5th Grade Science Teacher Pool

5th Grade Science Teacher

High-Performing Public Charter Academy

Reports To: Principal/Assistant Principal

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Grade Level: 5th Grade

Content Area: Science

Position Summary

We are seeking an exceptional 5th Grade Science Teacher who believes students are capable of achieving at high levels when provided with rigorous instruction, meaningful relationships, hands-on learning, and appropriately challenging academic experiences.

Our academy is built on a culture of high expectations, advanced academics, strong relationships, and continuous growth. The 5th Grade Science Teacher will create an engaging, inquiry-driven classroom where students learn to think and work like scientists—asking questions, investigating phenomena, analyzing evidence, solving problems, and communicating their thinking.

The successful candidate will provide rigorous, TEKS-aligned science instruction that prepares students for success on the Grade 5 STAAR Science assessment while developing the deeper scientific understanding and academic habits necessary for advanced coursework in middle school and beyond.

We seek teachers who do more than prepare students for a test. Our goal is to create curious, confident learners who understand how science connects to the world around them.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Rigorous Science Instruction

• Plan and deliver engaging, rigorous science instruction aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
• Maintain high academic and behavioral expectations for every student.
• Design instruction that develops scientific reasoning, conceptual understanding, problem-solving, and application rather than relying primarily on memorization.
• Establish clear learning targets and success criteria for daily instruction.
• Use explicit instruction, modeling, guided practice, collaborative learning, independent practice, and purposeful lesson closure.
• Provide students with frequent opportunities to investigate, experiment, observe, analyze, discuss, write, and defend scientific conclusions.
• Connect science concepts to authentic problems, careers, technology, engineering, and real-world applications.
• Integrate reading, writing, mathematics, technology, and academic vocabulary throughout science instruction.
• Provide advanced learning opportunities and enrichment for students who demonstrate readiness to move beyond grade-level expectations.

Inquiry, Laboratory & Hands-On Learning

• Create a science classroom in which students actively participate in investigations and scientific inquiry.
• Plan and facilitate hands-on laboratory experiences aligned with the Grade 5 Science TEKS.
• Teach students to ask scientific questions, develop hypotheses, collect and analyze data, identify patterns, draw conclusions, and communicate findings.
• Incorporate models, demonstrations, simulations, engineering challenges, and project-based learning.
• Teach students to appropriately use scientific tools, equipment, measurements, and technology.
• Maintain an organized, safe, and academically purposeful science laboratory/classroom environment.
• Teach and consistently reinforce laboratory safety procedures.
• Maintain appropriate science materials, equipment, consumables, and inventory.

Advanced Academics & STEM

• Provide learning experiences that extend beyond minimum grade-level expectations when appropriate.
• Challenge students to apply scientific concepts to unfamiliar situations and complex problems.
• Incorporate STEM and engineering-design experiences that require students to design, test, evaluate, and improve solutions.
• Provide opportunities for research, collaboration, experimentation, innovation, and student-led inquiry.
• Encourage students to make connections across science disciplines and other academic content areas.
• Foster curiosity and encourage students to pursue their own scientific questions.
• Help students develop the independence, perseverance, organization, and critical-thinking skills necessary for advanced middle school science courses.

STAAR Readiness & Student Achievement

The 5th Grade Science Teacher plays an important role in ensuring students are prepared to demonstrate mastery on the Texas Grade 5 STAAR Science assessment. The teacher will:

• Ensure daily instruction is tightly aligned to the rigor and depth of the Grade 5 Science TEKS.
• Explicitly connect current learning to prerequisite scientific concepts and previously taught standards.
• Teach students to analyze scientific models, diagrams, graphs, tables, data, experiments, and informational text.
• Provide students with opportunities to apply scientific knowledge in unfamiliar contexts.
• Use high-quality questions and tasks that reflect the cognitive demand expected by Texas standards.
• Regularly assess student understanding and provide timely reteaching when misconceptions or learning gaps are identified.
• Teach effective testing and problem-solving strategies without allowing test preparation to replace authentic science instruction.
• Maintain the expectation that every student can demonstrate meaningful academic growth and high levels of mastery.

Data-Driven Instruction

• Administer required classroom, campus, network, benchmark, and state assessments.
• Analyze formative and summative assessment data to determine student mastery.
• Identify individual and group misconceptions and adjust instruction accordingly.
• Use data to establish flexible instructional groups.
• Provide targeted reteaching, intervention, acceleration, and enrichment.
• Maintain accurate student achievement and progress-monitoring records.
• Participate actively in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), data meetings, collaborative planning, and lesson internalization.
• Take ownership of student academic growth and respond quickly when students are not demonstrating expected progress.

