Elementary Teacher (Grades K-5th)

General Description

Hired by:              ­­­­­­­Lakeland Christian Academy

Responsible to:    Head of School

Evaluated:           An annual written evaluation is provided by LCA Head of School

Type of Position: This is a contracted, exempt employee that is paid on a salaried basis.

Required Spiritual Qualities

It is expected that the teacher will:

• Acknowledge Christ as Savior and seek to live his/her life as His disciple.
• Believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God, our standard for faith and practice.
• Believe and actively support the school’s Statement of Faith (see below).
• Demonstrate a desire for spiritual growth as evidenced by his/her prayer life, Bible study, and spiritual outreach to others.
• Be a Christian role model in attitude, speech, and actions toward others. This includes being committed to God’s biblical standards for sexual conduct (Luke 6:40).
• Evidence the fruit of the Spirit in dealing with people.
• Share the Christian faith with others.
• Have a Christ-centered home.
• Actively participate in a like-minded Bible-believing church.

Required Professional Qualities

It is expected that the teacher will:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited postsecondary institution or is willing to participate in a program to complete such a degree within a time period agreed upon by the head of school and the teacher.
• Hold ACSI certification or is willing to participate in a program to complete the requirements for certification within a two-year time period.
• Demonstrate a reasonable level of computer literacy. Basic proficiency is needed in word processing, e-mailing, and accessing the Internet.
• Possess evidence of other adequate preparation, background, or experience as determined by the school administrator.
• Understand the importance of discernment, discretion, and confidentiality in the operation of the classroom and school.
• Develop and maintain rapport with students, parents, and staff by treating others with courtesy, patience, friendliness, dignity, respect, and a good sense of humor.
• Use acceptable English in written and oral communication. Speak with clear articulation.

Required Personal Qualities

It is expected that the teacher will:

• Have the spiritual maturity, academic ability, and personal leadership qualities to “train up a child in the way he should go.”
• Be an enthusiastic visionary and encouraging self-starter with a high energy level.
• Maintain a personal appearance that is a Christian role model of cleanliness, modesty, and good taste consistent with school policy.

Essential Job Functions - Accountabilities

It is expected that the teacher will:

Spiritual Leadership

• Have a conviction that God has called him/her to Christian school teaching.
• Reflect the purpose of the school, which is to honor Christ in every class and in every activity.
• Motivate students to accept God’s gift of salvation and help them grow in their faith through his/her witness and Christian role modeling.
• Lead students to a realization of their self-worth in Christ.
• Maintain high standards of ethics, honesty, and integrity in all personal and professional matters.
• Ensure the classroom work environment is Christian-based, nurturing, wholesome, and loving.
• Work with the administration and staff to address the spiritual formation needs of the students.
• Follow the Matthew 18 principle in dealing with conflict with students, parents, staff, and administration.
• Carry out Christ-centered counseling with students and staff.

 Academic Leadership

• Have knowledge and understanding of the Christian philosophy of education that will enable him/her to provide leadership and guidance in the school’s development of and commitment to a Christian world view.
• Have knowledge of the school’s curriculum, standards, and mission.
• Integrate biblical principles and the Christian worldview throughout the curriculum and activities.
• Teach classes as assigned following the prescribed scope and sequence as scheduled by the administration.
• Ensure that his/her school classroom reflects a professional and Christian environment.
• Have knowledge of the physical/emotional development of children, particularly at the age level of the children being taught and understand the problems they face.
• Plan broadly using semester and quarterly plans and objectives as outlined through Curriculum Trak.
• Plan a program of study that, as much as possible, meets the individual needs, interests, and abilities of the students, challenging each to do his/her best work.
• Employ a variety of instructional aids, methods, and materials that will provide for creative teaching to reach the whole child: spiritual, mental, physical, social, and emotional.
• Plan through approved channels the balanced classroom use of field trips, guest speakers, and other media.
• Use homework effectively for drill, review, enrichment, or project work.
• Assess the learning of students on a regular basis and provide progress reports as required.
• Respond in a timely manner to parent requests for help or information, or to parent complaints.
• Participate in formal and informal parent-teacher conferences.
• Participate in continuous professional development through professional reading, college coursework, and through attendance at in-service, workshops, and conferences.
• Seek and accept constructive evaluation of his/her job performance.

