Lower School Head Teacher- Peninsula School

General Responsibilities

• Support & promote Peninsula School’s mission & values
• Provide a progressive program for children using instructional methods & materials that are responsive & appropriate to the intellectual, social & emotional needs of students, that fosters their positive learning & personal growth
• Maintain a cooperative classroom environment that encourages problem solving, creativity, critical thinking & intellectual curiosity
• Build class community by fostering students’ social/emotional learning
• Create & maintain a welcoming, safe, equitable & respectful learning environment that honors and values a diversity of learning, cultural, ethnic, racial & sexual identities & lived experiences of the student population
• Center student growth by managing & monitoring student learning
• Remain current on educational research, topics & progressive practices
• Participate in & contribute to the school’s process of continual reflection & evolution of its program
• Collaborate & communicate constructively with all other Peninsula School staff members
• Integrate culturally competent ways of thinking; incorporate anti-racist principles & practices into your daily teaching & learning approach
• Recognize and address the unique needs & varied learning styles of all children, ensuring each child’s progress in all areas

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Teaching and Learning Program:
• Serve as the head teacher who teaches math, English language arts, & humanities with a focus on social/emotional development for Kindergarten students
• Recognize and address the unique needs & varied learning styles of all children, ensuring each child’s progress in all areas
• Develop and implement teaching units that explore & examine multiple cultures, ethnicities, perspectives, lifestyles, lived experiences and identities
• Deliver a math curriculum that that is age-appropriate and that aligns with the learning progression of the overall school program
• Deliver a structured literacy program that is age-appropriate and that aligns with the learning progression of the overall school program
• Monitor and document student learning with work samples
• All Peninsula LS Heads are to have completed Orton Gillingham Comprehensive Training before the beginning of the school year (Kindergarten - 4rd Grade)
• Organize and lead fall and spring school overnight(s) and/or camping trip(s) (does not include Preschool-1st grade teachers)
• Collaboration:
• Provide guidance and oversight to Assistant/Associate Teachers under the direction of the Director of Instruction & Belonging to nurture and enrich children’s experiences. This includes: supporting learning, goal setting, monitoring students, scheduling planning/prep & providing feedback
• Support an open door policy for classrooms & meetings for teaching colleagues & program administrators, appropriate to role
• Participate in coaching conversations & peer-review on an as needed basis
• Share high level (month-by-month) program goals & objectives for students with Director of Instruction & Belonging by the first day of school
• Communications with parents/caregivers:
• Prior to the start of the school year, connect with families and students to welcome them to the class and begin to get to know them (could include but is not limited to a home visit, phone call, Zoom meeting, feedback form, etc.)
• Clearly articulate program & developmental goals to parents
• Clearly communicate student learning to students & parents
• Maintain open lines of communication with parents
• Communicate with families to share and preview classroom learning (newsletter, email, blog) on a bi-weekly basis, including maintaining a class website
• Reflect on Practice:
• Examine & evaluate teaching & classroom program regularly & adjust as needed
• Identify goals in 4 categories & work towards achieving them: dialogue with the Head of School and Director of Instruction and Belonging at least 2 times per year about your progress
• Identify a learning opportunity that will support your professionalism in your role at Peninsula School - submit a proposal & request to utilize the school's PD funds
• Participate in school committees as needed to support the work of the Strategic Plan
• Logistics:
• Be present on campus from 8:45-3:15 pm daily. School hours are 9am-3pm
• Attend the full work week before school begins, our regular Tuesday staff meetings (until 5pm), in-service days, and other meetings as appropriate, according to individual classroom and student needs. Occasional weekend events required
• Meet with parents for conferences formally two times a year and provide additional conferences & communication as required or requested
• Organize & facilitate group parent/caregivers meetings at least twice a year
• Attend (at least briefly) 2 of the 3 Big school community building and fundraising events organized by the “POP” People of Peninsula
• Ensure that you are approving timecards, time off requests, and other compliance items as the direct supervisor of your AT

Qualifications and Requirements

• B.A. required
• Passionate about working with children
• Experience with and/or aptitude for working with students and skilled in building a close rapport with children
• Able to work with a diverse population
• Embrace progressive education ideals
• Caring, flexible, creative, organized, good judgment, sense of humor

Competencies

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging - A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging and an ability to work with and support a diverse population of students & families. An ability to remain sensitive to the experiences of students, parents & staff in all situations & integrate feedback into practice.
• Growth Mindset – Recognizes the importance of learning & adopting & modeling a growth mindset. Stays abreast of best practices in schools and in supporting positive child and youth development, enthusiastically seeks out professional growth opportunities.
• Relational Skills – Ability to relate well to a wide range of people, including building rapport with students, parents, staff & administrators. Willingness to work to understand the culture of the school. Knowledge of each child’s challenges & strengths. Skill with conflict resolution, consensus building & decision-making.
• Emotional Intelligence, Regulation & Maturity – Ability to interact with individuals in heightened emotional states & navigate complex and emotionally challenging situations involving children & adults. A high degree of emotional stability, ability to separate one’s own emotions from a situation, and ability to maintain perspective in the midst of emotional situations is essential.
• Communications Skills – Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of constituents. Maintains open communications channels with teaching staff, parents and administrators. Able to present information formally and informally in an effective manner both through oral presentations or conversation and through written means. Has a strong understanding of the power of word choice and the need for a high level of tact and professional, accurate communication.
• Time Management Skills – Ability to manage many tasks and projects simultaneously and to prioritize them appropriately.
• Organizational Skills – Ability to balance many tasks and processes, including keeping track of progress on longer term projects or goals, managing details accurately, and following through in a timely fashion.
• Problem Solving Skills – Ability to consider a broad range of internal and external factors when solving problems. Grasps complexities and perceives relationships among different problems or issues. Uses various solution-focused problem-solving strategies appropriate to the situation, including enlisting and seeking advice from others when appropriate.
• Strategic Thinking Skills – Ability to work with others to gather, synthesize, and analyze quantitative and qualitative information and to develop plans for meeting short and long-range goals which support student learning and growth and advance the broader strategic direction of the school.
• Child-Centered: ability to center children, the Mission Statement and the values of the school.