Physical Education Teacher

Summary

Are you looking for an opportunity to join a team of talented educators who are changing the face of education? 

We’re Pear Tree School, and we strongly believe that today’s schools aren’t doing enough to prepare students to succeed in the 21^st century – academically, socio-emotionally or physically. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to provide parents and children with a new, progressive alternative to the schools of the past.

Our school takes a whole-child approach to education putting an equal focus on academic, socio-emotional, and physical development. As part of this our students have 1 hour of physical education every day in a wide variety of sports and recreational activities – rain or shine.

We’re looking for an exemplary physical education teacher with a passion for progressive education: someone who understands that education needs to change, and who has the skills to bring that vision to physical education and the classroom.

If that sounds like you, then we can’t wait to hear from you! 

A day in the life

At Pear Tree School, you’ll play a dual role as both our physical education teacher, as well as helping the rest of our team with duties and occasionally in classes.

Unlike many traditional schools, at Pear Tree School, we take physical education very seriously. We’re looking for modern approaches to physical education and for students to learn how to take care of and train themselves for their whole lives.

You’ll be creating and leading physical education classes for 5 x groups of combined grade ranges, K-1, 2-3, 4-5 and 6-7. These classes constantly aim to improve the all-round physical capabilities of our students, based on their appropriate needs. You will lead general sports and recreational activities, as well as any specialist ones that you are qualified / able to lead.

In addition, you will accompany groups to specialist activity locations, e.g. gymnastics, yoga, martial arts, climbing, swimming, dance, and so on, led by external instructors. Most activities are within walking distance, but some will require the use of public transit.

Because of the use of specialist activities, you may be teaching between 1 to 3 hours of physical education per day depending on the schedule. Many of these activities will be outdoors. 

As a Pear Tree teacher, you will be required to regularly document your students’ learning, goals and progress using a digital portfolio system. Training for this is provided as part of the job. You will also be expected to work collaboratively with all staff to ensure that each child’s education is a team effort.

In addition to your role as a physical education teacher, you will also help with recess and lunch breaks, as well as occasionally working alongside our masters-qualified classroom teachers. Your role in the classroom will be to assist our teacher and students with class activities.

Most importantly, you’ll be committed to our progressive, whole-child teaching philosophy, and be able to get students and parents excited about everything our school has to offer. 

You’re perfect for this role because you have the following in spades: 

• Passion – teaching is your calling, and you do more than just educate, you inspire.
• Curiosity – you’re a lifelong learner, and love trying new things. You share your curiosity with students, and help steer them towards success.
• Interpersonal skills – you’re very good with people, and are as comfortable hanging out with 6 year olds as you are talking pedagogy with leaders in education.
• Empathy – you can sense when a student may be struggling socially, emotionally or physically, and look for ways to foster health and wholeness.
• A love of the outdoors!

Working Time:

This is a full-time, 1-year contract position, with opportunity for an annually renewed contract. Core hours are 7:50am to 3:50pm. There is an occasional requirement for longer hours and the attendance at annual overnight camps, but we know that life balance is important. Preparation time will be provided during your working days.

You will be directly answerable to the Pear Tree directors, Alexis Birner and Paul Romani.

Professional Development & Growth Opportunities

Ongoing professional development will be provided using a mixture of in-house and external training. The more you learn, the better you’ll be able to help us!

As Pear Tree grows, further opportunities will present themselves, including leadership roles.

Salary & Benefits:

We offer an impressive compensation package, with a salary of $66,150 plus benefits, plus a <2% yearly raise.

Because we’re educators ourselves, we foster an environment where teachers have the freedom to innovate in the classroom, and aren’t limited by standard curriculums. We work hard to be on the cutting edge, so you’ll also be working with like-minded professionals who are leaders in education.

Vacation: 

• Winter break (~3 weeks)
• Spring break (~2 weeks)
• Summer break (~9-10 weeks)
• 3 x paid personal days

What you’ll need:

• Bachelor of Education (Elementary)
• + Bachelor of Science (preferred)
• B.C. Ministry of Education Certification
• 1+ years of experience teaching physical education at the elementary level 
• Canadian citizenship, Permanent Resident status, or open Work Visa
• Knowledge of Google products (Drive, Docs, Sheets)

The ideal candidate must be able to start late August 2023 in time for the start of the 2023/24 school year.

Highlights From Our Team!

Here are some reasons that our teachers feel would be great reasons to join the Pear Tree faculty:

Mentorship & Support:

• Alexis and Paul consistently make themselves available to help and collaborate with staff (planning meetings)
• Asking questions is encouraged
• Classroom concerns (student or parent) do not escalate as teachers and admin communicate regularly, offering opportunities for advice, next steps, or admin support
• Ongoing feedback reduces the vulnerability of trying new things
• Support you with growth over perfection

Community:

• Supportive and responsive parent community
• Knowing all the students at the school!
• Easy to collaborate with other teachers
• Specialist activity staff know your students well to best support them

Small class size:

• Can connect more with your students, you get to know them extremely well
• Easier to work with small groups
• Know your students’ strengths/areas to improve and can realistically implement strategies to bring out their potential

How to Apply

Please submit a customized cover letter and resume in PDF format.

Include “Physical Education Teacher” in the subject line.

Please ensure that both are tailored to the position that we are advertising, and are checked for spelling and grammar.

We will not review bulk resumes, applications addressed mistakenly to other schools, or poorly presented resumes.

We thank all interested parties. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.