Description

Job Title: Lower School Faculty

Reports To: Director of Lower School

FLSA Status: Exempt

Department: Lower School

Schedule: 10 months

Alexander Dawson School Overview: 

Located at the foot of Red Rock Canyon in the Summerlin community of Las Vegas, Nevada, since 2000, The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain is a top-ranked independent school serving approximately 580 students from Early Childhood through grade eight. As the state's first Stanford University Challenge Success partner school, Dawson embraces a modern learning philosophy and student-centered educational program that emphasizes academics, creativity, student safety and wellbeing, and a healthy school-life balance. Our graduates are prepared to achieve their individual potential, savor life, and meet the challenges of the world. 

Alexander Dawson Lower School:

Guided by the Mission of the School and driven by Alexander Dawson’s strategic plan, the Lower School is a place of joyful learning. Our faculty are caring, creative, and knowledgeable teachers passionate about whole-child education. As a modern learning institute and a Challenge Success school, Dawson teachers create lessons and learning environments that balance the intersection of academic knowledge, competency skills, and habits of mind. Remaining current on best practices related to competency-based education and Project-Based Learning is a top priority for all Dawson faculty. Lower School teachers, students, and families value the strong sense of community and the personalized learning experiences the School provides through its diverse curriculum. The Lower School culture emphasizes team dynamics and an ongoing commitment to learning from others. The Lower School program is proud to be accredited by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS). 

Position Summary:

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain seeks a temporary third-grade teacher for the 2023-2024 school year. Working closely with other members of the grade-level team, this educator is responsible for designing a curriculum and creating an environment in which each student feels like an integral part of the school community. This teacher is responsible for implementing programs such as Everyday Mathematics, Being a Reader, and Being a Writer. In addition to teaching, the educator will communicate regularly and proactively with students, families, and colleagues, as well as contribute positively to the overall school culture while fulfilling duties as assigned (recess and lunch supervision, etc.) and serving on school committees as requested or desired. Finally, Dawson is looking for a dynamic Lower School teacher who loves primary and intermediate age groups and can inspire our learners to think critically and creatively, question with a deep curiosity about the world, and exude joy for savoring life.

Qualifications

Essential Functions: The essential duties and responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to:

Learning Environment

• Support and value social-emotional learning

• Create a student-centered, print-rich, and intentional classroom environment

• Redirect students by maintaining mutual respect and dignity

• Interact with students by making genuine connections and demonstrating warmth, care, and respect

• Convey high expectations for student achievement through visible instructional goals, learning activities, and interactions

• Maintain a safe and organized learning environment where student voice and ownership is encouraged and valued

• Establish effective classroom routines and maximize instructional times

• Involve students in the development of classroom norms

• Exhibit the philosophy that process has as much value as product

• Demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to student needs and behaviors; employ a relational discipline approach 

Planning and Instruction

• Use high-impact strategies rooted in Dawson’s Core Values that effectively engage students

• Ask questions that require higher-order thinking

• Communicate focus and purpose of lessons with students in written and/or oral form

• Present activities in a logical and meaningful order

• Exhibit student work both in the process of development and the final product

• Engage students in the development of learning outcomes

• Provide feedback and coaching to students that is timely, specific, realistic, and relevant and encourages goal-setting

• Modify lessons based on student needs

• Utilize multiple grouping strategies such as a balance of individual, small-group, and whole-class activities in teaching and planning

• Provide opportunities for the application and transfer of students’ knowledge and skills

• Use technology to create student experiences that have transformative impacts on learning (SAMR)

• Design authentic assessments and performance tasks to measure student learning

• Use data to make informed curricular and instructional decisions

Professional Responsibilities

• Attend and actively engage in divisional and school-wide meetings

• Critically reflect on teaching and learning

• Embrace cultural competency and commit to ongoing growth in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Maintain an effective system for recording student progress where outcomes are continually monitored and assessed

• Maintain positive and caring relationships with families, communicate regularly about student progress, and remain responsive to concerns

• Provide families with an ongoing window into the student experience and growth process

Competencies:

• Adaptability – Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events; able to balance the demands of a robust teaching schedule

• Communication – Written and oral communication is clear, concise, and professional; listen and get clarification; respond well to questions

• Confidentiality – Maintain confidential information

• Customer Service – Manage difficult or emotional parent situations; respond promptly to family needs

• Dependability – Keep commitments

• Ethics – Treat people with respect; work ethically and with integrity; uphold organizational values

• Judgment – Exhibit sound and accurate judgment

• Mindset - Presume positive intentions; approach challenges with a growth mindset

• Organizational Support – Follow policies and procedures

• Planning/Organizing – Prioritize and plan work activities; use time efficiently

• Problem Solving – Use reason, even when dealing with emotional topics

• Professionalism – Treat others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position

• Professional Development - Seek opportunities for professional development to enhance content knowledge and pedagogical skills

• Safety and Security – Observe safety and security procedures; report potentially unsafe conditions

• Strategic Thinking – Identify opportunities for school advancement and growth

• Teamwork - Prioritize team over individual; maintain an open mind and collaborate in team, departmental, and divisional decisions to ensure that all students succeed

• Time Management – Stay focused and engaged during the completion of time-sensitive tasks; appropriately pace lessons to optimize student learning

Qualifications, Education & Experience:

• Minimum three years of teaching experience 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field required; Master’s preferred

• Experience working with elementary-aged students

• A strong awareness of current brain research related to the use of technology

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.