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 Literature Instructor to teach K–12 students in one-on-one and small group settings. This role focuses on academic reading, literature, writing, and critical thinking, helping students develop stronger comprehension, analytical thinking, and written expression.
The ideal candidate has a strong academic background in English, literature, humanities, liberal arts, education, or a related field, and is comfortable guiding students through texts, discussions, writing assignments, and structured feedback. Instructors will teach using Sister Sophie’s curriculum, lesson materials, and academic guidelines, while adapting instruction based on each student’s level, learning goals, and class format.
Training and teaching support will be provided. Strong instructors may also have opportunities over time to support advanced programs, curriculum development, or teacher training.
Teaching Areas
Teaching areas may include one or more of the following:
Academic Reading & Literacy
Support younger learners in building reading comprehension, vocabulary, sentence structure, paragraph writing, and early academic thinking skills.
Literature & Reading Club
Guide students through novels, short stories, poetry, and other texts, with a focus on comprehension, discussion, literary analysis, vocabulary development, and text-based thinking.
Essay Writing
Teach students how to develop clear writing structure, organize ideas, build arguments, use textual evidence, and improve written expression.
K–12 One-on-One English Support
Provide customized reading, writing, literature, and English Language Arts support based on each student’s grade level, academic needs, and learning goals.
Key Responsibilities
- Teach literature-based reading, reading comprehension, English Language Arts, and academic writing in one-on-one and small group settings.
- Guide students through novels, short stories, poetry, and other texts, helping them build comprehension, vocabulary, literary analysis, discussion, and text-based thinking skills.
- Teach structured writing skills, including paragraph development, essay organization, thesis statements, argument development, textual evidence, and written expression.
- Deliver lessons using Sister Sophie’s curriculum, lesson materials, and academic guidelines, while adapting instruction based on students’ grade levels, learning goals, and class formats.
- 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 depth, writing structure, analytical thinking, and academic communication.
- 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
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in English Literature, English, History, Philosophy, Education, Humanities, Liberal Arts, or a closely related field.
- Strong academic reading and writing skills, with the ability to teach literature, reading comprehension, and structured writing to K–12 students.
- Ability to guide students through texts, discussion, writing assignments, and written feedback in a clear and age-appropriate way.
- Strong communication skills, professional reliability, and comfort working with children, teenagers, parents, and academic teams.
- Regular availability to teach after 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends.
- Legally authorized to work in Canada.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s or PhD degree in English Literature, English, History, Philosophy, Education, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Comparative Literature, or a related field.
- Experience teaching K–12 English Language Arts, literature, reading comprehension, academic writing, or humanities-based enrichment programs.
- Experience guiding students through novel study, literary analysis, critical reading, text-based discussion, debate, essay writing, or analytical writing.
- Experience marking writing assignments and providing structured feedback on organization, argument development, textual evidence, grammar, and written expression.
- Experience supporting multilingual students in academic reading and writing contexts is an asset.
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 evening and weekend availability will be prioritized.
Compensation & Support
Compensation: CAD $25.00–$60.00 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.
Benefits 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-$60.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 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 regularly available to teach after 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and/or on weekends?
- 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?
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Markham, ON L3R 3A4