Middle School Science teacher, '23-24

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain seeks a full-time Middle School science teacher for the 2023-2024 school year. Working closely with the other members of the seventh-grade and eighth-grade teams and the science department, this educator is responsible for classroom instruction, communication with students and parents, facilitating daily advisory lessons, and remaining current on best practices in adolescent STEAM instruction. Providing hands-on, inquiry-based instruction in the area of science is the primary role. Providing Project-Based Learning and hands-on scientific exploration in the form of labs is a critical component of the program.

The science curriculum is currently taught in a daily, semester-long model (eighth grade is taught fall semester and seventh grade is taught spring semester) to approximately 60 students each semester. The successful candidate is asked to teach at least one elective class based on their background, expertise, and availability in the teaching schedule. Current electives include forensics, aeroSTEM, and citizen science. In addition to teaching STEAM-based classes, the role is expected to serve as a middle school advisor for 12-15 students. The advisor serves as the main point person for families and guides students’ academic, social, and emotional development and success. Comfort with and the ability to connect with Middle School students is required.

This is a full-time, 10-month position that will begin August 1, 2023; however, the successful candidate is required to attend a new faculty onboarding program from July 17-21, 2023. Compensation is based on a variety of factors, including years of experience, professional degrees, licensure, and any specialized training and/or work experience. To estimate your starting pay, use the ADSRM Teacher Pay Calculator at https://www.adsrm.org/about-dawson/employment

Essential Functions:

The essential duties and responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to:

Learning Environment

• Support and value social-emotional learning

• Create a dynamic and engaging classroom environment

• Redirect students by maintaining mutual respect and dignity

• Interact with students by making genuine connections and demonstrating warmth, care, and respect

• Convey high expectations for student achievement through instructional goals and activities, interactions, and classroom environment

• Maintain a learning environment where student voice is encouraged and valued

• Establish effective classroom routines and maximize instructional times

• Involve students in the development of classroom norms

• Create a safe, well-organized classroom environment that reflects student ownership

• Exhibit the philosophy that the process has as much value as the product

• Demonstrate awareness for and responsiveness to student needs and behavior. Employ a relational discipline approach 

Planning and Instruction

• Teach an integrated science and engineering curriculum to seventh and eighth-grade students. The two-year course is taught to each grade level for a semester and includes life, earth/space, and physical science disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. 

• Teach at least one STEAM elective course. Electives include, but may not be limited to, coding, design thinking, engineering, forensics, and robotics. 

• Use high-impact teaching strategies that effectively engage students in modern learning, including Project-Based Learning, inquiry-based experimentation, reading/writing in the content area, public presentation, etc.

• Utilize multiple grouping strategies such as individual, small-group, and whole-class activities

• Ask questions that require higher-order thinking

• Communicate the focus and purpose of lessons with students in written and/or oral form

• Exhibit student work both in the process of development and the final product

• Provide feedback and coaching to students that is timely, specific, realistic, relevant, and encourage goal setting

• Use data to make informed curricular and instructional decisions; modify lessons based on student needs

• Assign meaningful and purposeful homework

• Provide opportunities for the application and transfer of students’ knowledge and skills

• Use technology, especially Canvas, to create student experiences that have transformative impacts on learning (SAMR)

• Design authentic assessments and performance tasks to measure student learning

Professional Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with department and division colleagues to plan curriculum, review student data, and share best instructional best practices

• Critically reflect on teaching and learning

• Embrace cultural competency and commit to ongoing growth in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion 

• Maintain an effective system for recording student progress where outcomes are continually monitored and assessed

• Communicate with families in a professional, positive, caring, and timely way; regularly share student progress and remain responsive to concerns

• Accompany students on occasional off-campus and sometimes multi-day traveling field trips related to the school’s educational Mission

 Qualifications, Education & Experience:

• Minimum of three years of teaching experience

• Experience providing research-based science instruction to adolescents

• Bachelor’s degree in education (ideally, related to science with a focus on middle-level education); master’s degree preferred

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Experience and enjoyment working with students in the intermediate or middle school age group

• Strong awareness of current brain research related to adolescents, social-emotional development, and the use of technology

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employees encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

• The school is open for in-person learning. Employees must follow all COVID-19 protocols, including the option of wearing face coverings, social distancing, regular handwashing, and limiting in-person meetings.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.