Lower School Teacher

Description

About McGehee School:

Founded in 1912, Louise S. McGehee School is an independent all-girls Pre-K–12 school in New Orleans. For more than a century, McGehee has educated girls to lead with purpose and confidence — and today, we are shaping our next chapter.

Our Vision is a world shaped by purposeful women who lead with clarity, courage, and conviction. From Pre-K through 12th grade, each McGehee student is empowered to develop her unique strengths and aspirations in an environment designed specifically for girls.

Our Mission challenges each girl to discover her strengths and reach her full potential as an independent learner, a critical thinker, and a confident leader. Academic depth, intellectual ambition, creativity, and self-direction define the McGehee experience from the earliest years through graduation.

Our work is guided by the values that shape our community and decisions:

• Commitment to Excellence grounded in high expectations and continuous improvement
• Empowering Leadership that elevates others and builds strong teams
• Honorable Action rooted in integrity and alignment between values and choices
• Independent Thought balanced by curiosity and courage
• Joyful Engagement that recognizes girls thrive when they feel valued, challenged, and connected

We hold high expectations for our faculty and our students, and we align our work with our values.

McGehee advances a distinctive, individualized approach to girls’ education built on close relationships between students and faculty and grounded in research-informed practice. Located on a historic Garden District campus, we embrace New Orleans as an extended classroom, connecting learning to service, internships, and real-world leadership. With more than 2,200 alumnae worldwide, McGehee is both a rigorous academic institution and a lifelong community committed to excellence and impact.

Position Description:

The Louise S. McGehee School seeks a dynamic, expert, and experienced Lower Elementary Teacher for the 2026–2027 academic year. This teacher will partner with our students to ensure that they meet high expectations for academic success and grow as confident learners and leaders. The successful candidate will be committed to the school’s mission to challenge each girl to reach her full potential as an independent learner, critical thinker, and confident leader, and will embrace McGehee’s culture of joy, curiosity, and lifelong learning.

A distinguishing factor of a McGehee education is individualization. Teachers seek to understand each student and her unique potential, and work with our Lower School team to ensure appropriate levels of challenge and support.

This 10-month position includes eligibility for our comprehensive benefits package, school-year holidays, and professional development opportunities. The Lower School Teacher reports to the Lower School Head.

Why You’ll Love Working at McGehee

• Teach and learn in an all-girls environment that values academic depth, intellectual curiosity, creativity, and self-direction.
• Be part of a culture guided by our core values: excellence, empowering leadership, honorable action, independent thought, and joyful engagement in learning and life.
• Join a mission-driven, collaborative community where teachers and students alike are growth oriented.
• Collaborate with a talented team of colleagues across the Lower School, sharing insights, studying and refining use of best-in-class curriculum, and exploring innovative pedagogical approaches.
• Access meaningful professional development, including workshops, conferences, research-based initiatives, and opportunities to lead school-wide learning projects.

Responsibilities
The Lower School Teacher will:

Planning for and delivering instruction

• Plan for and deliver high-engagement lessons that cultivate critical thinking, build on student curiosity, and meet individual students’ needs, including the needs of advanced learners.
  • Where the Lower School has adopted curriculum, build a deep understanding of and use those materials to deliver consistently challenging and engaging instruction.
• Collaborate with grade-level colleagues, division teams, and specialists to ensure that students meet high academic standards, thrive in Lower School, and are prepared for Middle School.
• Assess student progress using a variety of formative and summative tools and communicate with families regarding student growth.
• Integrate technology thoughtfully to enhance teaching, learning, and classroom management.

School, classroom, and student culture

• Foster a classroom culture rooted in a commitment to excellence, empowering leadership, honorable action, independent thought and joyful engagement. 
• Serve as a homeroom teacher, leading morning meetings and supporting the development of strong social, academic, and executive functioning skills for each student in collaboration with McGehee’s counseling team.
• Participate in school traditions, extracurricular activities, and assigned duties such as recess, lunch, or carpool supervision.
• Model lifelong learning, professional reflection, and a growth mindset in alignment with McGehee’s strategic vision and mission.
• Contribute to school-wide initiatives that advance McGehee’s commitment to intellectual depth, leadership development, and all-girls education.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Lower School Principal or Head of School.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education or a related field.
• Experience teaching in early elementary grades with a track record of fostering student growth and engagement.
• Knowledge of child development and best practices in elementary pedagogy.
• Strong classroom management skills and the ability to differentiate instruction, particularly for students who are ready for additional challenge.
• Collaborative mindset with excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Technologically savvy, with the ability to integrate digital tools into teaching and learning.
• Reflective practitioner committed to ongoing professional growth.
• Genuine enthusiasm for teaching young girls and guiding them to become confident, independent, and intellectually curious learners.
• Ability to meet all federal, state, and local requirements for working in an educational setting.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Regularly works in standard classroom conditions, including prolonged periods at a desk or computer.
• Ability to move around the classroom and supervise students across campus as needed.
• Occasionally lifts items up to 30 lbs.
• Ability to participate in before- and after-school or weekend events.
• Maintains appropriate professional boundaries with students, colleagues, and community members.