Teacher

Our specialized school, John G. Wood (JGW), is just the right size to teach students with emotional and behavioral challenges that impact their academic success. Small student-teacher ratios accommodate individual learning styles with a goal to transition students back to their public school as soon as possible. JGW includes a broad range of courses for children in kindergarten through grade 12 and Extended School Year (ESY) services are available during the summer. Some residents of VHBG’s group homes attend JGW in addition to students who commute from multiple localities in the Richmond region.

About the Role

The Teacher educates students enrolled in John G. Wood School utilizing evidenced-based, data-driven programming that assists students with meeting their academic and social-emotional needs. The teacher provides educational services to students in middle and high school in a therapeutic educational community.

Responsibilities

• Delivers lessons that are appropriately structured and paced, including learning activities that meet the needs of all students and lead to student mastery of Standards of Learning, social-emotional objectives, and behavioral programming.
• Effectively designs academic programming that supports the development of critical thinking standards for academic, theoretical, and real-life situations.
• Selects or designs rigorous, valid summative and formative assessments that analyze student results and guide instructional decisions with 100% accuracy; ensures that student learning activities are driven by data collected from these assessments.
• Adheres to procedures and policies found within internal VHBG Policy Manuals, federal guidelines, state guidelines, and accreditation requirements.
• Engages in self-reflection and growth opportunities to support high levels of learning for all students.
• Effectively utilizes program methodologies to address the social and behavioral deficits of students.
• Works with students’ parents and/or other identified stakeholders to address academic and behavioral concerns presented in official and unofficial documentation.
• Markets to service providers and other decision-makers to influence client placements, articulating the desired culture and showing evidence of how it is reinforced.
• Establishes and maintains open lines of communication with parents, students, stakeholders, and other staff members.
• Participates in School Improvement Teams and Training to assist with the ongoing refinement of educational and behavioral programming offered by the school.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Director of JGW School and/or their supervisor.

Requirements

• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Strong knowledge of work readiness skills and the ability to introduce this information to students/clients in an exciting and engaging manner.
• Ability to adapt to change and demonstrate flexibility.
• Good organizational and time management skills to support program goals and facilitate a positive programmatic environment.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Proven ability to handle stress and time pressures in a dynamic environment in a positive and professional manner.
• Ability to perform restraint procedures.
• Ability to handle multiple complex projects and identify priorities.
• Ability to maintain professional working relationships with program staff and related agencies.
• Ability to maintain accurate records.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook) at the Intermediate level.

Skills

• Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
• Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong; it does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Qualifications

• Required:
  • Professional or Provisional License in Core Subject Area or Special Education.
  • Must successfully clear background checks associated with the job and complete in-house training.
• Preferred:
  • Master’s degree from an accredited University or College in the field of Education, Special Education, and/or another related Education Degree.
  • Experience supporting adolescents or young adults who have identified special education needs or identified behavioral deficits.

Physical/Mental Requirements

• Must be able to stand or sit for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to move bulky materials or equipment.

About the Culture

VHBG's leadership team encourages employees to bring their authentic self to work, whatever that means for that employee. We do this through unbiased recruiting practices, advocating for employees to participate in our inclusion ambassador council, implementing employee feedback, and offering training opportunities focused on diversity, inclusion, and equity. VHBG nurtures belonging and retains a highly engaged workforce in order to achieve the best experience and outcomes for our clients.

VHBG is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, genetic information, age, gender (including pregnancy and childbirth), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, status as a protected veteran, disability, or other status protected under federal, state, or local law.