Who We Are

Sister Sophie is a leading K–12 academic enrichment institutes in the Greater Toronto Area. We advocate liberal arts thinking and integrate high-quality educational resources in Ontario to help students build strong academic reading, writing, literary analysis and critical thinking skills.

With over 13 years of experience, Sister Sophie has served more than 1,100 students and currently supports over 300 students across Canada and China. Our programs focus on literacy, literature, writing, and critical thinking, helping students develop strong academic foundations, independent thinking and long-term learning capabilities.

For more information about our company, programs, and culture, please visit www.sistersophie.com

About the Role

We are looking for an English Literacy Instructor to teach students in our English Language Gateway Program, primarily from Grades 3–7, in one-on-one and small group settings. This role focuses on early and intermediate English literacy development, including reading comprehension, vocabulary building, sentence structure, grammar in context, paragraph writing, guided reading, and age-appropriate critical thinking.

The ideal candidate has a strong academic background in English, English Literature, English Language and Literature, Liberal Arts, or a closely related field. The instructor should be comfortable working with younger learners and helping them build stronger English foundations through structured, engaging, and age-appropriate instruction.

This role is especially suitable for candidates with strong English proficiency and fluent Mandarin communication skills, as many of our students come from bilingual or multilingual family backgrounds. Instructors will teach using Sister Sophie’s curriculum, lesson materials, and academic guidelines, while adapting instruction based on each student’s grade level, learning needs, and class format.

Training and teaching support will be provided. Strong instructors may also have opportunities over time to support curriculum refinement, teaching material development, or teacher training.

Teaching Areas

Teaching areas may include one or more of the following:

- Foundational Reading & Literacy: Support younger learners in building phonics awareness, vocabulary, reading fluency, comprehension, and confidence in English learning.
- Vocabulary, Grammar & Sentence Development: Help students develop stronger word choice, sentence structure, grammar accuracy, and language awareness through structured practice and guided instruction.
- Guided Reading & Text Discussion: Guide students through age-appropriate fiction, nonfiction, short passages, and reading materials, helping them build comprehension, inference, discussion, and text-based thinking skills.
- Paragraph Writing & Early Academic Writing: Teach students how to organize ideas, write clear sentences and paragraphs, use examples, and gradually build stronger written expression.

Key Responsibilities

- Teach English literacy, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and writing skills to Grades 3–7 students in one-on-one and small group settings.
- Deliver lessons using Sister Sophie’s ELG curriculum, lesson materials, and academic guidelines, while adapting instruction based on students’ ages, levels, learning goals, and class formats.




- Guide students through age-appropriate texts and reading materials, helping them build comprehension, vocabulary, inference, discussion, and text-based thinking skills.
- Teach foundational writing skills, including sentence development, paragraph structure, idea organization, grammar in context, and clear written expression.
- Prepare for classes by reviewing assigned materials, planning lesson flow, and making appropriate adjustments to support student engagement and learning progress.
- Mark homework and writing assignments, provide constructive feedback, and help students improve reading accuracy, language awareness, writing structure, and confidence.
- Support younger learners through patient, structured, and engaging instruction that encourages participation and steady progress.
- Track student progress and communicate relevant updates to the academic and administrative teams as needed.
- Communicate with students and parents when necessary regarding learning progress, homework expectations, class performance, and academic goals.
- Participate in teacher training, curriculum discussions, teaching material improvement, or academic development activities when needed.

Required Qualifications

- Master’s degree or higher in English, English Literature, English Language and Literature, Liberal Arts, or a closely related field.
- Experience teaching or tutoring Grades 3–7 students in English, English Language Arts, literacy, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, or writing.
- Solid English reading, writing, and communication skills, with the ability to model explicit, accurate, and age-appropriate English for younger learners.
- Ability to teach younger learners with patience, structure, clarity, and age-appropriate engagement.
- Ability to follow curriculum materials and lesson objectives while adapting instruction based on student level and learning needs.
- Strong communication skills, professional reliability, and comfort working with children, parents, and academic teams.
- Regular availability to teach after 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and throughout the day on Saturdays, with occasional availability to teach from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- Legally authorized to work in Canada.

Preferred Qualifications

- Bilingual or near-bilingual proficiency in English and Mandarin is strongly preferred.
- Strong Mandarin communication skills, or the ability to communicate effectively with Mandarin-speaking students and parents.
- Experience supporting bilingual or multilingual students in English reading and writing development.
- Experience teaching one-on-one or small group classes for younger learners.
- Experience using structured curriculum materials, guided reading materials, writing frameworks, or leveled English learning programs.
- Experience communicating with parents regarding student progress, homework expectations, and learning goals.





Schedule & Location Classes are scheduled based on student enrollment and program needs. Most teaching hours take place after school on weekdays, especially after 4:00 p.m., and on weekends.

This role may include in-person teaching at our Markham office and/or online teaching, depending on class arrangements and student needs.

Candidates with regular weekday morning/evening and weekend availability will be prioritized.

Compensation & Support

Compensation: CAD $25.00–$45.00 per hour, based on academic background, teaching experience, teaching area and overall fit.

Structured curriculum, lesson materials, and academic guidelines will be provided.

Teachers will receive training, academic support, and administrative support to help them succeed in class.

Strong instructors may have opportunities over time to support advanced programs, curriculum development, academic training, or teacher mentorship.

Advantages may be available for eligible employees depending on employment status and probation completion.

Hiring Process

Applications will be reviewed based on academic background, teaching experience, availability, and overall fit with our programs.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited to complete a screening call, an interview, and a mock class demonstration.

Only candidates selected for the next stage will be contacted.

Pay: $25.00-$45.00 per hour

Perks

- Flexible schedule
- On-site parking

Application question(s):
- What is your academic background? Please list your degree(s), major(s), and institution(s).
- Which areas are you most comfortable teaching?

A. Literature / novel study B. Reading comprehension

C. English Language Arts

D. Essay writing / academic writing

E. Critical reading / text-based discussion

F. ESL / general English

G. Other

- This role focuses on academic reading, literature, writing, and critical thinking for K–12 students. Which option best describes your teaching background?

A. I have direct experience teaching K–12 literature, reading, or writing. B. I have related experience in academic writing, humanities, or English Language Arts.

C. My experience is mainly ESL, conversation English, or general language instruction.

D. I do not have related teaching experience yet.

- Please briefly describe your experience teaching literature, reading comprehension, English Language Arts, or academic writing. If applicable, include grade levels and class formats.
- Have you taught any books, literary works, reading programs, or writing courses before? If yes, please list a few examples.
- Which grade levels are you most comfortable teaching?
- Are you available for in-person classes at our Markham office, online classes, or both?

A. In-person Markham only B. Online only

C. Both in-person and online

D. Depends on schedule

- Are you legally authorized to work in Canada?
- What is your expected hourly rate? (Please specify your target range or minimum requirement.)
- This position involves working with students and families who primarily communicate in Mandarin. Are you proficient in speaking and understanding Mandarin at a conversational or higher level?
- Are you regularly available to teach after 4:00 PM on weekdays and/or on weekends, as well as occasionally from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM?

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Markham, ON L3R 3A4

📌 English Literacy Instructor – (Markham)
🏢 Sister Sophie
📍 Markham