Pretoria Middle School Science Teacher at American International School of Johannesburg

Qualifications: 

• Current teaching certification appropriate to age level and subject specializations 
• A minimum of an undergraduate degree in Education or the area of expertise required 
• Previous teaching experience, and strong knowledge in the area of specializations at the required levels of study  
• A firm understanding of middle school philosophy and a passion for working with Middle School students 
• Willingness to sponsor co-curricular activities 
• A positive attitude and strong interpersonal skills 
• Expertise in building active, collaborative classroom programs which encourage problem solving, critical thinking skills, and which develop a sense of classroom community and trust 
• A solid understanding of a middle school organization, programs and students 
• A proven ability to differentiate instruction and integrate learning 
•  A willingness and ability to reflect and critically examine teaching practices, set goals, and commit to continuous improvement 
•  Proficient in integrating technology in student learning. 

Preferred skills and experience 

• Strong organizational and time management abilities  
• Experience with and/or understanding of: 
• Curriculum and assessment development (particularly standards-based assessment) 
• Unit planning using Understanding by Design 
• Using hands on activities and assessment to help students make connections to the world around them 
• Working within an Advisory program model 
• Teaching in a One-to-One learning environment 
• Experience with service learning 

Performance Responsibilities:

• The Middle School science teacher will teach five periods of an eight-period rotating block schedule; four of which are science at a specific grade level.  *Additionally, this teacher may be asked to teach one section of another subject: either
• an elective or an exploratory class.  The assignment of this subject is dependent upon the strengths of the successful candidate and will be made by the principal. 
• A 30-minute Advisory period is also included in the teacher’s responsibilities.  Weekly team meetings will occur (or more frequently if required) and common planning time is embedded in the master schedule for all core teams. 
• AISJ values continuous improvement and provides weekly professional growth and collaboration time from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Wednesdays. 
•  In addition to the subject responsibilities, teachers at AISJ are welcomed into a collegial and collaborative working environment.

In support of this teachers are expected to: 

• Communicate and liaise on a regular basis with fellow department/grade members with regard to planning, assessment, parent and community contact, subject organization and classroom issues such including discipline, expectations and routines 
• Communicate and liaise with other school colleagues in an effort to promote and establish integrative links and/or awareness 
• Take an active role in behavioral management and pastoral care of class and advisory groups 
• Attend and constructively contribute in staff and department/grade meetings  
• Assist in supervision of student breaks 
• Coordinate class activities as deemed necessary 
• Contribute to and support school improvement plans and initiatives 
• Maintain up-to-date records of assessment, attendance, planning, reports, conferences, and communication with parents 
•  Establish regular links with your parent community to ensure that parents are kept well informed about student progress 
• Assist, as required, in the development of curricular materials 
• Act as a resource/contact/support for new staff members (i.e. curriculum, schedules, procedures) 
• Lead co-curricular after school activities 
• Chaperone annual Classroom Without Walls class trip 
• Participate in and assist with school events as required