Entrepreneurial Teacher (Part time)

The Girls' Middle School • Palo Alto, CA

2d

About The Position

The Girls’ Middle School is seeking a passionate middle school educator to teach our 7th Grade Entrepreneurial Class, work closely and collaboratively with the 7th-grade team, and participate in a range of activities that support GMS’s innovative and engaging programming. This is 50% part-time faculty position. Classes meet 1-2 times a week with the remainder of the time for planning and collaboration.

The lessons from the GMS Entrepreneurial Program are among the school’s most profound and long-lasting. The program builds on an insight underpinning much of the instruction at GMS: Project-based work offers the chance to go beyond content mastery. The students develop crucial skills in critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. A year-long, interdisciplinary learning experience, our 7th-grade entrepreneurship course challenges students to design a novel physical product, then manufacture and market it to both investors and customers. During the year, each team launches a small company with seed funding from the school. The course apex is a celebratory night during which students present their companies to a panel of respected Silicon Valley investors and sell their products to assembled community members. As they progress through the program, students develop strength in multiple areas, including leadership and teamwork, creativity and product design, project and time management, mathematics and economics, communications and marketing, and public speaking. Just as importantly, they finish the program with an understanding of their own capabilities as contributors, leaders, and stronger self-advocates. They learn that they can be creators of products as much as they are consumers of them.

At the core of GMS is our extraordinary faculty. Every teacher at GMS has a passion for working with middle school girls and believes in the fundamental value of the middle school experience. They are attentive to, value, and support every student in the school. The GMS teachers are middle school specialists and subject matter experts, bringing passion to their work and sharing it with the students. Whatever interests a GMS student – from physics to programming, sculpture to skateboarding, musical theatre to metal shop – there is an adult ready to help them advance that interest as far as they can go. Teaching at GMS means participating in a joyful, inclusive, and respectful community of students and adults. You will be surrounded by enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-driven faculty who appreciate autonomy in creating learning experiences while thriving in a collaborative environment. Our teachers enjoy opportunities to create multi-faceted, interdisciplinary projects and participate in engaging field trips and travel experiences.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant field of study
• Teaching experience with middle school students is preferred
• Familiarity with entrepreneurship and the product design cycle
• Knowledge of social and emotional learning (SEL) best practices to support teamwork, collaboration, and shared decision making among teams of middle school students
• Confidence and skills in communicating with families
• Commitment to experiential, project-based learning, narrative assessment, and other progressive pedagogies
• Enthusiasm for the values and mission of The Girls’ Middle School
• Demonstrated skill in designing equitable and inclusive educational experiences and learning environments that incorporate themes of diversity and belonging
• Ability to manage and leverage parent volunteers in and out of the classroom
• Openness to feedback and a growth mindset
• Eagerness and ability to work in a highly collaborative environment
• Passion for supporting girls in discovering their strengths and finding their voice
• A sense of humor and love for the middle school age
• Excellent organizational and communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Prior work experience at a startup or as a maker is a plus

Responsibilities

• Teach our 7th Grade Entrepreneurial Class
• Work closely and collaboratively with the 7th-grade team
• Participate in a range of activities that support GMS’s innovative and engaging programming

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees