Early Years (PK) Classroom Teacher (IB PYP) - (August 2027)

Position: Early Years Classroom Teacher (IB PYP) - PK

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be submitted through BambooHR, our online application portal.

Interested candidates should prepare and upload an updated resume. In lieu of a cover letter, please submit a short video introduction (via an unlisted YouTube link) that covers:

• A brief introduction of yourself
• Why you’re interested in this role
• Why you believe you’d be a good fit, based on your experience

Please share your video link on Bamboo in the “Website, Blog or Portfolio” field.

Teaching at Canadian Academy

Canadian Academy (CA) is a highly collaborative professional environment where innovation is encouraged and student learning and well-being drive everything we do. In our Early Years programme, two PK teachers work as a close team, each alongside a Teaching Assistant, to give our youngest learners a warm, playful, language-rich start to school. A low student-teacher ratio and a stimulating, well-resourced environment make this an exceptional place to teach. Our teachers get to know their students and families well, and work together to ensure that every child is appropriately challenged and supported.

Canadian Academy teachers inspire minds and nurture compassion by providing a rich and engaging programme that develops students’ skills, promotes curiosity and love of learning, and prioritizes well-being. All students follow the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) in PK–Grade 5 and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in Grades 6–10. Most students pursue the IB Diploma Programme (DP) in Grades 11 & 12, although 10–20% each year opt for a more personalized pathway to graduation that includes a mix of DP and other courses and leads to a CA Diploma. Teaching and learning are enriched by opportunities for exploration in the arts, athletics, outdoor education, service, and more.

About the Role

We are looking for a PK teacher who is fascinated by how young children develop and who is, above all, a generous collaborator. This teacher will share the work of the classroom with a teaching assistant (TA) and plan closely, every day, with the second PK teacher.

Our PK classrooms are mixed groups of 3- and 4-year-olds. Children bring many home languages, and many are developing English alongside them. Our approach is a hybrid model: learning is play-based, and the IB PYP informs how we plan, inquire, document and reflect. We want a teacher who is committed to both, and who can explain why play is the right way to learn at this age.

Position Responsibilities

• Serve as the IB PYP classroom teacher in a PK classroom of mixed 3- and 4-year-olds
• Lead a hybrid program in which play is the main way children learn, and the PYP framework (transdisciplinary themes, concepts, approaches to learning and student agency) shapes inquiry
• Plan and teach with a deep understanding of early childhood developmental stages (social-emotional, language, cognitive and physical), so that experiences are right for both 3- and 4-year-olds in the same room
• Design and continually refresh a play-rich learning environment: inviting learning centres, open-ended materials, outdoor play, and predictable routines and transitions
• Observe, document and assess through observation, photographs, anecdotal notes and work samples, and use them to plan next steps and to share each child’s growth with families
• Partner closely with the classroom TA: set clear shared roles, plan together, share observations, and model and coach with respect, so that both adults contribute fully to children’s learning and care
• Co-plan, co-teach and co-assess with the other PK teacher, sharing units of inquiry, documentation and ideas, and keeping expectations and routines consistent across both classrooms
• Support the language development of multilingual learners by valuing home languages, building rich oral language through play and conversation, and working with the EAL and Learning Support teams
• Build warm, trusting partnerships with families from many language and cultural backgrounds, and help children and families with the transition into school
• Contribute to curriculum planning, documentation and programme development as a member of the Early Years team, including continuity into Kindergarten

All Canadian Academy teachers are expected to:

• Create a vibrant classroom environment that nurtures meaningful connections and cultivates a deep sense of care and compassion
• Design, prepare, and deliver learning experiences that promote inquiry and facilitate authentic engagement
• Identify and select instructional resources and methods to meet students’ varying needs and are in line with the programs and ethos of the school
• Use relevant technology thoughtfully and in developmentally appropriate ways to enhance teaching and learning
• Design and implement authentic assessment practices, grounded in observation, to inform instructional decisions
• Maintain accurate and complete records of students’ learning data to provide timely feedback, design appropriate learning engagements, and facilitate reporting
• Adhere to and advocate for our Child Safeguarding Policy and best practices in child protection
• Collaborate daily with relevant colleagues, including teaching assistants, to enable effective co-planning, co-teaching, and co-assessment
• Contribute actively and thoughtfully in faculty meetings, collaborating with colleagues to enhance student learning and school initiatives
• Engage enthusiastically in school events and parent meetings, fostering strong connections within the school community and supporting student success
• Lead by example with respectful, clear, and timely communication, fostering trust and meaningful connections with students, colleagues, and parents
• Embrace opportunities for growth by actively engaging in professional development and continually enhancing your skills to inspire and elevate the learning community
• Endorse the school’s purpose, vision, and values

Required Qualifications

• Must have a teaching certification and/or relevant academic qualification
• Minimum of 2 years of experience teaching young children in an early years or elementary school setting
• Must be eligible to obtain a visa to work in Japan

Preferred Experience and Qualities (in no particular order)

• A strong collaborator: demonstrated success co-planning and co-teaching with a partner teacher and working side by side with a teaching assistant, sharing responsibility and credit
• Training or qualification in early childhood education, and a genuine interest in the developmental stages of children aged 3 to 4
• Experience designing play-based learning and the ability to explain how play supports learning, including how it connects with PYP inquiry
• Successful experience teaching in the IB PYP, ideally in the early years
• Experience teaching multilingual children, and a commitment to valuing home languages while children acquire English
• 5+ years of relevant teaching experience
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Demonstrated ability to support the diverse learning needs of students while working collaboratively with Counselors, Learning Support, and EAL specialists to foster an inclusive and thriving learning community
• Strong organizational, communication, administrative, and interpersonal skills, including warm, clear communication with families
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for connecting with students and families beyond the classroom through school events, community celebrations, and co-curricular activities where interest allows

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitment

In order to provide the best possible learning environment for our highly diverse, multicultural, international student population, Canadian Academy actively seeks to recruit teachers from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in international school faculties. You are warmly encouraged to apply, and invited to reach out for more information about our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.