Town School for Boys

Director of Outdoor Studies (full-time)

www.townschool.com

Since 1939, San Francisco’s Town School for Boys has had a rich history as a school specializing in teaching boys. The school is also known for the Town School New Teacher Institute and its commitment to training teachers new to their craft. The school’s goals include teaching boys to be good citizens, to enjoy their childhood, to develop a positive sense of self, to give back to their greater community, and to develop academic and intellectual skills which will serve them well through their lifetimes. The school prizes its growing diversity of background, religion, and race, as well as the diversity of interests which is so noteworthy in its student and alumni bodies. Located in San Francisco, Town School for Boys is a K-8 independent day school. Since its founding, Town School has been committed to providing the best possible education for boys and is recognized as one of California's leading independent elementary schools.

Position Description:

Town School for Boys is seeking a collaborative and experienced educator to mentor our students into a deep connection with the natural world. This role as the Director of Outdoor Studies for the 2020-21 school year represents a new and unique opportunity. Our specialized program blends the strength of relational education and place-based learning with the academic excellence of the Town School education. As we extend our classrooms from the building into the heart of the Presidio forest we elevate the curriculum. Environmental stewardship, storytelling, communication, and leadership bring new dimensions to our already rich learning environments. This program will create a safe and healthy classroom outside in the Presidio forest with strong threads of connection woven into the curriculum back at school. 

We honor the time it takes for children to build a relationship with nature and each other. We hope our Town boys will come to see themselves as part of the natural world rather than separate from it. In supporting and mentoring this relationship with nature we hope to cultivate the seeds of stewardship in our future Town School graduates. The Director and additional field Instructors (to be hired) will help students gain confidence, experience, and appreciation for the outdoors through core routines and experiences such as hiking, stewardship projects, orienteering, stream ecology, forest ecology, geology, and survival skills. 

We are looking for an outdoor leader who is enthusiastic, collaborative, and interested in mentoring children and youth through a connection with the natural world. This individual should be open to working with the Town School faculty to connect this outdoor classroom to the curriculum at school. We are looking for a passionate teacher who is flexible and inspired by working in nature with children, rain, or shine. 

To be successful as the Director of Outdoor Studies, you should have an insightful understanding of effective teaching methods for different needs and aptitudes. The candidate should have excellent listening and observational skills, as well as an empathetic mindset. The ideal candidate should want to work with a team collaboratively on everyday department needs and share collective and individual goals for the students, teachers, and school.

Specific responsibilities 

• Co-design the program curriculum and daily schedule. 
• Lead a team of outdoors educators to create meaningful and joyous learning in accordance with our school’s mission and values. 
• Partner with grade-specific faculty to design direct curricular links between the outdoors program and their other classes such as math, reading, social studies, STEM and art. 
• Facilitate curriculum design and initiatives around leadership, communication, environmental stewardship, teamwork, creative problem-solving, and other subjects.
• Maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment for students and their teachers. 
• Prepare and deliver hands-on, experiential, and inquiry-based lessons in an outdoor setting for boys in grades K-8. (the schedule will rotate by day in multi-week terms)
• Implement and model excellent risk management strategies and administer first aid as needed.
• Teach and lead groups of students in the outdoors, in varying weather conditions, and on uneven terrain.
• Prepare materials for daily lessons and activities, including morning setup and afternoon cleanup. 
• Attend full faculty meetings throughout the school year on a weekly basis and meet with administrative leadership as needed. 
• The ideal start date for this job is this summer in order to design curriculum and plan. 

