Science Teacher, Grade 6 (One Year Long-Term Sub)

Carlisle Public Schools is seeking a dynamic and passionate Middle School Science Teacher to join our dedicated team of educators in grade 6. This is a one-year, full-time (1.0 FTE) teaching position at Carlisle Middle School for the 2025-2026 school year. The ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment and the skillful ability to engage and inspire middle school students in their journey to becoming effective communicators and critical thinkers. Applicants must have a comprehensive understanding of middle school science curriculum and early adolescent development, and the ability to inspire and educate middle school students to achieve academic excellence. Primary Job Responsibilities Teaching and Learning •Create a positive and inclusive classroom atmosphere that encourages student participation, collaboration, and scientific inquiry by implementing a “learning-by-doing” approach that engages students as active learners and makes science come alive in ways that research has shown best supports the broad range of learners. •Facilitate student-centered investigation of questions relevant to their own daily lives by conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing data, developing and using models to explain phenomena, and engaging in evidence-based discussions. •Assess students’ understanding regularly with appropriate learning goals in mind, taking ownership of making necessary modifications to align with the requirements of IEPs and 504s. •Scaffold and differentiate instruction to support all students in complex thinking, rigorous academic work, and active participation, and implement the Carlisle Public School’s vision, mission, and Portrait of a Graduate. •Build a productive learning environment where every student participates and is valued as part of the class community. •Create cognitively demanding tasks and model the belief that all students can master challenging material through effective effort. Curriculum, Assessment, and Feedback •Design and implement a comprehensive Science curriculum for grade 6 students that aligns with the Science Curriculum Frameworks from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, using core units of the IQWST curriculum. •Regularly assess student progress using a variety of assessment tools and cater to all ability levels for early adolescent students by differentiating instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners. •Provide timely and constructive feedback to students, and collaborate with colleagues to analyze assessment data for continuous improvement. •Teach engaging lesson plans, specifically focusing on Earth, Life, and Physical sciences that include concepts of exploratory learning and hands-on learning specifically: -Physical Science Unit: Can I Believe My Eyes? Students investigate light waves and their interaction with matter. Through activities and modeling, students study how light moves through space, what happens when it meets matter, how eyes detect light, how colors of light can be perceived, and that some light is non-visible. Students learn the crosscutting concept that light can make things happen. -Chemistry Unit: How Can I Smell Things from a Distance? Investigating the phenomenon of smelling odors, students learn about matter, properties, and phase changes. Students’ model of matter, which is represented both as a drawing and a written explanation, represents a conceptual understanding that “all matter is made of particles in constant motion.” -Life Science Unit: Where Have All the Creatures Gone? This ecosystem unit focuses on organisms’ needs for survival and what happens when those needs are not met. Students learn why food is important, what structures different organisms have in order to eat and reproduce, what the possible relationships are between organisms (e.g. competition, predator/prey, producer/consumer), and what abiotic factors affect ecosystems. -Earth Science Unit: How Does Water Shape Our World? Students learn where water can be found on, above, and below the Earth’s surface. They learn how water moves, how rocks are formed, and the properties of different types of rock. Finally, they examine the effects of water on the land by investigating weathering, erosion, and deposition. To do so, students build their understanding of energy and the particle nature of matter as both apply in the study of Earth science. Collaboration, Parent, & Community Engagement •Establish open and effective communication with parents/guardians to keep them informed about student progress and classroom activities. •Actively participate in parent-teacher conferences and other related school events for the wider parent community. •Collaborate with members of the Science Department and our Special Education Department and wider CPS faculty (K-8) to support student learning and growth using shared lesson materials and assessments. •Actively engage in ongoing professional development to stay current with best practices in education. •Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement within the Science department and among the middle school faculty and CPS district as a whole. Qualifications •Bachelor's degree, or higher, in Middle School Education preferred, or Science, or a related field (Master's degree preferred). •Valid Massachusetts teaching license in grade 6 science. •Strong background knowledge of science. •Ability and desire to work collaboratively with colleagues and parents.