Career Center

Job Summary

Reporting to the Primary School Principal and the Primary School Assistant Principals, the Primary School Spanish as an Additional Language (SAL) Teacher is responsible for teaching students who are new to the Spanish language how to speak, read, write and understand Spanish in a language-rich, inquiry based environment through a push in and pull out support model. The Primary School Spanish as an Additional Language (SAL) Teacher is responsible for providing small group support for all students in grades 1-5.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Contribute to the WIS Mission and Values.
2. Contribute to a climate of respect and understanding amongst faculty and staff, students, and parents.
3. Assess students for entry and exit within the SAL program and conduct ongoing assessment to inform individual instruction.
4. Identify students who need support through teacher recommendations, classroom observations and assessments.
5. Work with students who are at the earliest stages of literacy in Spanish - including oral, written and listening skills.
6. Plan for individualized and small group instruction in order to adapt the grade level curriculum to the learning needs of each student.
7. Develop or adapt materials to support SAL students within the classroom and in coordination with the classroom teacher.
8. With the classroom teacher, communicate with parents of SAL students regarding ongoing progress.
9. Work with students who need support (individuals or small groups) in reading, writing and/or oral language.
10. Collaborate and plan with teachers to foster differentiation (including support and enrichment), to foster best practices and vertical alignment of the curriculum.
11. Assist in administering assessments in grades 1-5.
12. Assist in the execution of distance education when directed and needed to include alternative teaching and learning delivery methods: assist in the development of online courses, assist in the provision of student support to include alternative assignments and assessments, collaborate with colleagues, supervisors, and students online to build a connected and positive learning environment.
13. Assist with testing accommodations.
14. Handle appropriately and professionally the supervision and/or discipline of students.
15. Participate in Student Support Team meetings as required.
16. Perform other duties as assigned.

• Must be native speaker of Spanish
• Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in SAL, Education, Spanish; Master’s degree preferred
• Previous teaching experience of 3-5 years is preferable in teaching Spanish language acquisition to students in Grades 1-5
• Experience with the IB PYP is preferable, but not required
• Passion for WIS’s mission
• Strong communication skills, a sense of humor, humility, and empathy
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Previous experience at an international school and/or cultural fluency derived from international experience is a plus

About Washington International School

Founded in 1966, Washington International School is a private, non-profit, Preschool-12 school profoundly committed to its mission: to be an exemplary learning community—enriched by differences, informed through inquiry, global in reach. Serving its full community of 900 plus students on two campuses, the school is multinational, multicultural, and multilingual. The school’s challenging international program draws on classroom-based research on pedagogical practices and curriculum design from renowned organizations such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Project Zero, based in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. From Preschool through Grade 5 students follow the inquiry-based IB Primary Years Program; in Grades 6-10 they continue with a multidisciplinary and inquiry-based approach designed to enhance understanding and develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the prestigious IB Diploma Program (DP). All students in Grades 11 and 12 are enrolled in the DP, which prepares them to take exams to receive the International Baccalaureate Diploma in addition to a WIS diploma. IB Diploma results are well above the worldwide pass rate, and WIS gra...duates attend highly selective colleges and universities in both the United States (about two-thirds in a typical year) and abroad. Commitment to the intensive study of a second language is a core principle, with Pre-School, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes taught entirely in French or Spanish. All instruction in Grades 1-5 is “dual language” in English and either French or Spanish. Chinese is an option beginning in Grade 6. Typically, one half to three-quarters of WIS graduates earn the Bilingual IB Diploma, demonstrating fluency in two languages. The entire school community – alumni, parents, students, teachers, administrators and staff – are ardent advocates for international education. WIS has played a prominent role in setting a standard for a global perspective that many schools now emulate. The school culture is highly egalitarian, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and understanding differing points of view. There is no typical WIS family: some households consist only of U.S. passport holders, others are all non-U.S. passport holders and many are a mix of nationalities. In addition to this global diversity, WIS also strives to achieve economic diversity: 14% of the students receive financial assistance.

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