Middle School English Teacher

The Quarry Lane School seeks to attract teachers who are experts in their field, love working with children, and who, through their teaching, inspire students to reach their highest potential. Teachers must create a rich learning environment within and beyond the classroom, so that students can find their places in the world today. Our teachers, like the students, also care about the community, as well as fostering the values that contribute to a successful and happy life.

The Quarry Lane School is a coeducational, non-sectarian, college preparatory school serving preschool through grade 12, which supports a diverse faculty and student body. Our mission is to create an atmosphere that inspires a lifelong love of learning so that each student can reach his or her fullest potential-emotionally, socially, academically, and physically-in order to assume responsibility as a future citizen of the world.

Position Summary

To plan, organize and implement an appropriate instructional program in a learning environment that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential.

The English Department places a strong emphasis on encouraging students to develop intercultural understanding, open-mindedness, and the attitudes necessary for them to respect and evaluate a range of points of view. A suitable candidate must be keen to join a developing department with a modern, constructivist, inquiry-based and personalized approach to learning that inspires and engages students. In line with this, we would expect you to have experience with, or an interest in, concept-driven, inquiry-based curricula and be able to speak passionately about the impact on student engagement and learning.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Fosters a lifelong interest in and enjoyment of language and literature.

Has a firm grasp of knowledge of subject and content-related pedagogy; such knowledge should be apparent to the students and to a classroom observer.

Understands the importance of vertical alignment and collaborative planning.

Creates long, medium, and short-term lesson plans to carry out the curriculum in thoughtful and engaging ways, while following the given curriculum for the courses taught.

Assesses students efficiently so that they can receive helpful and timely feedback.

Provides a safe environment in which discussion may be facilitated.

Engages with a range of texts, in a variety of media and forms, from different periods, styles, and cultures.

Engages with sensitive topics —whether receptively or productively—with every reasonable effort to encourage students to respond with respect for their peers and larger learning communities.

Develops skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, presenting, and performing

Develops skills in interpretation, analysis, and evaluation.

Develops sensitivity to the formal and aesthetic qualities of texts and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses and open multiple meanings.

Develops an understanding of relationships between texts and a variety of perspectives, cultural contexts, and local and global issues, and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses and open multiple meanings.

Develops an understanding of the relationships between studies in language and literature and other disciplines.

Carries out all duties associated with teaching the classes on a teacher’s given schedule. This may include advisory and other duties as needed.

Maintains respectful and cooperative interactions with students, parents, teachers, co- workers, and administrators.

Creates a classroom environment of respect and maintains a classroom environment where the social and emotional welfare of the students are protected to the best of a teacher’s abilities.

Is available to provide students extra help outside of class times for the teacher’s given grade level – Office Hours

Keeps administration informed of students who are falling behind in classes, as well as students with larger academic, social, or emotional concerns.

Maintains open lines of communications with the parent body and promptly notifies parents when individual student issues arise.

Maintains clear oral and written communication with students regarding expectations, grades, and behavior.

Is timely in communications with parents, students, administrators, and co-workers.

Is punctual and has a consistent and good attendance record.

Consistently meets deadlines; such deadlines include but are not limited to those pertaining to submission of grades, progress reports, and comments.

Attends meetings, which includes but is not limited, to weekly Wednesday staff meetings after school.

Participates in school functions that extend beyond normal school hours which are necessary for the welfare of the school. Such functions include but are not limited to Back-to-School Night, Parent-Teacher Conferences, Open House, etc.

Carries out supervisory duties as directed by administration.

Maintains a positive attitude

Must be a self-directed learner. Be informed about current pedagogical principles and best practices in teaching.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

Bachelor’s Degree or higher.

Ability to walk easily within the classroom to effectively work with and address student needs.

3 – 5 years classroom experience teaching English with Middle and/or High School Students.