WIS is in need of substitute teachers for the 2024-25 academic year beginning August 26, 2024.
Substitute teachers are needed for all divisions - Primary (Early Childhood through Grade 5), Middle (Grades 6-8) and Upper Schools (Grades 9-12). There is a particular need for French, Spanish, and Chinese teachers (Chinese for Middle and Upper School only); native speakers only.
Early Childhood - Preschool, Prekindergarten and Kindergarten - includes full immersion in either French or Spanish. Grades 1 through 5 receive half the instruction in English and half in either French or Spanish in all subjects (math, social studies, science). Specialists include Art/Digital Technology, Music and PE.
Expertise in all subjects is needed, including, math, the sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, general science), English (including writing as well as literature), digital media, history, geography, economics.
Candidates with flexible schedules who are available for frequent assignments in several subjects and/or grades are likely to work more often.
Requirements include a relevant degree and a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience. Knowledge of the PYP or IBDP preferred but not required.
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.