Third Grade ELA and Math Seminar Teacher

Background

Libertas School of Memphis is a Montessori, liberal arts public charter elementary school serving a high-need neighborhood in Memphis. Our mission is to be a school for human flourishing: cultivating minds, hands, and hearts for lives of wonder, work, and love. We offer students from preschool through fifth grade a rich, rigorous, and personalized education through Montessori learning, supported with rich liberal arts content through Core Knowledge, and the best practices of high-performing urban schools. This work is done within an attachment village of supports between school, families, and our community.

Role Summary: Teach standards-aligned math and ELA seminars for third graders in a departmentalized program. (Montessori certification is not required for this position.)

Role Information:

• Full-time role. Full-time instructional hours roughly 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM (faculty meetings until 4:30 PM on Wednesdays). Most lead teachers spend approximately 4-6 hours per week outside of the regular school day for planning, collaboration, and preparation.
• The role primarily follows the school calendar, although it will require approximately 2-3 days of work in the summer for curriculum internalization.
• Reports to: Principal
• Key relationships: Lower Elementary Lead Teachers & Assistant Teachers; Assistant Principal of Academics; and Consulting Teachers

Measures of Success

• Fidelity of implementation of, and student progress through, curriculum
• Student growth and achievement on annual published school metrics (e.g. internal benchmarks, MAP, TN Ready, etc)
• Timely, high quality planning
• Family satisfaction
• Teacher satisfaction
• Satisfactory performance evaluations
• Other indicators

Key responsibilities

• Teach ELA Seminar and Math Seminar to groups of third grade students.
• ELA Seminar is a Libertas-created, CKLA Listening & Learning based language curriculum that builds world knowledge and vocabulary; develops reading fluency and writing skills; and is aligned to state standards and the Montessori philosophy.
• Math Seminar is a Libertas-created, standards-aligned math program that supports the Montessori math curriculum by promoting fluency, building conceptual understanding, and making real world applications.
• Children attend daily Seminars in three separate groups of 18-24 third graders. Each group lasts for between 90 and 120 minutes. During that time, students participate in both ELA Seminar and Math Seminar.
• Collaborate with the lower elementary teaching team made up of Montessori homeroom lead teachers and assistant teachers.
• Lead a peaceful, orderly, rich, nurturing classroom that cultivates children’s minds, hearts, and hands for lives of wonder, work, and love.
• Coordinate with supervisor and colleagues to ensure that instruction is appropriate for the environment; appropriately rigorous for grade level standards; aligned with both Montessori practice and the Libertas curriculum; and matched with the specific needs of each child.
• Collect and record data about each child’s academic abilities and needs, and share this data with other classroom teachers, consulting teachers and support staff, and families.
• Foster habits of excellence, including order and grace & courtesy, through schoolwide and classroom-level practices and rituals, such as connecting before redirecting, using a warm and firm tone, implementing clear and consistent classroom systems, tending the heart of virtue through presenting beautiful literature, and sharing responsibility for all our children.
• Supervise students within the classroom and outside of the classroom, including at lunch, recess, arrival, and dismissal.
• Be a model of character and striving toward virtue for students.
• Foster relationships with families to enable open and responsive communication about student growth and needs. Conduct or participate in family communication and meetings on a regular basis.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Traits

• At least two years of effective teaching experience with elementary or middle school children in high-need communities.
• Effective classroom management skills and instructional practices.
• Willingness to serve all children, regardless of background or needs, in an inclusive and supportive setting.
• Knowledge of ELA and Math curriculum content and children’s developmental needs.
• Interest in and commitment to Montessori and liberal arts
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Bachelor’s degree required. State teaching license strongly preferred. (Libertas may sponsor state licensure for highly qualified candidates)
• Love of learning
• Flexibility, initiative, and personal responsibility to work in a fast-paced, startup environment. Fortitude for the challenges we will face
• Warm and firm demeanor
• Work collaboratively and with a growth mindset. Give and receive feedback in a spirit of craftsmanship

Compensation

• Salary/wage competitive with the local school district and nearby charter schools.
• Eligible for increases, bonuses, or stipends for performance or additional duties.
• Investment in faculty professional development and growth. We also offer to eligible applicants our Teacher Residency program, which provides financial sponsorship and additional coaching and support to achieve state licensure and/or Montessori certification. Please contact us for more details.
• Paid sick leave for full-time employees. Deferred pay model distributes salary throughout the year (including breaks and vacations).
• Full time employees are eligible for health insurance benefits, which we sponsor at an above-market rate (approx. 80% covered by employer for all levels of coverage). We also offer dental, vision, and other benefits, and retirement plans similar to local schools.

Application process

Interested candidates should apply online at www.LibertasMemphis.org, where candidates can also learn more about our school. Please submit a resume, at least three references, and a cover letter (required) explaining why you would be a good fit for this position. Please direct any questions to talent@LibertasMemphis.org. Libertas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.