We are a small and mighty tribe seeking to add two morning math teachers for our unique relationship-based school for twice-exceptional learners (intellectually gifted learners with a learning difference, disorder, or challenge). We have wonderfully interesting, neurodiverse learners!
Start Date: ASAP (early August for training, first day of school is August 13th)
Math Courses: You would teach two of these four courses:
1) Grade 5
2) Grade 7 through half of pre-algebra
3) last half of pre-algebra and Algebra
4) Algebra 2
Ages: Students are grouped by math level, not by age. Our students are grades 5-12.
Great Minds Learning Community is a three-day-a-week (Tuesday through Thursday), small alternative, whole-person, relationship-focused with a family feel, accredited private micro-school in Pflugerville catering to intellectually gifted students and twice-exceptional students (intellectually gifted with learning differences/disabilities/challenges), such as dyslexia, ADHD/ADD, sensory processing challenges, vision challenges, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, chemical sensitivity and allergies, Asperger’s/High Functioning Autism, anxiety, or social difficulties, and those students that benefit from a smaller class size. Our students are mainly twice-exceptional, AKA bright and quirky, remarkable young people!
We have a student-teacher ratio of 7 to 1, so you can really get to know your students and make an impact.
Students served: Gifted and twice-exceptional learners in Grades 5–12. Small, mixed-age classes with a 7:1 student-teacher ratio.
The position: This is a part-time, morning position, 9:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays onsite at 3400 Rowe Lane, Pflugerville, TX 78660. We have a 33-week school year with lots of breaks! You teach onsite Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with lesson planning and other duties done at your convenience at home .
You will teach and lesson plan two math periods. You will be supporting other activities throughout, such as homeroom, community time, and breaks and recess, when not teaching math.
This job is an exempt position. With planning time and other duties, expect to spend 16-18 hours a week. The off-site hours consist of: at-home planning time (we do not plan on-site), Zoom staff meetings every other week, parent-student-teacher communication, one-on-one student meetings, and teacher meetings with the head of school or your department, research, email collaboration and responses, collaborating with co-workers and the head of school, writing individual progress reports, attending Celebrations of Learning and other required school events, and other teacher duties as assigned.
We are:
Learner-Driven
Focus on 21st-Century Skills and quality over quantity
Project-Based Learning
Close-knit tribe
Strengths-based with support for lagging skills
For math:
We use curricula for math and supplement that with hands-on manipulatives and games. For under grade 6 level, we use Right Start Math (game-based).
For grades 6-9 levels, we use online DESMOS.
For grades 10+, we use online Thinkwell.
We use an "I do, we do, you do" approach and support students in a variety of ways to accommodate different learning styles (e.g video, whiteboard, spoken, visual, etc.)
Transcripts: While many students request transcripts (optional but highly encouraged for high schoolers), we focus on the learning and not drill and kill, so we focus on each student's individual growth and content mastery and not the volume of problems completed.
We do not do standardized tests and generally there is no math homework.
How Do We Roll? For most of our classes, our school is hands-on and project-based, with lots of student voice and choice, balanced with guide rails and teacher-decided items. Math has curricula that we use.
We are an alternative school seeking someone who is out of the box and who can really focus on the kids' needs and teaching material that may be out-of-the-box to meet their needs. We encourage teachers interested in alternative education and who are relationship-based, as a strong personal relationship with each student is key to opening the door to learning with our student body in particular.
We focus much of our math efforts on a set curriculum pulling in eclectic resources to promote math problem-solving and math they will use in real life. Many of our students understand advanced math concepts quickly (the gifted piece) but get bogged down with the mechanics of math or the executive functioning part of math (the difference/disability piece), so we want someone that can encourage a math mindset and provide visuals, manipulatives, and tools to help with the mechanics. We focus on real-world math whenever possible to connect it to the students' lives, passions, and interests.
No math degree is required, but we require previous experience teaching math. These are generally small classes of up to 3-12 learners.
We're seeking an ability to tune into each child as an individual on a daily basis to see where their "stretch zone" is that day and aim for that, focusing on being strengths-based and flexible.
We looking for someone flexible and adaptable to the students needes who is part teacher, part guide, part coach, part project manager, part mentor and friend, part improviser with lots of enthusiasm and passion and who takes initiative being self-directed, as well as is a team player.
For these kids, the relationship is king, so we focus on building the relationship with the students, which helps open the door to them learning math.
Model/philosophy: We are an accredited private school that is strengths-based, focused on 21st-Century skills and real-world, project-based learning. We place a large focus on nurturing social, emotional, and executive functioning skills, in addition to academic growth. We nurture and support each student within their individual “stretch zone” to gradually and consistently grow through our relationship-based approach, small class sizes, and 7:1 student-teacher ratio.
Schedule: Tuesday through Thursday, August–May, with short breaks throughout the year to allow time for recharging and travel. There is no Monday or Friday teaching. It is only 33 teaching weeks per year.
