Details
Posted: 09-Jan-23
Location: New York, New York
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Other
Special Needs
Required Education:
4 Year Degree
Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary, the oldest continually operating coeducational, independent Quaker school in New York City, seeks applications for a Middle School Learning Specialist. The candidate hired will join the Middle School faculty and will report to the Head of Middle School. They will be responsible for collaborating with faculty and staff to teach in support of the School’s mission, curricular goals and students. The ideal candidate possesses creative problem-solving skills, a sense of humor, enthusiasm for innovative curriculum, a positive attitude toward growth, and strong interpersonal skills that allow one to cooperate and collaborate effectively with others.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Support students 1:1 and in small group settings based on learning differences and needs
- Provide training and support to classroom teachers in their efforts to differentiate curriculum
- Collaborate with the School Psychologist and the Head of Middle School to implement systems, routines and expectations for providing accommodations and supports to students
- Lead, with division head, child study meetings utilizing a framework / structure which is effective, collaborative, goal oriented and avoids labeling of students
- Maintain open and frequent lines of communication with teachers in regards to the performance and needs of students on the Learning Specialist’s caseload
- Maintain open and frequent lines of communication with parents in regards to the performance and needs of students
- Plan and implement motivating lessons for students enrolled in Academic Workshop which reflect knowledge of curriculum, students’ interests and abilities, students’ social and emotional needs
- Prepare student reports which include narrative descriptions of students' achievements and needs
- Demonstrate a passion for lifelong learning on a daily basis for both students and colleagues
- Actively pursue professional development rooted in individual and school-wide goals
- Collaborate with colleagues, across and within disciplines and divisions, with respect to further develop curriculum and design interdisciplinary projects/units of study, content, pedagogy, use of appropriate technology resources, and the social and emotional needs of middle school students
- Participate in the school community, including faculty and committee work, and school duties, which may include running an advisory group in the Middle School
- Actively engage in anti-bias and equity work, understanding both culturally responsive pedagogy and the social justice dimensions of education
- Communicate respectfully with families and demonstrate sensitivity to cultures, values, configurations and beliefs
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Knowledge of child development, best practices and current trends in students with learning differences
- Experience in supporting students with challenges in executive functioning and organization
- Demonstrated classroom management skills, including allocating time, space, and materials for most effective learning
- Familiarity with and experience in reading, digesting and summarizing neuro-psychological testing
- Ability to collaborate with outside service and support providers
- Experience in differentiated instruction
- Creativity and innovation in both curriculum and instruction
- Versatility and flexibility both within and outside of the classroom, encouraging students to think creatively, work collaboratively, embrace failure, and communicate effectively with others
- Outstanding interpersonal, organizational and communication skills
- Comfort and experience with educational technology including Canvas, Google Suite apps and other digital learning platforms
- Skill in creating a learning environment that is challenging, motivating and developmentally appropriate
Required Experience
- 3+ years of experience preferred
Required Education
- Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field required; Master’s Degree preferred
- Training and experience with Orton, Wilson and Hochman preferred
Compensation
Annual salary range for 2022-2023 based on years of teaching experience and level of degrees earned: $76,050 - $155,000
Benefits
Friends Seminary offers excellent benefits including paid time off, health, dental, vision, 403(b) with a School-paid match; wide-ranging opportunities for professional development, including tuition support and summer grants; and a talented and dedicated team of teaching colleagues and supportive administrators. Successful candidates will join a dynamic and forward-thinking teaching community of over 150 educators.
To apply:
For this position, please submit the following:
- Completed Friends Seminary employment application
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Contact information for three to five personal references
- A statement of educational philosophy
When submitting your materials, kindly be sure to reference your first and last name, the position for which you are applying, and where you heard about the position in the subject line. i.e. [last name], [first name] - Middle School Learning Specialist - ABC Recruiting. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit your application. No phone calls, please.
Submit all materials to: jobs@friendsseminary.org
Friends Seminary reserves the right to require all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as current and future health and safety guidelines are adopted by the School. All employees will be required to be tested for COVID-19 as the School deems necessary to protect our community and those around us.
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of color and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. We urge all applicants to identify and express their individuality and the ways in which they might enrich and diversify the school community.
Moreover, all successful applicants, whether for a faculty or administrative staff post, must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in their professional lives. Applicants for a faculty position should highlight ways their curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom culture may advance these goals. Applicants for an administrative staff position should highlight ways they seek to promote these goals in their office work, programming, or operational endeavors.
About Friends Seminary
Friends Seminary educates students from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade, adhering to the values of the Religious Society of Friends. We strive to build a diverse school where students exercise their curiosity and imagination as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the practices of keen observation, unhurried reflection, critical thinking, and coherent expression, we listen for the single voice as we seek unity. The disciplines of silence, study, and service provide the matrix for growth: silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education is rooted in the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. Guided by the testimonies of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, we prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.
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