Religion Teacher

A Holy Child Religion Teacher will teach five sections of Religion, based in the Roman Catholic Tradition, following the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Curriculum Framework for high school students in grades 9-12. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a personal commitment to his/her Catholic faith, providing a witness to students of a life of faith, and love of God and neighbor. Additionally, the ideal candidate must be familiar with the philosophical and theological foundations of the Catholic intellectual tradition and be able to communicate a Catholic worldview creatively and effectively to students. The candidate must possess a desire to lead students to encounter Jesus Christ using best practices in pedagogy, based in a Christian anthropology and in the charism of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.

Our Community:
Connelly School of the Holy Child is a Catholic, college preparatory school, committed to the intellectual, spiritual, artistic, physical, and social development of young women in grades 6 through 12. The school emphasizes academic challenge, joy of learning, and education of well-rounded women of faith and action. Building an inclusive and diverse school community is a priority for Holy Child, and we are committed to hiring faculty and staff with diverse experiences, backgrounds, to empower our students to connect, belong, and grow.

Primary Responsibilities:

Promoting a Culture of Faith:
• Plan and teach Religion classes that align with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Curriculum Framework and any additional requirements of the Archdiocese of Washington.
• Maintain a positive learning environment based on dignity of every student.
• Actively foster and support Catholic beliefs, traditions, and practices.
• Assure that Catholic values are the basis of all interactions between students and teacher.
• Promote Catholic social teaching and witness of service to others.
• Collaborate with Campus Ministry in supporting the faith life of the school.
• Attend and assist in planning of liturgical events such as Mass, penance services, prayer services, etc.
• Lead and encourage prayer in the classroom.
• Support students from diverse backgrounds and experiences to promote a culture of belonging.
• Work toward certification as a High School Religion Teacher in the Archdiocese of Washington.
• Support the Holy Child Network of Schools Goals and Criteria.
• Continually learn about the life of the founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Cornelia Connelly, and strive to emulate her virtues of simplicity, humility, charity, and joy.

Promoting a Culture of Academic Excellence:
• Create lesson plans that align with the Holy Child's methods of teaching, which are learner based.
• Deliver a balanced program of instruction that incorporates direct instruction, guided instruction, individual/ group practice, demonstration, and discovery.
• Plan individual and group instruction that includes lecture, discussion, and hands-on activities.
• Administer assessments (both formal and informal) to determine if instructional objectives are being met.
• Use assessment data to differentiate instruction to assure that the diverse needs of all students are met.
• Assign class work and homework that supports the objective of the lesson and reinforces the learning process.
• Establish classroom procedures that optimize instructional time.
• Create and enforce rules that are clear and foster an atmosphere in which all can thrive.
• Set high expectations for achievement.
• Maintain a grade book that reflects students' progress on a variety of formative and summative assessments.
• Monitor students' grades and communicate status to parents and administration.
• Inform students and parents of assignments/projects and provide detailed written instructions, rubrics, and due dates.
• Routinely post up-to-date information (homework, projects and grades) to the school's grade book portal.
• Use the portal, emails, notes, and phone calls to inform parents if a student is not making adequate academic or behavioral progress.
• Hold conferences with parents if students need academic or behavioral intervention
• Produce quarterly progress reports and report cards.

Qualifications & Skills:
• Degree in Theology/Religious Studies
• 3-5 years of Catholic high school teaching experience, preferred
• Practicing Catholic in good standing, required
• Teaching credential, preferred

Physical Demands:
• Excellent communication skills including in-person, virtual, and written
• Ability to collaborate well with a diverse team
• Some light lifting of computers, books, and other instructional resources