Latin Teacher/Latin Teacher Apprentice

Job Description: Latin Teacher / Latin Teacher Apprentice

About our school: Libertas is a public charter school serving a historic but marginalized 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 infant/toddler through fifth grade a rich, rigorous, and personalized education through Montessori learning, supported with liberal arts content through Core Knowledge, focus on developing character virtues, and an attachment village approach to family and community engagement and restorative practices.

About our new Latin program: Libertas will start phasing-in a K-8 Latin program in 2023 as part of a potential expansion of our current elementary school to add 6th-8th grade beginning in 2024. Our goal is to give students direct access to classical language and culture, while strengthening their knowledge and skill in their native language. We intend to draw on the best practices of second language acquisition pedagogy to emphasize communicative and “living” methods. Immersive experiences will begin in lower elementary, with more formal study accelerating in upper elementary and middle grades. The Latin teacher will provide most instruction but will also support our other teachers to incorporate appropriate content across the school. We will also organize a chapter with the Junior Classical League and participate in regional, state and national competitions. Ultimately our students will be prepared to take the “beginning” / Level 1 National Latin Exam as a milestone on their way to continued secondary study and engagement with great texts, authors, and ideas.

Opportunity: In collaboration with our expert Latin program design consultant, the Latin teacher will help design and lead implementation of a rich and immersive Latin program. This opportunity could work for either an experienced Latin teacher or an aspiring teacher. Libertas has a state registered Apprenticeship program that provides 280 hours of coursework and 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning over the course of 3-4 semesters with experienced teachers which, along with passing certification examination, result in both a state teaching license and nationally-accredited diploma.

Role information: Full-time position. The school day is 7:30-3:30pm (4:30 PM on Wednesdays) with collaboration meetings after school one other day per week. Teachers follow our school calendar, however apprentices can begin either in the summer or winter semester. Depending on candidate qualifications, 2-4 weeks of professional development may be required in the first 1-2 summers. Evaluated by Principal; apprentices also report to Educator Preparation Director. Measures of success include student growth, family satisfaction, observation feedback, performance evaluations, and related indicators.

Key responsibilities

Note that Apprentice candidates would complete this work initially under the direction of an experienced mentor teacher.

• Planning and Instruction: Plan units and lessons based on quality curriculum materials and best pedagogical practices. Give lessons to whole groups, small groups, individuals. Observe and coach students, answer questions, grade assignments, give feedback. Organize and maintain learning environment and materials.
• Classroom Culture: Set and maintain a peaceful, orderly classroom culture conducive to learning. Foster habits of excellence, especially grace & courtesy, through shared schoolwide practices such as connecting before redirecting and using a warm and firm tone. Be a model of striving toward virtue. Supervise students in and out of the classroom such as on the playground, during breaks, and on field trips / cocurricular activities.
• Family communication: Build relationships with families to foster open and responsive communication about student growth and needs. Assist in preparing quarterly report cards and biannual family conferences
• Professional Development and Relationships: Participate in lesson plan reviews and observations, receive feedback and discuss with a coach, and make adjustments to continuously improve. Participate in after-school and summer professional development and collaboration opportunities and data reviews.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Traits

• Bachelor’s degree (education degree NOT required)
• Experience with Latin strongly preferred but not required; those without Latin experience must be willing to participate in significant professional development and training
• Commitment to working in a Montessori, liberal arts school in an underserved community
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Warm and firm demeanor
• Love of learning
• Flexibility, initiative, and personal responsibility to work in fast-paced, startup environment
• Fortitude for the challenges we will face
• Work collaboratively, with a growth mindset
• Give and receive feedback in a spirit of craftsmanship.

Compensation

• Apprentices earn at least $32,000 per year (with salary increases each semester), and upon program completion can be hired as a lead teacher starting at $46,000.
• Experienced teachers start from $47,000 to $65,000 depending on qualifications.
• Eligible for increases or stipends for performance and/or additional duties.
• Significant investment in professional development.
• Paid sick leave. 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. 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 bob.nardo@LibertasMemphis.org. Libertas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

Tagged as: Elementary, World Languages