MIDDLE SCHOOL CIVIC STUDIES TEACHER (INTERIM)

What matters to you as an educator? 

• Having the time and space to build strong relationships with each student?
• Working in a professional culture designed to give teachers and teaching teams the agency that drives effective, culturally responsive instruction?
• Joining a school where civic engagement – equipping students with the academic and social-emotional skills and understanding required to create positive change – is at the heart of the educational program?

At TBS, we do the work required to create a dynamic, inclusive professional and school community where all people who believe these things matter can thrive. If you are one of these people, read on!

The Civic Studies teacher advances The Berkeley School’s mission and vision by developing and teaching a 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Civics Studies course that supports well-defined student learning outcomes.

This is the job for you if…

• you appreciate, understand, and care about middle school students. We believe that all students deserve to feel seen, supported and known – especially middle schoolers! – and we strive to be the “warm demanders” that they need to take risks, make mistakes, learn, and grow.
• you’re knowledgeable, passionate, and curious about the ways that humans create, adapt, define, and disrupt civic structures to achieve shared outcomes – and you can connect these big ideas to the everyday experiences of early adolescents who both crave and worry about change. You know that middle schoolers love to look beyond themselves and you enjoy finding ways to bridge the gap between their lived experiences and big ideas.
• you enjoy creating a curriculum that aligns with clearly defined learning outcomes, equity and justice standards, student interests, and current events. You enjoy teaching about the past, present, and future, and look for emergent opportunities that amplify your core curricular structure.
• you see collaboration with colleagues as essential to your professional growth and fulfillment. You enjoy the autonomy of developing and teaching your own curriculum but you can’t imagine doing it in isolation from other educators, since all of you are working towards a shared purpose.

Details

• Compensation ranges between $34-$36 per hour, commensurate with experience;
• Part-time at 18-25 hours per week for the remainder of the current academic year with possibility of continuing into the 2023-2024 academic year.

Job benefits include…. 

• Positive, diverse, and dynamic environment of caring, curious, and committed colleagues;
• Structures and budget to support professional and personal development (we invest in learning/growth!);
• Professional culture that supports everyone in maintaining balance, self-care, and community care;
• Student support structures (including small class sizes and academic and social-emotional learning specialists) that promote strong relationships between teachers and students.

Minimum Qualifications 

Bachelor’s degree

Preferred Qualifications 

• 3+ years of classroom teaching  experience;
• Ability to create and follow lesson plans according to an overarching curriculum as determined by and with the Director of Teaching and Learning;
• Experience, enthusiasm and ability to engage with middle school students in the classroom;
• Understanding of early adolescent development and different learning styles;
• Deep understanding of differentiation practices and familiarity with implementing common accommodations for learning differences;
• Confidence and proficiency in giving classroom instruction as well as both formative and cumulative assessment, including collaboration with Director of Teaching and Learning on progress reports;
• Well-developed equity literacy skills and competence regarding identity and inclusion, with a commitment to culturally responsive and anti-bias practices in the classroom and in curriculum development;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team with a high level of personal and professional integrity;
• Proactive, clear communication skills with students, families, and colleagues;
  Strong technology skills and familiarity with Google Classroom;
• Bilingual (English, Spanish) added plus.

A little more about TBS… 

Located directly across the bay from San Francisco in a city known internationally for its history of activism, thought leadership, and community-based change, The Berkeley School has been educating East Bay children since 1963. The school’s mission – ignite curious minds, awaken generous hearts, engage a changing world – reflects its founding as a Montessori school and informs its unique, civic-engagement-based educational vision.

TBS teachers and students come together on two beautiful campuses whose connection to local neighborhoods and proximity to public transportation and the University of California campus makes the cultural, educational, and natural resources of Berkeley and the greater Bay Area an integral part of the school’s educational program.

TBS students develop excellent academic and life skills in learning communities that build agency, rooted in two core beliefs: we are interdependent and what we do matters. TBS teachers lead that development by building relationships with and among students, creating culturally responsive learning environments that help students feel seen, supported, and known, and developing curricula and experiences that provide the joyful rigor necessary to help children reach their full potential as scholars, community members, and human beings.

We are committed to human-centered principles that promote effective, inclusive operating practices. We also value the skills, knowledge and experiences that a diverse workforce brings to our school. We are a community of lifelong learners who value social justice and actively participate in civic engagement, and we believe that affirming the cultural histories and identities of all community members is vital to each student’s learning and to our school’s success. If you see this approach as critical to meaningful education, we urge you to apply!

What’s next?

If you’re interested in applying, please submit a cover letter describing your interest in the position and the ways that your professional and personal values and expertise align with our school’s mission and vision, your resumé, and a list of three references to our hiring committee at mscivics@theberkeleyschool.org. The start date for this position is March of 2023 and ends in June of 2023.

The Berkeley School is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at The Berkeley School are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, age, disability, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, religion, and genetic information. Candidates of color, bilingual candidates, and candidates from other groups traditionally underrepresented in independent schools are encouraged to apply.

Tagged as: Middle School