Job Description
About us
Manzanita School and Institute, founded in 2013, is an independent, non-profit, co-educational day school, serving students in grades K through 12. We are located on 21 acres in the rugged and bio-diverse Topanga Canyon, northwest of Los Angeles. Currently in our 13th year, with a program emphasizing human ecology and land stewardship, we received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in 2017.
Teaching Role:
Manzanita School is seeking a collaborative and visionary middle school teacher to join our remarkable team for the 2026-2027 school year. The middle school teacher will be responsible for teaching the following courses in a multi-grade-level setting:
• A multidisciplinary subject that integrates middle school science and humanities, known as Unit of Study at Manzanita. The Unit of Study teacher will co-create learning experiences that invite students to investigate real-world questions, engage in sustained projects, and develop both analytical and imaginative capacities.
• The Unit of Study teacher will also co-teach Nature Connection alongside an experienced naturalist. This class, nature-based learning experiences alongside a naturalist designed to cultivate a deep relationship with place and the more-than-human world through embodied experiences.
Other Core Roles and Responsibilities:
• Serve as a homeroom teacher, holding a consistent group of students, including facilitating morning check-ins, end-of-the-day closing circles, council practices, and act as a primary relational anchor for students, tracking emotional, social, and academic development, communicating with families, and supporting conflict resolution and community health.
• Collaborate with their naturalist in planning 1-2 four to five-day off-campus expeditions designed to build group unity, while giving the students hands-on experience with their core Science, Humanities, and Nature Connection curricula.
• Participate in whole-school rhythms like community gatherings, festivals, field experiences, faculty reflection and curriculum development.
• Contribute to the evolving mission and vision of Manzanita as a nature-based, community-rooted learning environment.
To apply for this position:
• Read our school website
• Send a resume and a cover letter (describing why you are interested in working at Manzanita School) to the Middle School Head of School, Jeremy Sands, at sands@manzanitaschool.org
Qualifications
• 3 to 5 years of experience teaching middle school (Grades 6–8) in science, humanities, or interdisciplinary settings
• Bachelor's degree or higher
• Demonstrated ability to design project-based or inquiry-driven curriculum
• Comfort teaching across disciplines or willingness to grow into an integrated model
• Experience or strong interest in nature-based or place-based education
• Capacity to hold both:
• Academic rigor
• Relational and emotional attunement
Highly Desired Qualities
• Sees learning as both intellectual and human
• Able to move between structure and emergence
• Strong collaborator and co-teacher
• Grounded presence with adolescents
• Values community, reflection, and rhythm
Professional development in Unit of Study, Nature Connection, and curriculum development will be provided.
Manzanita School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we strongly encourage a diverse field of qualified applicants.