Greenhouse Director and Science Teacher

About St. Mark’s

Founded in 1906, St. Mark's School of Texas is a non-sectarian, college-preparatory, independent day school for boys in grades one through twelve. The School’s charter states that it is “designed to afford its students well-rounded physical, intellectual, moral, and religious training and instruction.” The School is intended to be a diverse community of teachers and students who share a love of learning and who strive for high achievement in whatever they undertake.

St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world. To this end, the School professes and upholds certain values. These values include the discipline of postponing immediate gratification in the interest of earning eventual, hard-won satisfaction; the responsibility of defending one’s own ideas, of respecting the views of others, and of accepting the consequences for one’s own actions; and an appreciation for the lively connection between knowledge and responsibility and the obligation to serve.

Position Description

St. Mark’s School of Texas seeks a dynamic and innovative educator to teach science and serve as director of the Arthur Douglas Greenhouse.  The holder of this position will teach four upper and/or middle school classes in the Science Department, with the additional teaching assignments to be based on candidate experience and departmental needs.  Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant scientific field and have experience teaching at the high school level.  The ideal candidate is an experienced naturalist and passionate teacher who is eager to share lessons from the natural world with young people. 

The Arthur Douglas Greenhouse, located in the state-of-the-art Winn Science Center that opened in 2019, is a 3,000 square-foot faculty, with specimen collections in tropical and arid zones, along with a large workspace for student projects.  It is the role of the greenhouse director to coordinate all use and maintenance of the facility, which includes hosting class groups, facilitating use by other faculty, delivering tours and lessons, sponsoring and overseeing club activity, and collaborating with a plant-care specialist to maintain and upgrade the collections. 

St. Mark’s students are eager and motivated learners, and the science courses are based upon frequent laboratory experiences.  A strong candidate is a content expert who can deliver engaging lessons, collaborate effectively with colleagues, and appeal to the learning styles of a diverse and extremely talented group of boys.  Beyond the classroom, faculty at St. Mark’s participate in a variety of activities that include serving as an Advisor to a small group of students, coaching a sport, sponsoring a club, or participating in the Wilderness Program, depending on experience.  Finally, St. Mark’s School of Texas is committed to character and leadership education, and prospective faculty members will be committed to contributing to the School’s efforts to develop these qualities in young men.

Responsibilities

• Science teacher
  
  
  
  • Teach four sections of science in the Middle and/or Upper School, with the specific classes depending on candidate experience and staffing needs.  Potential subjects include environmental science, chemistry, life science, biology, earth science, geology, astronomy, physical science, and others
  
  
  • Serve as an Advisor to a small group of boys
  
  
  • Contribute to school programs by participating in the wilderness program, club program, or athletic program, depending on experience
  
  
  • Participate in the character and leadership education program
  
  
  
  

• Greenhouse Director
  
  
  
  • Oversee all programs and uses of the Arthur Douglas Greenhouse
  
  
  • Collaborate with colleagues to assist them with class projects and to encourage and develop innovate uses of the greenhouse
  
  
  • Sponsor student clubs and support independent student projects in the greenhouse
  
  
  • Work with the school’s contracted plant-care specialist to ensure proper maintenance of plant collections
  
  
  
  

• A bachelor’s degree or higher in the life sciences, earth sciences, or a related subject; field experience is a plus


• Five or more years teaching environmental science, life science, ecology, earth science, or related subjects at the high school and/or middle school level; independent school experience is a plus


• Knowledge of plant life and ecosystems sufficient to effectively oversee maintenance of greenhouse collections and projects


• Passion for the natural world and for sharing it with young people


• Enthusiastic and collaborative approach to working with colleagues

Qualified applicants should visit our website to submit a letter of interest, resume, and a statement of teaching philosophy.