Science Teacher, Gr 6-8

Codman Academy Charter School•Boston, MA

50d•$62,000 - $121,504•Onsite

About The Position

The Science Teacher is responsible for planning, organizing and implementing an appropriate instructional program in a learning environment that guides and encourages students to meet and exceed standards for the grade level/course.

Requirements

Subject area expertise
Cutting-edge grasp of child development and how students learn
Alignment with state standards and assessments
Ability to plan diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments
Ability to anticipate students’ misconceptions and confusions
Ability to design highly relevant lessons that motivate and engage students
Ability to design lessons using a mix of high-quality, multicultural learning materials and technology
Ability to design lessons that address all learning needs, styles, and interests
Ability to communicate and enforce high expectations
Ability to build strong relationships with students
Ability to create a climate where disruption of learning is unthinkable
Ability to implement a program that develops positive interactions and social-emotional skills
Ability to inculcate class routines
Ability to develop students’ self-discipline, self-confidence, and sense of responsibility
Effective discipline repertoire
Ability to use coherence, momentum, and transitions efficiently
Alertness, poise, dynamism, and self-assurance
Ability to get students to buy into a system of incentives linked to intrinsic rewards
Ability to convince all students they will master the material
Ability to inculcate a “growth” mindset
Ability to post learning targets, essential questions, rubrics, and exemplars
Ability to hook students’ interest and make connections to prior knowledge
Ability to present material clearly and explicitly
Ability to orchestrate effective strategies, materials, and groupings
Ability to engage all students in focused work
Ability to differentiate and scaffold instruction
Ability to adapt lessons and units to exploit teachable moments
Ability to have students summarize, internalize, and apply learning
Ability to post and review clear criteria for proficient work
Ability to give diagnostic assessments and use information to fine-tune instruction
Ability to continuously check for understanding and clarify confusion
Ability to set ambitious goals with students and facilitate self-assessment
Ability to post student work to celebrate progress
Ability to use interim assessment data with colleagues
Ability to follow up with struggling students
Ability to ensure students needing specialized diagnosis receive services
Ability to analyze chart data with colleagues
Ability to reflect on instruction
Sensitivity and respect for family and community culture
Ability to show parents in-depth knowledge of their child
Ability to give parents clear learning and behavior expectations
Ability to communicate positive news first and flag problems immediately
Ability to involve parents in supporting the curriculum
Ability to assign engaging assignments and provide rich feedback
Ability to deal with parent/guardian concerns
Ability to give detailed feedback on student progress
Ability to contact and work with all parents/guardians
Ability to enlist volunteers and community resources
Perfect or near-perfect attendance and punctuality
Appropriate, succinct, and eloquent professional language
Conscientious and punctual execution of assignments
Meticulous record-keeping
Professional demeanor and observation of boundaries
Ethical, honest, and forthright conduct
Impeccable judgment
Respect for confidentiality
Participation in teacher teams and committees
Attendance at after-school activities
Contribution of valuable ideas and expertise
Desire to improve student results
Openness to feedback and suggestions
Weekly collaboration with colleagues
Engagement in professional development
Informing administration of concerns and seeking help

Nice To Haves

13 years direct experience (MA15)