Desired Qualifications and Skills 

• Experience teaching and working in the outdoors
• Specialized outdoors training, Master’s Degree in Teaching, Education, Science, Agriculture or equivalent experience
• Ability to partner and work in a collaborative team environment 
• Experience directly serving a diverse range of children across grades K-8
• The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to developing and implementing innovative approaches to learning, such as using project-based learning, inquiry, and teaching for understanding/understanding by design.
• Computer and Technical skills as required for job performance and to enhance the learning experiences of staff and students; strong Google suite skills are recommended 
• Strong ability to organize and execute multiple short and long term priorities 
• Ability to effectively plan, prioritize and manage time effectively
• Flexibility and a willingness to learn
• Detailed-oriented with strong follow-through
• Current Wilderness First Responder Certification; minimum of Wilderness First Aid & CPR/AED certification (Required)
• Effective communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
• Positive attitude, determination, and unassailable work ethic
• Ability to confidently lead groups in a remote outdoor setting
• Cultural competency is an expectation of this candidate and includes integration of diversity and global awareness into the curriculum.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written) 
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and learning
• Commitment to the school’s mission, values, and vision 
• Some physical requirements of this position could be endurance including prolonged standing, some bending, stooping, walking long distances, hiking, climbing, and stretching; requires eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity to manipulate outdoor equipment and program activities; requires a normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare, and communicate appropriate student activities/programs and the ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

Town School for Boys Mission

At Town School learning is prized, love of school is essential, and boyhood is celebrated.

Philosophy

As an all boys’ school, Town provides a rich, challenging, and rigorous educational experience that addresses the distinctive energy levels and developmental styles of boys. Town values being a diverse community that nurtures integrity, sensitivity, and respect in its boys, and prepares them to become productive and contributing members of an ever-changing world.

Core Values

Respect: We respect ourselves and others.

• We treat others the way they want to be treated.
• We practice good listening, compassion, and empathy.

Curiosity: We are curious.

• We ask questions, think critically, and solve problems.
• We seek opportunities to reach our highest potential.

Belonging: We all belong.

• We embrace and celebrate each of our unique stories and experiences.
• We seek to ensure that every member of our community feels an equal sense of inclusion. 

Integrity: We act with integrity.

• We have the courage to do the right thing even when nobody else is watching.
• We always try our best and when we fail, we try again.

Joy: We are joyful.

• We make space for play, fun, and laughter.
• We know joy can be found in hard work, risk-taking, and perseverance.

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Our goal is for each boy to be engaged in an environment that weaves together collaboration, critical thinking, integrity, empathy, and creativity. These broad skills, as well as a firm grounding in core academic competencies, offer boys an excellent preparation for their further education. We promote social and emotional learning as a foundation of academic excellence and self-discovery. We prepare students to meet challenges in the world by helping them develop an appreciation for a variety of perspectives from the local to the global. We celebrate diversity by fostering a community of learners built on mutual respect. Learning experiences are inclusive, relevant, flexible, innovative, and adapted to reflect the needs of all kinds of learners. In our joyful, active, and collaborative school, boys flourish.

We achieve these goals through an authentic curriculum that originates in the classroom, travels through the halls, and extends into the world. Our teaching balances traditional methods with key student-centered approaches including inquiry, project-based learning, and teaching for understanding. We stay relevant and current through our testing of innovative, research-based approaches. We model a commitment to lifelong learning, and we hone our craft by pursuing professional development and sharing knowledge with one another.

Statement on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity:

Diversity, inclusion, and equity are essential core values of Town School. The best education for our students requires a diverse experience because a broad spectrum of ideas is essential for understanding different perspectives, challenging assumptions, and inspiring curiosity, to support critical and complex thinking.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment where each boy is free to be himself, and where boys are confident and secure in their own identities. We equip each boy with the tools to explore differences in experiences, backgrounds, beliefs, and ideas. We seek to provide each student with the support and resources he needs to succeed and thrive at Town School. 

A diverse and vibrant community is essential. To build and sustain such a community, we reach out to enroll students and families from a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures, races, religions, and sexual orientations, and we recruit and retain faculty, staff, and administrators from the same broad range of backgrounds. We cultivate an environment where every member of the Town community senses they matter as a significant part of the life of the school. Only when each person feels valued and is engaged may the school and the individual achieve their full potential.

Non-Discrimination Policy: 

Town School for Boys admits students of any race, color, religion, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.

Salary and benefits are commensurate with our peer schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and with like NAIS schools. 

Apply for this position HERE.