Teacher Coordinator of (Learner Centered) Instruction and Curriculum
Job Description
Coordinator of (Learner Centered) Instruction and Curriculum
General Position and Organization Description:
This is not an ordinary educator role, and this is not an ordinary school. Embark Education is a micro-school embedded in two small businesses in North Denver that support students to courageously inquire, engage, and discover a sense of self. Our vision is for all members of our community to learn courageously. Embark is built upon three design pillars- Embedded, Integrated and Learner Centered.
At Embark, we think of Pinwheel Coffee, Framework Cycles, our “Learning Hubs” and the greater Denver area as our classroom; curriculum and learning are, and will be, integrated regularly into the shop operations. Learning is rigorous, but relevant to the work in the shops and students should never be left asking “why am I learning this?”. Researching world history, geography and climate will be a part of ordering and understanding where the beans for the coffee shop are sourced. Physics experiments will be interlaced with repairing bike gears, etc. This is not a role of a traditional educator and even the use of the title “Educator” is only relevant if you go to the Latin root “Educo,” meaning to draw out from what is already inside. The micro-school is learner centered and often self-directed learning environment and the role of the adults is to cultivate an environment where deep learning and exploration can occur.
The Coordinator of Instruction and Curriculum will be new to the Embark team but will be critical as we strengthen the learning opportunities for our students, codify our work (and learning) and continue our journey to be leaders in learner centered education. The coordinator will work alongside our strong team of educators and and enterprise team as a strategic thought partner and capacity builder. They will also be charged with leading professional learning both internally and for educators seeking to grow in their learner centered practice, this may look like presenting at conferences, leading workshops, writing professional articles, etc.
Embark Education is a project of Great Work, Inc. a non-profit with a non-traditional work environment. As an organization, we are passionate about education, innovation and are dedicated to pioneering, enhancing and supporting education environments worldwide through professional development, piloting programs and projects, community outreach and engagement. As a culture, we are fluid and responsive to the changing landscape of those we serve. As team members, our roles have a focus area, but we also fill in where needed in support of the initiatives, projects and overall goals of the organization. While this job description is the backbone of this role’s work within the organization, all GWI staff regularly have responsibilities and tasks within other projects as skillsets and expertise are needed.
The education team is made up of dynamic individuals, steeped in understanding youth development, passionate about respecting and working with and alongside adolescents, and able to give students real leadership while still being accountable for measurable academics.
We know it’s a big ask and a non-traditional environment, but for the right candidate it will be the most fulfilling, inspiring and impactful educator role. Simply put, we are looking for a change agent that has a deep passion and understanding of adolescents
His/Her primary responsibilities will be:
- Learner Centered Instruction and Curriculum
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- Support and partner with students, educators and enterprise team to strengthen the learning process through a learner centered lens
- Development, codification and support of embedded curriculum, both solo and in conjunction with educators and enterprise team
- Manage student work within the embedded curriculum (interfacing between students and non-Embark staff, building systems to support adults and students- such as our burgeoning badging program)
- Collect bodies of annotated student work to use as a mirror and catalyst for improved practice internally and distill to be shared externally
- Analyze student achievement and oversee internal and external assessments(student work samples, interim assessments and performance-based assessments) to determine how to better develop materials and provide targeted, high quality teacher supports.
- Build community partnerships to support across all content areas
- Uncover, highlight, and develop the connections between all parts of the Embark student experience and the academic objectives and learner profile competencies
- Identify current Embark practices for transferable learner centered content and, where necessary, composing the tools to capture those practices
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- Program Development
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- Desire and ability to grow and develop the skill set to present at conferences, write articles and be a leader in the educational community
- Have a command of the entirety of the Embark curriculum and ability to communicate educational philosophy to parents and the education community locally, regionally and nationally
- Develop and support professional learning opportunities both for the Embark education team but also identifies opportunities for practices at Embark to be developed into opportunities for external audiences
- Have an understanding of adult learning theories and can nimbly code switch between students, educators and community
- Embark Culture
- Be an active member in the Embark community on a daily basis
- Leadership role in cultivating community partnerships, connecting students with outside experts, coordinating field trips, etc.
- Step in as primary point of student learning for educators as needed
- Actively be a partner participant in developing culture (run Morning Meeting, restorative circles, be an Advisor)
- Assist in student marketing, recruitment, admissions, and enrollment
- Demonstrate ability to manage conflict in the workplace and school setting by effectively applying conflict resolution strategies and confronting issues as they arise
The ideal candidate will have/be…
- entrepreneurial acumen
- curriculum development experience
- an understanding of competency based feedback and evaluation
- experience in non-traditional education environments
- attention to detail
- Bilingual (preferred but not required)
- able to seamlessly incorporate the words “aardvark” and “cornucopia” into a well-crafted cover letter (yes, we’re serious)
- computer competence with: Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point Google Docs, and basic office software.
- a willingness to question convention, to experiment and to take risks, balanced with an organized approach to managing details.
- a sense of humor
- the ability to thrive in a self-motivated, challenging and demanding role that will have varied and sometimes extended hours.
- a BA or equivalent combination of a degree and relevant experience.
Our expectations are high, our strategic plan is ambitious and our staff must be up for a challenge, but if you’re still reading and interested, you might be a good fit.
Please email an interesting (meaning, not, stock, boring or typical) cover letter and your resume to admin@embarkeducation.org. In order to ensure we are able to review your submission, please include your name and the position title in the subject line.
We believe that traditional hiring practices have historically and systemically marginalized entire groups of people — including people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women and people in the LGBTQIA+ community to name a few. We believe that we are better as an organization when we work to deconstruct the barriers intrinsic in that system so that our team has authentic representation from diverse communities, backgrounds and beliefs. Hence, we strongly encourage people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities to apply for roles within our team.
