| POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: HISTORY TEACHER Saint Ann’s School, an independent, non-sectarian day school enrolling 1085 students in pre-kindergarten through high school, seeks the rare combination of a passionate teacher and learned history scholar who is thrilled to share that passion with students ranging from grades 4-12, and who is excited to teach in a flexible, creative environment. ABOUT SAINT ANN’S SCHOOL Since its founding in 1965, Saint Ann’s has embraced a commitment to education for its own sake, oriented to the capacities of each individual student, free of the encumbrances of formal grading, prizes, and rankings. At the same time, we are unabashedly committed to excellence in all that we do. The lives of our graduates speak powerfully to the potential of an education based on these principles to ignite a passion for learning and to sustain creative energy in every field of endeavor. We accomplish this by offering talented students instruction shaped by creative and dedicated faculty, forming a true community of learners from pre-Kindergarten through high school. With a faculty and staff numbering more than 300, and 1090 students, and occupying space in seven separate buildings clustered in Brooklyn Heights, Saint Ann’s draws most of its students from nearby Brooklyn neighborhoods as well as Manhattan. Known for its commitment to an education that brings together passionate and talented teachers with gifted and motivated students, Saint Ann’s has earned an outstanding reputation in academic disciplines and the arts. Our accomplished teachers bring to the classroom experience as published authors and scholars, working artists, composers, performers and filmmakers. RESPONSIBILITIES Teachers at Saint Ann’s must be committed to working with students from a wide variety of backgrounds, meeting the individual needs of students, and investing in the school’s ongoing work around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Academic classes at Saint Ann’s meet four times per week, and teachers teach four classes, generally two high school classes and two middle school classes. Teachers have minimal duties outside of teaching: we do not act as advisors, we do not coach sports (unless we elect to), we do not advise publications (again, unless we elect to). Our expectation is that teachers will spend their non-teaching hours preparing for their classes and pursuing their academic and extra-curricular interests.
We do not give grades. Instead, twice a year, teachers write full-page reports on each student’s progress. Reports are a holistic description of a student’s work over the course of the semester and include anecdotes, descriptions of a child’s progress with a particular skill and the development of their understanding of the subject material. Report writing is intrinsic to how we understand our students, and teachers find it more rewarding and satisfying than giving grades.
History Curriculum Each grade from fourth through tenth follows a general theme or timeframe. Fourth grade is an introduction to history and in fifth grade the focus is on U.S. history. Sixth grade history begins the world history sequence of the next four years with an examination of prehistory and ancient civilizations around the world. By the end of 9th grade, this takes the students well into the 20th century. Tenth grade is a return to U.S. history, in greater depth and with an attention to historiography. Starting in eleventh grade, students can choose from a variety of electives. Recent offerings have included “Childhood in America,” “The History of Midwifery,” “African-American History,” “A History of New York City” and “Democracy and Dictatorship.” Teachers at Saint Ann’s enjoy a great deal of freedom in the classroom. While teachers at some schools team teach and/or teach a set curriculum, at Saint Ann’s, teachers are encouraged to introduce their own scholarly interests to their students within the broad parameters of the curriculum. (For example, a recent fourth grade class used the words of Bertold Brecht as a jumping off point for their examination of monumental architecture such as the Great Wall of China and the oft-overlooked contributions of those who did the actual building of the same.) At the same time, we are a collegial department: faculty members are encouraged to collaborate and should be prepared to work on grade-wide projects, for example, a major term paper in the eighth grade. PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS - Bachelor’s degree
- Experience working with children (this may be teaching, but we also take seriously any job in which a candidate was charged with caring for children)
- Superb planning and organizational skills
- A passion for history (any time or place will do)
- Ability and desire to work with children and adults of diverse backgrounds
- Interest in working with gifted children and children with learning differences
- Desire to investigate and discuss how a history curriculum is (and should be) designed
- Superb writing skills
- Ability to work independently combined with a willingness to respond to feedback
- Ability to listen carefully and respond thoughtfully to children of a variety of ages
- A strong desire to teach both middle and high school students
COMPENSATION A competitive compensation package, commensurate with level of experience, plus benefits. TO APPLY Please submit a resume and cover letter that speaks directly to the school’s mission (more information is available at our website, www.saintannsny.org) to historyposition@saintannsny.org. NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, age, marital status, disability, national or ethnic origin or sexual orientation in carrying on its educational activities or in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid programs, and athletic and other school administered programs. |