Math Specialist and Teacher

Woodland School•Portola Valley, CA

22h•$85,000 - $105,000•Onsite

About The Position

Woodland School seeks to hire a dynamic, passionate math teacher with a passion for working across grade levels. The position involves 50% teaching in the Middle School and 50% work as a Math Specialist in the Lower School. There are some additional professional responsibilities, such as free-time duties, to which all Woodland staff and teachers contribute. Overview of the Math Department Woodland School’s math program is designed to build confidence and foster an enduring love of learning in math. The program is rooted in a desire to nurture deep understanding while encouraging critical thinking and perseverance. In each grade level, young mathematicians use a variety of tools and hands-on methods to explore abstract concepts. Inquiry-based, contextual investigations challenge children and encourage them to apply a variety of approaches to problem solving. Visual models and mental math exercises strengthen children’s number sense, allowing them to flexibly and creatively manipulate numbers along their journey to computational fluency. Mathematicians at Woodland communicate with pictures, numbers and words to express their mathematical thinking clearly and build upon it through collaboration. Woodland honors the students thinking behind an answer over the answer itself. Overview of Woodland School Located just west of Stanford University, Woodland is an independent day school that offers a joyful approach to learning in a diverse, respectful, and inclusive environment for approximately 325 students in early childhood through eighth grade. There are two sections of each grade level K- 8 with class sizes that average between 14-18 students. Woodland School specializes in education that inspires students by nurturing each individual’s voice, intellect, and character. With rich content and an emphasis on inquiry-based and student-driven projects, students are empowered and encouraged to be active and engaged learners. Our students’ innate sense of wonder is the foundation of learning at Woodland School. Teachers craft meaningful, multi-sensory learning experiences that enable creativity, ingenuity, and deep interdisciplinary connections. Students explore and develop complex understandings that engender a sense of self and purpose in the world. Woodland School’s faculty create a school environment that is as supportive and nurturing as it is challenging, and they embody the core values of the school—respect, integrity, curiosity, resilience, equity, and stewardship. Our teachers are themselves learners, constantly searching for ways to improve their practice. A robust professional development program supports our faculty by connecting them to the best practices in pedagogy, curriculum development, educational technology, and student assessment.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in education or mathematics; a teaching certificate/credential or equivalent professional experience that translates to successful classroom teaching.
Collaborates well with colleagues of diverse backgrounds on pedagogical approaches, curricular alignment and instructional strategies.
Is prepared to work with teachers to enhance their curriculum, and to think creatively and constructively about mathematics instruction at Woodland.
Works comfortably with students in one-to-one or small-group settings.
Promotes the use of multiple methods in solving problems, identifying more efficient strategies and generalizing principles to a broad variety of applications.
Encourages collaborative teamwork in the classroom, teaching students to communicate effectively and thoughtfully, justify their reasoning and to consider multiple perspectives when solving problems.
Invests in the life of the school by participating in the advisory program, social and emotional learning, weekly department meetings and multidisciplinary team meetings, anti-bias training, and any and all aspects that support the student experience.
Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills with the ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with all constituents. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required.
Demonstrated professional behavior, including discretion, judgment and integrity.
Effectively interacts with a diverse population of students and faculty.
All prospective employees must be able to clear a background check, LiveScan fingerprinting and TB screening.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Teaching mathematics in 5th and 6th grades
Working with younger children to expand their skills and knowledge
Collaborating with colleagues on pedagogical approaches, curricular alignment and instructional strategies
Working with teachers to enhance their curriculum
Thinking creatively and constructively about mathematics instruction
Working comfortably with students in one-to-one or small-group settings
Promoting the use of multiple methods in solving problems
Identifying more efficient strategies and generalizing principles to a broad variety of applications
Encouraging collaborative teamwork in the classroom
Teaching students to communicate effectively and thoughtfully
Justifying their reasoning and to consider multiple perspectives when solving problems
Participating in the advisory program, social and emotional learning, weekly department meetings and multidisciplinary team meetings, anti-bias training, and any and all aspects that support the student experience