MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER

VOICE Charter School (http://www.voicecharterschool.org/) is an elementary and middle school located in Long Island City, Queens that serves about 650 students across grades K-8. We are located just minutes from Manhattan (two stops outside of Manhattan on the F, N, and W train lines) and Long Island City’s growing waterfront district, thriving arts community, and rapid residential growth. We are looking to identify extraordinary educators and administrators committed to urban education who wish to join a dynamic professional learning community.
Our mission is to create a safe and healthy learning environment that will nurture, motivate and challenge all of our children to achieve the highest level of academic excellence and to develop into mindful, responsible, contributing participants in their education, their community and the diverse society in which we live.
What makes VOICE different?
At VOICE, it’s not just about the music. It’s about the people. It’s about what you can be. It’s about using your passion. It’s about relationships. It’s about having the opportunity to choose. It’s about caring enough. It’s about each individual child and adult.
We believe in efficacy. At the core of our academic culture is the idea that all students are capable of doing well in any discipline. At VOICE, all students will learn – being smart is not something that you are, it is something you become. At VOICE, you will be pushed to become more.
We support and develop the effectiveness of our teachers. We believe that teachers need time to collaborate to build their practice, so we provide our team with over two hours of planning time a day as well as additional days for collaborative thought partnership and planning during the school year.
We promote participation in music and the arts. As music and art help develop problem solving and critical thinking skills and open children’s imaginations, all VOICE students participate in and learn from daily activities in the arts including rigorous choral training. We design our arts-integrated curriculum to bring joy and wonder to the lives of our children, providing them with the skills necessary to forge their own path.

All Staff at VOICE:

• Love and nurture all of our students as they become deeply caring and responsible individuals;
• Take personal responsibility and work collaboratively to ensure that all students achieve and grow, understanding that the performance and progress of our students is directly under our control;
• Ask questions and empower students to exercise curiosity and wonder about the world around them;
• Hold themselves to the highest standards;
• Push and support themselves, their students, and their colleagues;
• Proactively seek and incorporate feedback;
• Help each individual child gain the opportunity to choose what his or her future will be.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

Attitude and Focus

• Unwavering humility, patience, and kindness
• Professional demeanor with the ability to influence and facilitate decision-making among multiple, diverse parties
• Perseverance to create clarity while allowing for complexity and nuance
• Openness to work collaboratively to solve problems
• High sense of urgency, demonstrated ability to successfully handle multiple projects concurrently in a fast-paced environment, and ability to be self-directed and take initiative
• Organized and systems driven
• Fastidious and attentive to detail

Skills and Knowledge

• Deep belief in VOICE’s mission, vision, and values
• Basic principles of curriculum design
• Child learning theory and behavioral approaches
• Differentiation strategies (conferencing; small group work); basic understanding of English as a Second Language and Special Education approaches and procedures
• Elements of effective classroom environment and management
• Expertise in literature including literary analysis as well as informational/non-fiction texts.
• Analyzing data using defined but different processes in order to inform student progress
• Ability to adapt to changing work priorities
• Ability to maintain confidentiality; exhibit tact and patience
• Building strong and effective collegial relationships as part of a team, including but not limited to co-teachers and grade teams; be able to effectively manage an assistant
• Building individual relationships with students and maintaining a kind, firm voice and body language
• Building effective sequential long-term lesson plans and mastery-oriented short term lesson plans
• Maintaining high academic expectations through purposeful building of thinking skills, standards-aligned independent practice, questioning and discussion techniques, high standards for language and evidence, and structured support for students
• Communicating effectively and frequently with families
• Reflecting on own practice and implementing action steps; embodying VOICE values in everyday interactions and work products
• Using time efficiently; prioritizing tasks appropriately; meeting deadlines

Educational Background and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required
• New York State teaching certification required. VOICE will consider only candidates that are either (a) already fully certified at time of application, or (b) on track to become fully certified by the first day of employment.
• Significant experience working with and/or teaching children in middle school grades required
• Experience with and interest in working with high needs students preferred
• New York State teaching certification in Middle Childhood Education: Generalist or English preferred

[Please note: All offers of employment are contingent upon the employee meeting all prerequisite job qualifications by the first day of employment.]

The Middle School ELA Teacher provides students in grades 6-8 with a safe and healthy learning environment that will nurture, motivate and challenge all children to achieve the highest level of academic excellence and to develop into mindful, responsible, contributing participants in their education and communities.

Curriculum and Planning

• Learn content and skills as detailed in curriculum support materials (e.g. teacher guides), VOICE framework for teaching, as well as Common Core or other related standards
• Develop purposeful, rigorous, and engaging daily and long-term plans aligned to standards, and regularly revisit these materials
• Submit necessary curriculum documents (e.g. scope and sequence, curriculum maps, lesson plans, reteach plans, intellectual preparation documents) as requested
• Create, administer, and analyze meaningful and frequent assessments from which reteaches are planned
• Maintain the necessary records of student progress toward academic goals; meet deadlines for submitting data to other departments
• Consult with departmental colleagues on curriculum support materials and planning to support intellectual preparation and classroom instruction

In the Classroom

• Maintain a productive, safe, and disciplined learning environment in which classroom values, teaching points, process charts, and student work are clearly displayed
• Maximize instruction time by keeping the flow of classroom activities moving smoothly and efficiently throughout the day
• Uphold all school policies and middle school specific policies (including but not limited to: student attendance, reporting of absence and lateness within a period, independent student transitions, assigned seats) within the classroom
• Infuse VOICE values, rigor, and joy into lessons
• Integrate feedback and goal-setting into lesson delivery
• Provide the differentiation and accommodations needed for the growth and success of all students; go above and beyond to ensure that all students are meeting appropriate standards
• Model strong written and verbal skills
• Invest time in knowing students and demonstrate an active interest in their well-being; use kind, firm body language to convey authority and care
• Review and comply with guidelines of students’ IEPs, follow IDEA reporting requirements, and provide information about student performance and services received

Communication and Collaboration

• Fully embrace VOICE’s mission and values and promote them to students, parents, and colleagues
• Collaborate as part of an interdisciplinary team, across grade bands, and across departments, coordinating all instructional activities with teachers, assistants, and instructional leaders; collaborate with other staff to envision and execute projects
• Collaborate with colleagues to develop systems for student accountability and academic ownership
• Consult with events department to develop experiences for middle school students
• Serve as Advisory Leader for students in grade 7-8
• Proactively seek assistance or advice when faced with challenging teaching situations;
• Maintain positive relationships with and support the learning of all staff members
• Appropriately give and receive feedback to/from students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration
• Keep families well-informed of student performance and progress
• Provide feedback and guidance to classroom assistants

Professionalism and Work Day Expectations

• Fully participate in all school and grade-level meetings, designated school functions outside of school hours, and opportunities for individual and school-wide professional development
• Meet expectations including punctuality and professionalism in conversation and in writing; consistently meet deadlines and communicate frequently and appropriately on progress on projects and goals.
• Reflect on professional practice through self-analysis and engagement in informal and formal feedback processes