Science Teacher
The Putney School is seeking a full-time Science Teacher able to teach across the curriculum with a focus on Biological, Ecological and Earth Sciences to begin work in August 2026. For more information about teaching science at Putney see: Science at The Putney School and Science Classes at The Putney School.
About The Putney School
Putney is a progressive boarding school for 220 hardworking and curious students in a beautiful corner of Southern Vermont. Since 1935, Putney has prepared intellectually curious, community-minded students by joining time-tested educational principles and cutting-edge progressive teaching methods. The school blends high expectations and unique levels of student agency so that they achieve college success and grow into inspiring and well-rounded people. Hands-on learning is embedded in the school’s culture: a working dairy farm, expansive arts offerings, a robust work program, miles of wooded trails, and large solar arrays serve our curriculum.
The school cultivates and sustains an educational community that values difference. Community members explore how they contribute to building a home at Putney where everyone, especially those from historically marginalized populations, can honor their individual racial, gender, political, ethnic, and socio-economic identities. Putney recognizes this is difficult, communal work, and the school supports all its employees in developing this critical skill set.
Responsibilities
- Teach eight sections across three terms; work with students in independent, project-based work.
- Design and facilitate hands-on, inquiry-based courses that draw on Putney’s unique resources, including the school’s land, farm, forests, and sustainability initiatives.
- Engage students in field-based and experiential learning, using the natural environment as a laboratory for scientific observation, data collection, and analysis.
- Support and mentor students in independent and project-based work, including Project Weeks and advanced or self-designed studies.
- Collaborate with colleagues across disciplines to develop an integrated curriculum and interdisciplinary learning experiences, particularly in courses such as Humans in the Natural World.
- Contribute to the ongoing development of the science program, including courses that connect to ecology, environmental science, sustainability, and systems thinking.
- Provide regular, individualized feedback to students, including narrative reports that reflect both academic progress and habits of learning.
- Participate fully in the life of the school, including leading afternoon and/or evening programs (athletics, arts, outdoor programs, or other areas of interest).
- Serve as an advisor to a small group of students (6–8), supporting their academic, social, and personal growth.
- Serve as a dorm parent as part of Putney’s residential program, helping to build a supportive, inclusive, and engaged community.
Benefits
- Salary range of $44,500 to $76,520, depending on experience.
- Health, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, Disability, and optional group insurance plans, HSA/FSA options, paid time off, and 403(b) retirement plan contributions.
- Annual professional development opportunities.
Requirements
- Successful candidates will hold a four-year college degree and have at least three years of relevant professional experience that can be meaningfully applied to this role.
- Candidates should possess a strong foundational knowledge of biology and chemistry, along with the ability to apply these disciplines in ecological and environmental laboratory and classroom settings.
- We expect candidates to be inquisitive, interested in educational design, engaged by Putney’s mission and creative ethos, excellent communicators, technologically nimble, energetic, and initiative-taking self-starters.
All job applications must be accompanied by a cover letter. In your cover letter, please tell us what draws you to The Putney School and what you believe makes for a truly student-centered admissions experience. For more information, please visit www.putneyschool.org/employment.