| Position Overview Graland Country Day School is seeking a middle school literacy learning specialist to work closely with students in grades 5-8. The candidate should be an experienced teacher who understands school environments and the unique needs of middle school students. The ideal candidate thrives when working collaboratively and is skilled at working with students, faculty, and families. Reports to: Head of Middle School Status: Full-time, school year Position Description Literacy learning specialists support Graland’s pursuit of intellectual excellence by working in partnership with students, teachers, parents, and administrators to identify and address learning differences that are impeding student progress in English and history. As coaches and consultants, literacy learning specialists provide alternative methods and strategies to better differentiate curricular delivery and assist teachers in identifying and addressing the nature of non-responsiveness to generally effective instruction. This practice is guided by the Response to Intervention Model. Literacy learning specialists accomplish the above as they: - Serve as a student’s advocate/case manager by closely monitoring their progress
- Review and summarize psycho-educational evaluations, creating support plans based on the findings and recommendations provided, and ensuring parent communication and protocol development
- Participate in formal and informal parent-teacher conferences as well as weekly teacher, grade-level, and administrator meetings
- Provide direct academic support to students and/or small groups of students in the classroom and out
- Assist with test administrations, including standardized tests, to students receiving accommodations
- Write report card comments, in some situations, for students who receive ongoing instruction from learning specialists
- Administer and analyze the results of curriculum-based measurements and standardized testing in order to drive instruction
- Recommend outside testing when school interventions have not produced desired outcomes
- Collaborate with the Student Support Team, using a growth mindset
- Engage in professional development to further enhance knowledge of learning differences, differentiation and strategies for problem-solving, intervention, remediation and/or enrichment
About Graland’s Middle School Teaching in the middle school at Graland is a multi-faceted experience. We start with the fundamental belief that teaching middle school students is about building relationships. From here, teachers are responsible for fostering in students a love of learning and the development of skills necessary to be successful. Math, English, science, and history teachers teach one grade level and form that grade's MESH team, whose charge is to create continuity in students' experiences, including developing central themes and interdisciplinary units, common expectations for student work and behavior, to integrate technology, and to manage students' academic and social well being. The MESH team members also serve as advisors within their respective grade levels. World Language and Visual and Performing Arts teachers work with a range of grade levels and serve on departmental teams. They may serve as advisors as well. The middle school experience at Graland calls for teachers to recognize that working with this age group requires a variety of roles, including coaching sports or an innovation team in the Gates lab, and a high level of energy and enthusiasm from its staff. |