At ASF, a teacher’s main goal is to guide the students through the different learning processes involved with various subjects and/or skills as defined in ASF curricula, thus contributing to the students’ development as mature, capable and responsible world citizens.
The Teacher must be able to develop and maintain a classroom environment that ensures effective learning and incorporates pedagogical innovations and research. He/she must employ appropriate teaching methodology in order to meet established program objectives and be capable of understanding and meeting the needs of students.
Key Responsibilities:
Planning & Preparation for Learning
-
Know the subject matter well and have a good grasp on how students learn.
- Plan some units backwards with big ideas, essential questions, knowledge, and skill goals.
- Plan on-the-spot/unit assessments to measure student learning.
- Design lessons that target various learning needs, styles, and interests.
Classroom Management
-
Foster positive interactions among students and teach useful social skills.
- Teach routines that students maintain throughout the school year.
- Have a repertoire of disciplinary “moves” and be able to capture and maintain most students’ attention.
- Maximize academic learning time through coherence, lesson momentum, and smooth transitions.
- Confident, dynamic “presence” and diffuse most discipline problems before learning is impacted
Delivery of Instruction
-
Activate students’ prior knowledge and hook their interest in each unit and lesson.
- Use clear explanations, appropriate language, and good examples to present material.
- Orchestrate effective strategies, materials, and classroom groupings to foster student learning.
- Have students actively think about, discuss, and use the ideas and skills being taught.
- Differentiate instruction to accommodate most students’ learning needs.
Monitoring, assessment, and follow-up
-
Provide clear criteria for proficiency, including rubrics and exemplars of student work.
- Frequently check for understanding and give students helpful information if they seem confused.
- Have students set goals, self-assess, and know where they stand academically at all times.
- Take responsibility for students who are not succeeding and get them extra help.
- Reflect on the effectiveness of learning and continuously work to improve it.
Family & Outreach
-
Give parents clear, succinct expectations for student learning and behavior for the year.
- Communicate as necessary. Medium and tone are appropriate.
- Respond promptly to parent concerns and make parents feel welcome.
- Use conferences and report cards to give parents feedback on their child’s progress.
Professional Responsibilities
-
Be willing to participate beyond the academic program; be punctual and reliable with paperwork, duties, and assignments; keep accurate records.
- Demonstrate a professional demeanor and maintain appropriate boundaries.
- Be ethical and above-board, use good judgment, and maintain confidentiality with student records.
- Collaborate with colleagues to plan units, share teaching ideas, and review student work.
- Seek out effective teaching ideas from colleagues, workshops, and other sources and implement them well.
Education
If teacher preparation and degree are from an English-speaking country:
- Bachelor’s degree plus a state/province/national teaching certificate (or meet SAIS alternate certification guidelines).
- Digital literacy and the ability to integrate technology in daily practice.
If teacher preparation and degree are from Mexico:
- Bachelor’s degree in education and/or pedagogy from a SEP/UNAM-approved institution with certification (cédula profesional, CENEVAL)
- Digital literacy and the ability to integrate technology in daily practice.
Preferred for the position:
- Has PYP, IB Diploma, or AP training or experience
- Bilingual: English and Spanish.
- Has experience in other international and/or bilingual schools.
Qualifications and Experience Required:
-
Two years of successful teaching experience
