Career Center

North Country School is a junior boarding/day school for grades 4-9 located on a 220-acre campus in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Park in Lake Placid, New York. North Country School gives children a humanistic education rooted in respect and responsibility for self and others. Central to our academic program is a hands-on, place-based approach founded on the progressive tradition of John Dewey. 

North Country School is seeking a dynamic and highly collaborative middle school Spanish teacher for the fall of 2022. The successful candidate will join a community of dedicated, compassionate, energetic, and experienced faculty who are committed to building a joyful, inclusive, and respectful learning community. This teacher will be responsible for teaching middle school Spanish courses as well as living in a house and serving as a houseparent. A candidate must also demonstrate excellent communication and collaboration skills, creativity, and a high degree of self-direction and flexibility.

Major Responsibilities    

1) Student Relationships

• Creating an inclusive, welcoming, learning-motivated classroom environment where students' voices are celebrated.
• Be attuned to the specific learning needs and social and emotional development of each student.
• Serve as a houseparent in a house of 8-12 students; provide instruction in health, wellness, and character education while coaching, mentoring, and counseling.
• Provide academic support for students outside of class time (answering homework questions, providing extra writing help, etc.), as needed.

2) Learning  

• Facilitate age-appropriate exploratory, investigative, and challenging instruction.
• Plan instruction that inspires enthusiasm, confidence, and a deep understanding of Spanish.
• Create learning experiences by incorporating a range of instruction modalities.
• Assess understanding using a variety of formative and summative assessments.
• Utilize assessment feedback to adjust instruction and continuously improve student learning.
• Use technology creatively and effectively in a one-to-one laptop environment.
• Attend and collaborate in the organization of annual overnight educational trips.
• Actively pursue student-centered professional learning opportunities aligned with school goals and initiatives.

3) Community

• Active collaboration with other middle school teachers, educators, and specialist teachers to develop curriculum, plan trips, interdisciplinary learning opportunities, and special projects.
• Communicate regularly with parents regarding curriculum, student progress, and course placements.
• Be a positive and contributing member of the school community.
• Supervise students in other roles such as recess, lunch, field trips, etc. 
• Participate actively in department, grade-level team, and faculty meetings as scheduled.
• Pursue relevant opportunities for professional growth and development.

The ideal candidate will have:

• previous experience teaching Spanish at the elementary,  middle school, or high school level
• a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish or a closely-related field (Master’s degree is preferred)
• a passion for interacting with middle level students in and outside of the classroom
• partake in community work with students and engage with students in outdoor trips like rock climbing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, overnight hiking and camping, and many other activities that support our co-curricular focus on experiential learning. 
• satisfactorily completed a nationwide criminal background check.

Interested candidates should email a resume, cover letter, and references to employment@northcountryschool.org.  Interviews including demonstration lessons  will take place until the position is filled.