Differentiation, Intervention & Enrichment

• Differentiate science instruction based on student readiness, demonstrated mastery, language needs, and learning needs.
• Provide targeted small-group instruction when appropriate.
• Support the campus Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) process.
• Provide meaningful enrichment and acceleration for advanced learners.
• Implement Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Section 504 plans, dyslexia accommodations, language supports, and other required student supports with fidelity.
• Collaborate with special education teachers, interventionists, multilingual education staff, gifted/advanced academic staff, instructional coaches, and other support personnel.
• Maintain appropriate documentation of interventions, accommodations, and student progress.

Classroom Culture & Student Relationships

• Create a safe, inclusive, structured, joyful, and academically focused classroom.
• Build strong relationships with students while maintaining consistently high expectations.
• Establish clear procedures for classroom instruction, laboratory activities, collaborative work, materials, and transitions.
• Foster a culture where students are comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, revising their thinking, and taking intellectual risks.
• Teach students that productive struggle and perseverance are essential parts of scientific discovery.
• Use positive and proactive classroom-management practices that maximize instructional time.
• Recognize and celebrate student curiosity, growth, achievement, perseverance, and academic excellence.

Family Partnership

• Develop strong, professional partnerships with parents and guardians.
• Maintain consistent communication regarding student progress, achievements, concerns, and opportunities for growth.
• Communicate academic concerns early and collaborate with families to develop solutions.
• Participate in parent conferences, STEM events, science fairs, family nights, student showcases, and other campus activities.
• Help families understand Grade 5 academic expectations and ways they can support learning at home.
• Treat families as valued partners in their child's education.

Professional Responsibilities

• Participate actively in professional development, PLCs, collaborative planning, data meetings, instructional coaching, and campus initiatives.
• Engage in lesson internalization and purposeful preparation prior to delivering instruction.
• Implement feedback from instructional leaders and demonstrate continuous professional growth.
• Collaborate with other Grade 5 teachers to integrate science with mathematics, reading, writing, social studies, and project-based learning.
• Maintain accurate lesson plans, grades, attendance, assessment records, parent communication, and required documentation.
• Follow applicable federal and state laws, Texas Education Agency requirements, charter policies, safety requirements, and campus procedures.
• Maintain student confidentiality and demonstrate sound professional judgment.
• Participate in arrival, dismissal, school events, student activities, and other responsibilities necessary to support the campus community.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required for certified teacher positions, subject to applicable Texas certification requirements and approved certification pathways.

Certification

Applicants holding or pursuing appropriate Texas teacher certification are encouraged to apply, including candidates with:

• EC–6 Core Subjects/Generalist Certification
• Appropriate Science Certification
• Special Education Certification
• Bilingual and/or ESL Certification/Supplemental
• Other appropriate Texas teaching certifications

Candidates currently enrolled in or eligible to enter an approved Alternative Certification Program

Candidates working toward certification must demonstrate a commitment to successfully completing certification requirements within established timelines.

Science/STEM experience, Special Education certification, and bilingual/ESL credentials are highly valued.

Preferred Experience

• Experience teaching elementary or Grade 5 science.
• Demonstrated success improving student academic achievement.
• Strong knowledge of the Texas Grade 5 Science TEKS.
• Experience with inquiry-based and hands-on science instruction.
• Experience using student data to drive instructional decisions.
• Experience preparing students for rigorous state assessments while maintaining authentic, engaging science instruction.
• Experience with STEM, engineering design, robotics, science fairs, project-based learning, or advanced academics.
• Experience providing intervention and enrichment for diverse learners.
• Experience implementing IEPs, Section 504 plans, MTSS interventions, and accommodations.

Knowledge, Skills & Characteristics

We are looking for a science teacher who:

• Believes every student can achieve at high levels.
• Has a genuine passion for science and can make that excitement contagious.
• Sets ambitious academic goals and maintains high expectations.
• Understands that rigor, engagement, and strong student relationships belong together.
• Values hands-on learning and understands that students learn science best when they are actively doing science.
• Uses data to improve instruction and responds quickly when students have not mastered essential concepts.
• Challenges advanced learners rather than allowing mastery to become the stopping point.
• Welcomes instructional coaching, feedback, reflection, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborates effectively and contributes positively to a strong professional team.
• Communicates effectively with students, families, colleagues, and administrators.
• Is dependable, organized, flexible, creative, and solution-oriented.
• Wants to help build an exceptional science and STEM program within a high-performing school.

Our Commitment to Excellence

Our academy believes that high expectations begin with adults. We want students leaving 5th grade believing they are mathematicians, readers, writers, problem-solvers—and scientists.

Our science classrooms should be places where students are curious enough to ask "Why?", confident enough to ask "What if?", and equipped with the knowledge and skills to figure out "How do we know?"

We are seeking educators who are not satisfied with students simply meeting minimum expectations. We want teachers who recognize potential, provide support when students struggle, accelerate learning when students are ready, and inspire students to become curious, capable, and confident learners.

If you believe students are capable of more and you are ready to challenge them to discover just how much they can accomplish, we encourage you to apply.

Additional Duties

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this position and are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of duties. Additional responsibilities may be assigned by campus administration to support students and the effective operation of the academy.