2026-2027 Lower School Teacher (K4-TK)

The First Academy is a ministry of the First Baptist Church of Orlando and affirms the church’s doctrinal statements, including the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, as faithful expressions of historic evangelical Christianity.

Lower School Teacher (K4-Transitional Kindergarten) Job Description

Due to anticipated enrollment growth, The First Academy is seeking a nurturing, professionally skilled Early Childhood Educator (K4/TK) to lead a developmentally appropriate program that fosters holistic growth in four- and five-year-old learners. The ideal candidate will be an expert in "Whole Body Learning," creating a structured yet loving environment where students flourish academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. You will be responsible for laying a rock-solid foundation for future reading success by implementing systematic phonemic awareness and multisensory phonics systems, moving students through the critical milestones of rhyming, segmenting, and blending. Leveraging a blend of research-based math and literacy materials, you will utilize movement-based lessons to introduce concepts ranging from positional words to data estimation. As a spiritual mentor, you will move beyond simple storytelling to help children internalize biblical truths and memorize Scripture for chapel recitation. Whether leading an author study, facilitating monthly STEAM Days, or guiding students through the phonetic spelling of their first writing journals, the successful candidate will provide the natural exposure and expert instruction necessary to ensure every child is school-ready and anchored in a biblical worldview.

Early Childhood Academic Pillars (K4-TK)

Core Instructional Competencies

• Multisensory Literacy: Employing kinesthetic "sound signals" and tactile materials (sand trays, textured letters) to anchor the relationship between abstract graphemes and their spoken sounds.
• Kinesthetic Mathematics: Utilizing movement, rhythm, and manipulatives to teach "Math Buddy" concepts, ensuring children move from concrete objects to symbolic number representation.
• Worldview Formation: Partnering with families to bridge the home-school gap, emphasizing the "Big Story" of the Bible through daily Morning Messages and chapel verse recitations.
• Whole-Body Learning
• Early Intervention Collaboration
• Safe-Place Culture

Living Curriculum Influencer Areas

Living as a Christ Follower

Model the Life of a Prayer Warrior

Embrace the Walk of a Servant Leader

Utilize the Skills of an Engaging Instructor

Be a Strong Relationship Builder

Bless others as a Faithful Encourager and Grateful Communicator

Professional Qualifications

• Required Education: Possess a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. A Master's degree in Education or the specific subject area is preferred.
• Subject Expertise: Degree emphasis in the area of instruction or a directly related field is strongly preferred.
• Communication Skills: Possess solid, professional communication skills, both written and verbal, for effective interaction with students, parents, and colleagues. This includes the ability to present complex information clearly and engage in constructive dialogue.
• Organizational Skills: Exhibit strong organizational skills, including efficient time management, meticulous record-keeping, and the ability to finish tasks in a timely manner and manage multiple classroom responsibilities simultaneously.
• Collaboration: Proven ability to effectively partner and collaborate with colleagues, administration, and parents to support the holistic development of students.
• Confidentiality: Absolute ability to maintain confidentiality pertaining to all sensitive school, student, and personnel matters, adhering to ethical and legal standards.
• Work Ethic: Demonstrate a strong work ethic, professionalism, reliability, and punctuality.
• Instructional Technology: Experience with and aptitude for using current educational technology to enhance classroom instruction, student engagement, and professional tasks.
• Learning Management Systems (LMS): Such as Canvas or Google Classroom.
• Productivity Suites: Including Google Suite for Education and/or Apple iWork Suite.
• Hardware/Equipment: Expertise in operating devices such as MacBooks, iPads, and Interactive Whiteboards, or similar classroom presentation technologies.
• Certification Requirement: Hold or be eligible to obtain a valid teaching certificate:
• Licensure by a regional accreditation agency (e.g., ACSI) is highly preferred.
• Valid/Professional State Teacher's Certification (e.g., Florida Teacher’s Certification) 
• Eligibility for a Temporary State Certificate within 30 days of employment, with the expectation that a permanent certification is secured within three (3) years.
• Teaching Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of successful classroom teaching experience in the subject area is recommended.

Demonstrated Ability: Possess demonstrated expertise and ability to manage, instruct, and motivate students, or provide equivalent proven subject expertise through related professional work experience.