The Priory School seeks a dynamic 9-12 Garden Teacher and Steward who creates curriculum and class sessions that cultivate our Benedictine values and learning competencies: critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and resilience. We invest in our faculty with mentoring, resources and professional development to develop and model growth mindsets and a commitment to research-based best practices.

For the complete Position Statement, please click Here

Duties and Responsibilities

Instruction and Curriculum Development:

• Design and teach garden-based lessons for grades 6-12 that integrate science, environmental studies, health, and practical life skills.
• Develop and implement a culinary curriculum that connects garden-grown produce with cooking lessons, focusing on nutritional awareness, food preparation skills, and cultural appreciation.
• Incorporate interdisciplinary lessons and align them with educational standards, especially in the areas of science, health, environmental studies, and practical arts.
• Collaborate with other faculty that involve projects in the garden that enhance the teaching of literature, language and culture, math etc. (6-12)
• Teach up to 4 sections of Summer Enrichment courses on similar topics.

Student Engagement and Experiential Learning:

• Provide hands-on learning experiences in the garden, guiding students in all aspects of planting, cultivation, harvest cycles, and animal husbandry.
• Teach cooking classes using produce from the garden, emphasizing safe food handling, kitchen safety, and healthy eating practices.
• Foster a learning environment that encourages curiosity, responsibility, teamwork, and respect for the environment.
• Serve as an advisor for our advisory program

Garden Stewardship and Maintenance:

• Oversee the daily care and maintenance of the school garden, including planting, pruning, weeding, harvesting, composting, and pest management as well as care of the chickens.
• Plan garden cycle in a way that it is vibrant during all seasons of the year to facilitate admissions, events, and teaching uses.
• Develop and implement sustainable garden practices to promote biodiversity, soil health, and organic growth methods.
• Coordinate with school facilities for larger maintenance and seasonal garden updates.
• Ensure the garden space is safe, accessible, and inviting for all students and staff.
• Serve as a standing member of the sustainability committee

Community and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Organize events, such as harvest festivals, family cooking nights, and seasonal garden tours, to promote community involvement and raise awareness of the school’s garden and cooking programs.
• Collaborate with teachers, administrators, admissions, development, and parents to integrate garden and culinary programs into broader school initiatives.
• Serve as a mentor to students interested in sustainability, food systems, and environmental stewardship.

Administrative and Operational Duties:

• Manage the garden budget, ensure efficient use of resources, and partner with Advancement to seek additional funding through grants or donations as needed.
• Track and document student progress, lesson effectiveness, and garden yield.
• Ensure compliance with all safety, health, and food handling regulations.

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree required. Preferred in environmental science, horticulture, culinary arts, education, or a related field preferred.
• Experience: Prior experience working with adolescents in an educational setting, ideally with experience in both gardening and cooking instruction.

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• For the complete Position Statement, please click here