidently in real contexts (e.g., graphs, percentages, measurement, budgeting, and interpreting data).
  
• Run science investigations or experiments, helping students understand systems, cause and effect, and evidence
  
• Support design and problem-solving tasks, where students test ideas, evaluate constraints, and improve their work
  
• Help students use digital tools (such as spreadsheets or simple modelling tools) appropriately and thoughtfully
  

In some themes, STEM plays a supporting role; in others, it is central. The balance shifts by theme, but the focus is always on helping students think clearly, reason quantitatively, and test ideas rather than just “do activities.”

Homeroom responsibilities

As a homeroom teacher, you are responsible for:

• Building a strong classroom culture
• Supporting student wellbeing and routines
• Being the primary point of contact for families in your homeroom group
• Working closely with the other specialist teacher(s) to ensure a cohesive experience for students

Looking ahead

As Pear Tree expands into Grades 10–12, STEM teaching becomes deeper and more specialised. Some teachers may choose to remain focused on Grades 6–9 long-term; others may move into higher grades. Movement into senior grades is not automatic or required.

Curriculum is provided

You are not expected to write a curriculum from scratch. We provide a comprehensive thematic curriculum (the Pear Tree Method). Your role is to bring it to life through strong instruction, well-run learning experiences, thoughtful differentiation, and a warm, structured classroom culture.

What you’ll do

• Deliver STEM inside themes: Design and run labs, investigations, and design/build tasks that teach science and engineering through real problem-solving, and teach the BC Math curriculum through the theme with clear instruction, practice, and evidence of progress
  
• Plan for readiness: Ensure materials, safety, setup, and lesson flow are tight (STEM succeeds or fails on execution)
  
• Assess with evidence: Create or adapt assessments/rubrics/exemplars that generate clear evidence of learning
  
• Integrate (not parallel-play): Co-plan with the other specialist so students experience one coherent program
  
• Homeroom leadership (as assigned): Routines, culture, student support, and primary parent partnership for the homeroom group

Who you are

• Strong STEM instructional craft (hands-on, structured, evidence-driven)
• High standards + calm execution (especially in labs and project work)
• Coachable and reflective
• Team-first collaborator
• Comfortable teaching within an interdisciplinary theme (without losing STEM rigour)

Eligibility

You must be legally authorized to work in Canada for the 2026–27 school year and eligible for BC certification. We verify work authorization and certification before extending a final offer.

Qualifications

Required

• B.Ed or equivalent (non-negotiable)
• M.Ed. or equivalent (non-negotiable)
• Valid BC Teacher Certification (or eligibility + commitment to obtain by agreed deadline)
• 3+ years of middle years teaching experience
• Strong classroom management, communication, and organization

Preferred

• Evidence of strong STEM delivery: labs, design thinking, maker/engineering, applied mathematics
• Experience with inquiry/project-based learning and/or progressive models
• Strong parent partnership and clear communication

Training & expectations

We do not expect you to know our method on Day 1, but we do require a strong commitment to mastering it.

All new teachers complete Pear Tree Method (PTM) Certification during their first year. We invest in you through structured training, instructional coaching, and practical support – so you are equipped to execute the approach well.

What success looks like (Year 1)

• By end of Term 1: Strong routines, warm-structured culture, and consistent evidence of learning.
• By end of Year 1: Confident execution of the Pear Tree Method, clear assessment evidence, and trusted parent partnership.

How to apply

Submit your resume and cover letter (PDF) via Hiring Steps.

In your cover letter, answer these two questions briefly (2-3 paragraphs total is fine):

1. Describe a time you adapted a provided curriculum to make it more engaging for your students.
2. Tell us about critical feedback you received on your teaching – and what you did differently afterward.

[Link to Hiring Steps Application Page]

Paul Romani, M.Ed.

Paul is the co-founder and director of Pear Tree School. He designed the Pear Tree Method after teaching across multiple countries and studying what actually produces lasting learning. He writes about education, parenting, and what it takes to prepare kids for a world that keeps changing.