Teacher Language Arts Teacher
Job Description
Background
YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School is a nationally-recognized leader in alternative education. Our mission is to provide out-of-school youth with the broadest range of tools, supports, and opportunities to become self-sufficient, responsible, contributing members and leaders in their community.
Teachers at YouthBuild are creative, flexible and passionate about seeing all students succeed. As part of an unapologetically comprehensive organization, they balance their academic responsibilities with facilitating students’ holistic self-development. Using a strengths-based approach, they focus on building competence and confidence.
At its best, working at YouthBuild is joyful and inspiring. Teachers have the autonomy to design meaningful curriculum within a social justice context, aligned to core transferrable competencies. Beyond their classrooms, they participate in a warm, loving culture that uses a variety of structures to build community, including a restorative-justice approach to discipline, weekly community meetings, and school-wide service projects.
Mission
Our mission is to provide out of school youth in Philadelphia with the broadest range of tools supports and opportunities available to become self sufficient, responsible and productive citizens in their community.
Responsibilities
YouthBuild’s language arts teachers focus on strengthening students’ analytical reading and writing skills as well as on creating a culture of literacy in which reading and writing are tools for learning and self-expression.
Within the classroom:
- create a positive learning environment built on strong relationships
- design learner-centered units that develop transferrable competencies and culminate with “demonstrations” (projects) that showcase students’ original work
- use instructional strategies where student voice and thinking are the primary focus and content coverage is secondary
- develop learning experiences that emphasize six core professional skills: teamwork, people skills, motivation, high quality work, resilience and self-development.
Beyond the classroom:
- act as formal coaches to 4 – 5 students, forging empowering relationships that ensure that the students they coach stay connected and on track
- work in inter-departmental teams to support the success of a group of twenty five students as they move through our rigorous program
- participate in a highly collaborative, fluid school culture that requires strong interpersonal skills and flexibility.
Qualifications
- Certified in Language Arts, ideally both middle and high school certified; special education certification, background or experience a plus
- 3 — 5 years teaching experience with students at middle grade reading levels or with struggling older readers Ability to design meaningful, project-based curriculum within a social justice context
- Experience with and commitment to positive youth development and cultural competence
