Upper School

St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School is seeking an upper-school classroom teacher that can faithfully hand on the truths of the Faith and cultivate a love for them in the students, as well as lead students into a vision of reality and beauty through classic works of literature. (Pre-) Theology and Literature constitute separate courses, but are parts of an integrated whole. To teach these courses, a candidate must have a love for souls, a deep grasp of the Church’s Tradition, and an understanding and love of Catholic culture as a historical reality in the West.

Qualified candidates are asked to please submit the Diocese of Lansing online application and attach a Letter of Introduction & Interest and Resume.

Contact: Mr. Michael Sauter, msauter@sta2.org

Responsibilities

Understand and uphold the Catholic Faith as it has been handed on, being a role model of Christian love, faith, and virtue. Relate to students by loving them with the love of Christ, encouraging them to develop their own relationship with God, and challenging them to love others as Christ does.
Manage the class by setting clear expectations of behavior, establishing routines, promoting self-discipline based on Catholic principles, and implementing the school discipline policy in the classroom. Cultivate a classroom environment that is well-ordered and academically stimulating.
Lead students to an appreciation of what is good, true, and beautiful in upper school pre-theology and literature by teaching students in a challenging, joyful, and age-appropriate manner that is grounded in the classical tradition of teaching. Plan and monitor that the assigned scope and sequence of instruction for each grade is taught to the students.
Demonstrate fluency in the theological tradition of the Church, relying chiefly on the Church’s perennial teaching, Scripture, the Fathers, and Thomas Aquinas. Demonstrate fluency in literary interpretation, a love of poetry, and an ability to lead students, with their participation, to see truth and beauty in great literature.
Be committed to continually develop teaching skills, knowledge of the Western Tradition, and a love of that Tradition through reading, discussion, collaboration with other teachers, mentoring from the headmaster, and communication with the larger classical school movement.
Serve as an advocate for St. Thomas School and Classical Education by assisting in advancing classical Catholic education among the faculty and parent community.
Evaluate each student’s progress on a regular basis through appropriate student work, assessments, and observation, and report progress to the student, parents, and headmaster, responding expediently to parent, student, or administrator inquiries on student progress. Partner with parents in supporting the academic, social, emotional, and spiritual growth of the students.
Be able to take on leadership and mentoring roles among upper-school students outside of the classroom.

Qualifications

Exemplify and articulate a life of faith in Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.
Be in accord with the classical Catholic educational philosophy of St. Thomas School.
Possess a bachelor’s degree in relevant subject areas, preferably from a liberal arts college grounded in the Western Tradition.
Teaching certificate welcomed but not required; teaching experience preferred but not required.
Possess catechetical certification through the Diocese of Lansing (or obtain in a timely manner).