Responsibilities

Planning and Preparation for Learning: Demonstrates subject area expertise and a cutting-edge grasp of child development and how students learn. Develops a well-honed game plan for the year that is tightly aligned with state standards and assessments. Plans all expeditions backwards, aligned with high standards, state assessments, and all Bloom’s levels; documents and shares all lessons with supervisor at a minimum of two (2) weeks in advance. Plans diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to closely monitor student learning. Anticipates students’ misconceptions and confusions and develops multiple strategies to overcome them. Designs lessons with clear, measurable goals closely aligned with standards and expedition outcomes. Designs highly relevant lessons that will motivate all students and engage them in active learning. Designs lessons that use an effective mix of high-quality, multicultural learning materials and technology. Designs lessons that break down complex tasks and address all learning needs, styles, and interests. Artfully uses room arrangement, materials, and displays to maximize student learning of all material, focusing on learning targets and student work.
Classroom Management: Is direct, specific, consistent, and tenacious in communicating and enforcing high expectations. Shows warmth, caring, respect, and fairness for all students and builds strong relationships. Wins all students’ respect and creates a climate in which disruption of learning is unthinkable. Implements a program that successfully develops positive interactions and social-emotional skills. Successfully inculcates class routines up front so that students maintain them throughout the year. Successfully develops students’ self-discipline, self-confidence, and a sense of responsibility. Has a highly effective discipline repertoire and can capture and hold students’ attention any time. Skillfully uses coherence, momentum, and transitions so that every minute of the classroom time produces learning. Is alert, poised, dynamic, and self-assured and nips virtually all discipline problems in the bud. Gets students to buy into a highly effective system of incentives linked to intrinsic rewards.
Delivery of Instruction: Exudes high expectations and determination and convinces all students that they will master the material. Actively inculcates a “growth” mindset: take risks, learn from mistakes, through effective effort you can and will achieve at high levels. Shows students exactly what’s expected by posting learning targets, essential questions, rubrics, and exemplars. Hooks all students’ interest and makes connections into prior knowledge, experience, and reading. Always presents material clearly and explicitly, with well-chosen examples and vivid and appropriate language. Orchestrates highly effective strategies, materials, and groupings to involve and motivate all students. Engages all students in focused work in which they are active learners and problem solvers. Successfully reaches all students by skillfully differentiating and scaffolding. Deftly adapts lessons and units to exploit teachable moments and correct misunderstandings. Consistently has all students summarize and internalize what they learn and apply it to real-life situations.
Monitoring, Assessment and Follow-Up: Posts and reviews clear criteria for proficient work, including rubrics and exemplars, and all students internalize them. Gives students a well-constructed diagnostic assessment up front, and uses the information to fine-tune instruction. Continuously uses a variety of effective methods to check for understanding; immediately unscrambles confusion and clarifies. Sets ambitious goals with students, continually self-assesses, and takes responsibility for improving performance. Frequently posts students’ work with rubrics and commentary to celebrate progress and motivate direct effort. Works with colleagues to use interim assessment data, fine-tune teaching, re-teach, and help struggling students. Relentlessly follows up with struggling students with personal attention (time and support) so they all reach proficiency. Makes sure that students who need specialized diagnosis and help receive appropriate services immediately. Works with colleagues to analyze chart data, draw action conclusions, and leverage student growth. Constantly reflects on what worked and what didn’t to continuously improve instruction.
Family and Community Outreach: Shows great sensitivity and respect for family and community culture, values, and beliefs. Shows each parent/guardian an in-depth knowledge of their child and a strong belief they will meet or exceed standards. Gives parents/guardians clear, user-friendly learning and behavior expectations and exemplars of proficient work. Makes sure that parents/guardians hear positive news about their children first and immediately flags any problems. Frequently involves parents/guardians in supporting and enriching the curriculum for their children as it unfolds. Assigns highly-engaging assignments, gets close to 100% return, and provides rich feedback. Deals immediately and successfully with parent/guardian concerns and makes parent/guardian feel welcome at any time. In conferences, report cards, and informal talks, gives parents/guardians detailed feedback on their children’s progress. Is successful in contacting and working with all parent/guardians, including those who are hard to reach. Successfully enlists classroom volunteers and extra resources from homes and the community to enrich the curriculum.
Professional Responsibilities: Has perfect or near-perfect attendance and punctuality. In professional contexts, speaks and writes appropriately, succinctly, and eloquently. Carries out assignments conscientiously and punctually, keeps meticulous records, and is never late. Presents as a consummate professional and always observes appropriate boundaries. Is invariably ethical, honest, and forthright, uses impeccable judgment, and respects confidentiality. Is an important member of teacher teams and committees and frequently attends after-school activities. Frequently contributes valuable ideas and expertise and instills in others a desire to improve students results. Actively seeks out feedback and suggestions and uses them to improve performance. Meets at least weekly with colleagues to plan units, share ideas, and analyze interim assessments. Actively reaches out for new ideas and engages in professional development with colleagues to figure out what works best. Informs the administration of any concerns and reaches out for help and suggestions when needed.
Stewardship: Uphold the ideal of being crew, not passengers, by supporting each other in reaching shared goals. Act as a teacher and role model, modeling and implementing EL Education design principles and core practices. Advance the educational mission of the school by participating in duties and responsibilities consistent with building, upholding and promoting a strong Codman community. Actively value and solicit feedback in order to improve performance. Share responsibility for management and supervision of additional daily duties, including but not limited to breakfast, lunch, recess, crew, club, work block, and office hours. Ensure schedules include a 30-minute lunch break per day, 4 hours of prep time per week (Monday through Thursday), and 30 minutes of co-planning time with inclusion associate per week (Fridays).