Why Join Our Team
Our team is made up of creative, committed educators who are passionate about both their work and the mission of making a difference in the lives of our remarkable, unique group of students and the world. Our work environment is built on a foundation of respect for everyone’s ideas, mutual support, and appreciation for one another. We’re a close-knit team, and we would love for you to join us!
Benefits:
No Monday or Friday teaching
Only a 33-week year with ample breaks throughout the year for life balance!
Lesson plan at home at a schedule that is convenient for you
Bonuses and gift cards
Paid Time Off
Teacher Appreciation Day
Birthday celebrations
Professional Development
Team-building events
Employee Retention bonus (after one year)
Freedom to go to the beat of your own drummer and infuse your personality
Small class sizes to really get to know your students and make a difference
We focus on a fun and engaging way to teach 21st-century competencies, including problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity.
Non-traditional teaching backgrounds are welcome! Teachers with backgrounds in alternative education, homeschooling, multi-age classrooms, or project-based learning teaching a variety of subjects are welcome! We do not require a teaching certificate, but do require a Bachelor's Degree and 3+ years of teaching experience and experience with diverse groups of learners, preferably with gifted and twice-exceptional learners. (We provided ongoing training.) We have a homey feel and a tribal atmosphere with an amazing community of students and parents!
We do not have required grades, required standardized tests, or homework; we may have students complete 2-3 math problems at home if they do not finish in class and need extra support at home. We have learning goals, narrative student progress reports, and student celebrations of learning to share their work.
We focus on nurturing the whole child intellectual, social, and emotional. We use a strengths-based (asset-based) approach, students showing mastery in a way that matches their strengths, Positive Discipline, the Nurtured Heart Approach, class meetings, and an eclectic blend of other resources.
The ideal candidate has these characteristics. Feel free to apply if you meet many but not all of the boxes, as this is an ideal "wish list":
Bachelor’s degree (required)
Experience in working with diverse groups of learners, preferably with gifted or twice-exceptional kids (required)
Teaching or tutoring experience teaching math
Focus on a relationship-based approach, realizing that the relationship and understanding child's unique needs and learning style trumps the math in terms of making progress
Coachable in the moment, interested and curious about learning every day.
Flexible, innovative, enthusiastic, willing to think outside the box, can work both be organized and work well in an improvisational environment with daily change, challenge, and tweaking!
Experience in accommodating material, teaching methods, methods of showing mastery, and expectations to meet specific student needs due to giftedness/learning differences/challenges.
Understanding and being open to putting strategies into action to support the social, emotional, and executive functioning of each child.
A “walk the walk” belief in and passion for alternative learning environments.
Able to both work in a self-directed fashion and work as part of a team.
Be coachable and open to feedback.
Ability to make things novel, fun, and hands-on for the students.
Ability to tailor instruction and mentoring to each individual and be able to quickly adjust to student needs to find what works best based. Flexibility is key!
Lifelong learner who embraces new challenges and is comfortable teaching/mentoring a variety of academic subjects, learning alongside the students in areas she/he does not yet know.
Ability to be “in the moment,” connect with and nurture a positive relationship with each child.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to stay calm under stress and have a "thick" skin.
Ability to set kind and consistent boundaries while tweaking to the developmental level/social-emotional level and capacity of the individual child, meeting the child where s/he is at.
“Walks the walk” of positive discipline and communication methods.
Confidence and comfort with a balance of teacher-provided structure with lots of student voice and choice.
Other duties as assigned, as we are co-creating and evolving based on parent and student feedback.
Mental/Physical/Environmental Demands:
Will be exposed to outdoor weather conditions during portions of work day.
Needs to move about inside the classroom or campus as necessary.
Maintain emotional control under stress.
Frequent standing, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing.
Frequent moving of small stacks of media equipment, desks, tables, whiteboards, and other classroom equipment.
Occasionally requires lifting up to 25 pounds.
Occasionally prolonged and irregular hours.
Candidates interested in this teaching position, please visit our website at: greatmindslc.com to learn more about us. Then submit your resume in Word document format.
Please include a COVER LETTER. The cover letter is important, as we'd like to know why our school and our learning philosophy, in particular, is a great fit for you! In your cover letter, be sure to describe your experience in working with/teaching various types of learners and share why you would be a good fit for our micro-school.
If you are seeking a typical school with a traditional school experience, this position is not for you. If you feel called to a non-traditional experience and making a difference in the lives of these learners who don't fit the traditional box and want a sense of community, creative freedom, working hard, and forming deep relationships, then our tribe may be a great fit!
Please read about our unique school and see if what we are about resonates with you: http://www.greatmindslc.com
Note: You must be able to get a criminal background check, drug test, and attend interviews before working on our campus. We pay for these items.
We look forward to connecting soon! Work with remarkable kids and make a difference in a close-knit, caring community with a good work-life balance and a collaborative team!
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: $17,000.00 per year
Expected hours: 16 – 18 per week
Benefits:
Paid time off
Work Location: In person