Administrative Leadership

• Seek to accomplish the goals and objectives assigned by school administration and school policy.
• Help staff, students, and volunteers to function efficiently, effectively, and productively.
• Understand supervision and how to lead in a positive manner.
• Keep proper discipline in the classroom and on the school premises for a good learning environment.
• Meet on a regular basis with rest of staff to ensure coordination of programs and prompt problem resolution. Provide input as needed for the school master calendar.
• Maintain a physical presence with the students by attendance and participation in school chapels, assemblies, and athletic events, and other presentations.
• Arrange for substitute teachers when needed and assist them in successfully carrying out their responsibilities.
• Participate in beginning of year staff orientation, staff devotionals, staff meetings, and Parent/Teacher Fellowship meetings.
• Respect professional ethics that require confidentiality concerning the sharing of information about children, parents, or staff.
• Maintain regular and accurate attendance and grade records to meet the demands for a comprehensive knowledge of each student’s progress.
• Keep students, parents, and the administration adequately informed of progress or deficiencies and give sufficient notice of student failure. 
• Know the procedures for dealing with emergency situations in the classroom and school. Conduct required emergency safety drills in coordination with school leadership.
• Report safety, health, and maintenance needs that are observed to appropriate individuals.
• Inform the administration in a timely manner if unable to fulfill any assigned duty.
• Deal directly and frankly with the school administration when honest differences exist in an earnest effort to resolve such differences.

Additional Duties or Responsibilities

• Recognize the need for good public relations. Represent the school in a favorable and professional manner to the school’s constituency and the general public.
• Participate in the school’s development programs and activities in areas of constituency relations, fundraising, and student recruitment and retention.
• Ensure that provision is made for the accountability and securing of all funds collected in the classroom.
• Supervise extracurricular activities, organizations, and outings as assigned.
• Support the broader program of the school by attending extracurricular activities when possible.
• Involve parents in prayer and volunteerism, as appropriate.
• Maintain a clean, attractive, well-ordered classroom.
• Participate in the end-of-year closing of school process such as the inventorying of textbooks, furniture, equipment, etc.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned by the administration.

 LCA Statement of Faith

• The Bible: We believe the Bible to be inspired and the only infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God and the sole basis for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Peter 1:21).
• The Trinity: We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30).
• Jesus Christ: We believe in  
  • The deity of Christ (John 1:1; John 10:30)
  • The humanity of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:17)
  • His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:35)
  • His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:26)
  • His miracles (John 2:11)
  • His vicarious and atoning death (1 Corinthians 15:3; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 2:9)
  • His resurrection (John 20:1-31; 1 Corinthians 15:4)
  • His Ascension to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19)
  • His personal return in power and glory (Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11)
• Salvation: We believe  
  • In the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit for salvation because of the exceeding sinfulness of human nature.
  • That people are justified on the single ground of faith in the shed blood of Christ.
  • That only by God’s grace and through faith in Jesus Christ alone are we saved (John 3:16-19; John 5:24; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-9; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5 
• Resurrection: We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: those that are saved unto the resurrection of life, and those that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29).
• Unity of Believers: We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Galatians 3:26-28).
• The Holy Spirit: We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (Romans 8:13-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 5:18).
• Sex and Marriage:
  • (1) We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as either male or female and that these two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Consequently, we believe biological sex is permanent and cannot be changed, regardless of gender reassignment or other medical procedures. Biological sex cannot be changed by elective choice or declaration. Sex change is physically impossible. God created mankind in His image: male (man) and female (woman) at birth, sexually different but with equal personal dignity. We believe that this creation is a fixed matter of human biology, not individual choice. Therefore, the rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person, and all individuals should affirm their biological sex at birth and refrain from any and all attempts to physically change, alter, or disagree with the same. Moreover, the Church will refer to its members by their biological pronouns and will not entertain the use of pronouns inconsistent with their biological sex.  
  • (2) We believe scripture defines marriage as the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of one biological man and one biological woman and that such a lifelong relationship uniquely reflects Christ’s relationship with His Church (Genesis 2:18-24, Ephesians 5:31). We believe marriage is instituted by God, not government, is created by God to be exclusively the union of one man and one woman. We further believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other, and that God has commanded there is to be no intimate sexual activity engaged in outside of a marriage relationship between a man and a woman.  
  • (3) We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God (1 Corinthians 6:9-20; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5; Ephesians 5:3; Hebrews 13:4).  
  • (4) We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is comprised of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.   
• Availability of Redemption: We believe God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin and seek His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:20-22).
• Sanctity of Human Life: We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image (Psalm 139). Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.