Elementary Teacher

POSITION TITLE: Classroom TeacherREPORTS TO: Executive Director
PRIMARY FUNCTION:Teachers work with colleagues and other staff to design, implement, and support theeducational program of Palouse Prairie School in a manner that is true to the principles of ELEducation the mission and vision of the school.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Curriculum: Design, develop, document, and evaluate two semester-long learning expeditions as well as literacy and math curricula each year. Utilize Core State Standards for literacy and mathematics as well as Idaho/National Standards for science and social studies through projects, products, and guiding questions; Craft expeditions around compelling topics that are rich in content. Topics are linked to projects that motivate students to become experts, to understand the big ideas in their respective content area, and to develop strong inquiry skills. Use guiding questions to drive inquiry within the expedition and include the use of fieldwork, experts, and service. Plan Case Studies to animate the major concepts of a discipline or broad topic through concrete -often local- studies of subtopics within the discipline. Design Projects & Products – skills-rich projects that result in high quality products or performances for audiences beyond the classroom are designed to motivate and demonstrate student understanding of expedition content and skills. Fully document expeditions and other learning experiences for future use, including clear alignment to standards, learning targets, and assessment.
Instruction: Deliver lessons that have explicit purpose and are guided by learning targets for which students take ownership and responsibility. Clearly articulate specific learning goals in student friendly language, employ strategies to scaffold learning so that all students make progress, and regularly check the understanding of each student through formative and summative assessment strategies. Differentiate Instruction – Proactively plan to meet students’ varied needs based upon ongoing assessment. Create a culture of reading – including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and an array of comprehension strategies. Mathematics – rigor and integrity in discrete math classes, also integrated into projects, case studies, and expeditions whenever possible. Instruction should focus on foundational facts that are grounded in conceptual understanding. Create multiple opportunities for students to engage in complex, problem based activities, labs, and investigations, and to represent and analyze data. Emphasize the enduring themes or big ideas of social studies, often focusing on engaging social issues, cultural diversity, and social justice.
Assessment: Embrace the power of student-engaged assessment practices to build student ownership of learning, focus students on reading standards-based learning targets, and drive achievement.
Culture and Character: Incorporate structures and traditions such as C.R.E.W. community meetings, exhibitions of student work, and service learning to ensure that every student is known and cared for, that student leadership is nurtured, and that contributions to the school and world are celebrated.
Professionalism & School Leadership: Participate in a strong professional culture that is sustained via collective leadership and action.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:Supervises students and classroom aids, paraprofessionals, or volunteers.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:Bachelor’s degree in Education, current Idaho Teaching Certificate.
Preferable: Master’s degree in Education or related field
Must pass a criminal background check
EVALUATION:Performance of this job shall be evaluated annually in accordance with provisions of the board’s policy on evaluation of certified personnel.
Compensation: Based on experience and education
Employment type: full-timePlease send resume (including 3 references) and cover letter to Sara Beggs, sbeggs@palouseprairieschool.org. Please put classroom teaching position in the subject line.