Want to be a teacher?
Educator’s Ally helps aspiring and early career educators find positions in K-12 private and independent schools nationwide. We are currently assisting schools throughout the country with their searches for Associate/Assistant Teachers (ATs) for the ‘26-27 school year. Associate/ Assistant Teachers (ATs) teach across disciplines in Elementary School (PreK-4th) or Middle School (5th-8th). *In most cases, independent schools do not require candidates to have certification or to be education majors. *
Associate/Assistant Teachers (AT) Opportunities Overview
Many schools we work with have programs designed especially for early career educators called Associate/ Assistant Teaching (AT) programs. These are paid, full-time positions.
ATs teach across subjects in elementary (PreK-4th) or middle school (5th-8th). Each school structures their program slightly differently, but generally you are co-teaching and working with your mentor teacher to divide classroom responsibilities (plan and teach lessons and whole units, report writing, parent conferences, etc.). AT positions offer a nice structure as you’re not thrown into the deep end solely responsible for your class—you have a mentor teacher for support, collaboration, and to ask questions but you also get to teach small group and whole class lessons.
Schools with AT programs (often two-year programs) usually have an AT in each homeroom, so you have a cohort of your peers for support. The cohort typically meets weekly as a group for professional development. Additionally, many of these programs require or encourage ATs to enroll in a masters program, or at least take classes towards a masters, during this time. In addition to classroom responsibilities, ATs can assist with extracurricular activities including but not limited to, coaching athletic teams, working in the afterschool program, or leading student clubs.
Some schools also provide notable stipends towards grad school tuition. The specifics vary with each program, but it can be a great way to work towards a masters while getting real-world classroom experience.
Responsibilities Include:
- Classroom teaching
- Coaching
- Meet with peer associate/assistant teachers and mentor teacher routinely
- Participation in extracurricular activities
Timeline: We are already working searches for fall ’26! Most searches finish up by the late spring.
Desired experience includes :
- An undergraduate degree is required
- A demonstrated interest in teaching and/or working with young people
- Experience working/volunteering with students or school-age kids in any capacity this may include: tutoring, camp counselor, babysitting, athletic coaching, teaching assistant (TA), peer mentorship, residential duties, etc…
- Strong academic performance is required