Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Massachusetts
New Canaan, Connecticut
West Newton, Massachusetts
Posted: 02-Jan-25
Location: St. George, Virginia
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Required Education:
Job Title: Learning Center and English Language Learner Program Coordinator/Instructor
Academic Year 2025-2026
Department: Instruction
Reports to: Director of the Fishburne Learning Center
FLSA Status: Exempt
The Opportunity:
Blue Ridge School is an all-boys, all-boarding college-preparatory school serving 180 students on a 751-acre campus situated along the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just 20 miles from Charlottesville, Virginia, Blue Ridge School is innovative in its approach to educating young men. Passionate teachers, small classes, strong relationships, lots of opportunities to participate in athletics and co-curricular activities, and a rigorous but supportive college prep curriculum, empower Blue Ridge graduates to thrive in college and beyond. With an average class size of 10 students and teacher autonomy, faculty members are able to help each student discover the best way to master the course material, and challenge each student to reach beyond self-determined limits and fulfill his untapped potential.
For the academic year 2025-2026, Blue Ridge School seeks a Learning Center and English Language Learner Program Coordinator and Instructor. This role is a full-time, 10 month position that has primary responsibilities to plan, organize and implement an appropriate instructional program in a learning environment that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential. Serving in the Fishburne Learning Center, this role is a combined role that works with students in both our learning center and our ELL program.
The Fishburne Learning Center at Blue Ridge School (FLC) serves the needs of approximately sixty students with specific learning disabilities and/or ADHD. The FLC designs individual programs for every student it serves. These programs include efforts to address particular learning challenges as well as support networks to help students succeed in mainstream Blue Ridge courses. Housed under the umbrella of the FLC, the ELL program serves the needs of international students at varying levels of English proficiency, including beginner and advanced ELL, as well as ELLCollege Prep/TOEFL Preparation. The ultimate goal of the FLC is to help each student become a strong advocate for himself both at Blue Ridge and beyond.
In addition to overseeing and coordinating various aspects of the ELL program, the role will be to teach four sections, two in FLC and two in ELL at varying levels.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a committed educator who is at their core, student oriented, collaborative in nature, willing to work with and support the teachers in their department, and has the ability to balance leadership and directives with teacher autonomy. Candidates should have:
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, area of study flexible; M.Ed. in Special Education, focus on high-incidence learning disabilities is preferred; TESOL certification, or related field required
- Relevant teaching experience in an international student setting preferred
- At least three years of experience working with adolescents with language-based learning disabilities and/or ADHD is preferred.
- Specific knowledge and experience pertaining to the instruction of the English language to non-native speakers in the areas of grammar, vocabulary, writing, reading and listening comprehension, oral communication skills, and accent reduction
- Demonstrated expertise in training students to use strategies for reading comprehension, written expression, and mathematical calculation/problem-solving.
- A preferred background in or experience with Orton-Gillingham language training or similar, such as Wilson, Slingerland, etc. Experience with Reading Recovery programs is also beneficial.
- Experience with written expression programs for students with language-based learning disabilities preferred.
- Knowledge and experience with TOEFL
- Experience teaching or tutoring high school math is preferred.
- Willingness to learn about and apply research on the benefits of single-sex education.
- Flexibility, creativity and willingness to play an active role in the life of the School community.
- Proficient use of technology in the classroom and the theory behind such use.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with students, parents, peers, and supervisors.
- Exceptional organizational, planning, problem solving, decision making and critical thinking skills
- Effective time management skills.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- With FLC Director, review files for individual students and create educational plans, student-at-a-glance documents for teachers, and trimester
- Leads the process for identifying, monitoring, and remediating students who learn differently. This involves interfacing with faculty and parents on behalf of students who require specialized academic instruction.
- Identify priority learning needs for individual students and discuss optimal strategies for maximizing each student’s growth.
- Develop course syllabi and lesson plans; identify and select different instructional resources and methods to meet students' varying learning styles
- Demonstrate a variety of instructional methods that include the use of visual aids, interactive activities, strategic and competitive learning games that take advantage of the learning style of boys, technology in the classroom, and other academic tools expected of a trained TEFL/TESOL teacher to improve overall reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension of the students.
- Collaborate with the international Admissions Director to review and screen international students applications.
- Conduct placement testing and assessment of each international student at the beginning of each calendar year to determine needs and class level
- Facilitate and lead the ELL Summer Camp; select summer program teachers, set curriculum standards, and organize all aspects of camp life: academic, social, extracurricular and program logistics
- Create and maintain ELL budgets for the Summer Program and the school year with the assistance of the Assistant Head of School and Director of the Fishburne Learning Center.
- Provide academic support and professional development to teachers of other disciplines in regards to potential challenges teaching international students, as requested
- Facilitate instruction in the fundamentals of English grammar by means of familiarizing students with the basic sentence patterns and by the practice of sentence combining, and the strengthening of vocabulary skills to non-English speaking students.
- Coordinate, track, and monitor student progress in collaboration with teachers as appropriate.
- Help to educate faculty and parents on topics relevant to learning differences.
- Advocate with faculty for necessary services for FLC students
- Instruct and monitor students in the use of individualized learning materials and resources
- Use relevant technology to support instruction
- Assign and grade class work, homework, tests and assignments to include regular constructive feedback on all work and assessments; record each student's performance and development
- Manage student behavior in the classroom by consistently enforcing rules and procedures.
- Observe, evaluate, and record each student's overall performance and development
- Prepare reports and update all necessary records accurately, completely, and timely as required by school policies regarding students’ behavior and academic achievement
- Partner with core teachers, collaborating with them to improve reading and writing skills, develop critical thinking skills, and foster a sense of citizenship and altruism within each student.
- Participate in department meetings, school meetings, and parent meetings
- Communicate necessary information regularly to students, colleagues and parents regarding student progress and student needs
- Assist students with cultural transitions
- Maintain discipline in accordance with the rules and disciplinary systems of the school
- Participates on weekday and weekend duty teams
- Participate in two seasons of co-curricular programming
- Attends on-campus special events, such as Registration, Parents Weekend, Alumni Weekend, School sponsored mixers, etc.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
Teaching credential or certification preferred; not required
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; frequent stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally the job requires 25% sitting, 25% walking, and 50% standing. The job is performed under minimal temperature variations and under conditions with some exposure to risk of injury and/or illness.
Why Work at Blue Ridge School?
Whether you’re an educator, administrator, or support person, a career at Blue Ridge School can bring the meaning you seek in your work. You’ll work in an incredibly beautiful campus setting helping to shape the lives of diverse young men from many cultures and communities. You’ll enjoy a work environment that stresses collaboration and innovation. And you’ll be immersed in the Blue Ridge culture—one that is focused on family, community, and mutual support.
Eighty percent of our faculty live on campus; and on-campus housing is provided for many positions. All employees have access to many other unique benefits, including:
- Access to BRS fitness facilities and wilderness trails
- Meals in the dining hall for you, your family, and your guests
- A comprehensive and highly competitive benefits package with generous support for professional development and continuing education
- Structured mentorship, collaborative professional development, and support for educators at every career stage; Blue Ridge fosters a culture of innovation and collegiality.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; frequent stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally the job requires 25% sitting, 25% walking, and 50% standing. The job is performed under minimal temperature variations and under conditions with some exposure to risk of injury and/or illness.
Blue Ridge School in Dyke, VA, has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for a Learning Center & English Language Learner Program Coordinator/Instructor