2nd Grade Teacher, Alpha - $120,000/year USD

About the role

Bridging the gap between AI-driven academic instruction and genuine student engagement is your primary responsibility. Students in grades K–3 complete their academic work through AI-powered applications, spending two hours each day on these platforms. Your role involves overseeing one cohort band—either Kindergarten and 1st grade (K-1) or 2nd and 3rd grade (2-3)—and adapting your approach to fit the needs of that group.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate one-hour life-skills workshops on topics such as public speaking, focus, feedback, and other foundational skills. Customize the playbook for your group rather than following it verbatim.
• Conduct daily one-on-one and small-group coaching sessions to ensure every student stays on track for their weekly app targets, using Coachbot analytics, Alpha's motivational tools (school currency, leaderboards), and the rapport you establish with each child.
• Deliver the Test2Pass, Alpha's mastery-based evaluation, for each life skill, and provide targeted coaching to students who do not pass until they achieve mastery.
• Engage kindergarteners through songs, stories, movement, and play while maintaining concrete, measurable expectations for second and third graders.
• Act as the warm adult children are excited to see at arrival and the adult who will not allow them to settle for less than their best.

Requirements

• Willing to work on-site at an Alpha campus in La Jolla (San Diego), Lake Forest (Orange County), Palo Alto, Piedmont, San Francisco, Santa Monica, or South Bay (LA), CA; Greenwich, CT; Boca Raton, Miami Beach, or Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Chicago, IL; or Boston, MA (relocation support provided).
• Bachelor's degree in any subject.
• At least 3 years working directly with children ages 4 to 9 (early-elementary teaching, coaching, tutoring, camp counseling, or youth program leadership).
• A specific example of motivating a young child to a hard goal, including the goal, what you did, and the outcome.
• Willingness to let AI handle the instructional content while focusing on motivation and life-skills coaching.
• Willingness to hold high standards with students even when they push back.
• Likely to be legally authorized to work in the US without visa sponsorship.

Nice-to-have Requirements

• Experience in youth athletics coaching, children's theater, camp leadership, Montessori/progressive early education, or after-school programs where you were directly responsible for motivating young kids toward specific goals.
• Personal history of high achievement (academic, athletic, or professional), indicating a pattern of holding others to hard bars.
• A natural performer's presence with little kids, capable of engaging and motivating them through voice, silliness, and movement.
• A track record of turning shy or resistant little kids into confident, active participants.

About Alpha

Alpha reimagines the school day around faster learning, stronger mentorship, and more time for students to build real-world skills. We hire teachers (guides), operators, admissions experts, school & curriculum leaders, and remote team members. Our compensation levels are competitive, offering six-figure roles for those ready to help build a radically better school experience. Our culture is fast-moving, ambitious, and student-focused, built for builders who want to improve the system, not maintain it. Join us to do the most meaningful work of your career!