Middle School Spanish Instructor

SUMMARY

Harding Academy is a warm and caring school environment where respect is the key ingredient. Every child, parent, and colleague is a unique individual worthy of our understanding and greatest effort. Harding Academy employs outstanding faculty, staff, and administrators, provides technologically enhanced facilities, and offers a broad and challenging curriculum designed to develop the whole person.

The mission of our school is to educate and inspire young people to become thoughtful, creative, lifelong learners and self-disciplined, responsible, caring citizens. Members of the faculty are an important part of this effort. We strive and serve so that the students may become young men and women who are able to make choices that will benefit themselves, our society, and our world.

For more information, please contact Human Resources at hr@hardingacademy.org or Jay Codispoti, Director of Middle School.

The start date for this position is August 6, 2026.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Requirements:             Bachelor’s degree in subject area

Preferences:    Master’s and minimum three years experience in an instructional role; current teacher certification in the State of Tennessee; extracurricular participation or coaching experience

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Knowing that a classroom of students is comprised of individual and diverse learners, we believe that students learn best when instructional practices include:

• differentiated instruction that is designed according to student readiness, progress, and achievement, and is aligned with curriculum standards;
• academic enrichment that challenges students through accelerated learning experiences to advance critical thinking development;
• academic support that addresses the needs of students who require additional practice and alternative instruction to achieve content mastery;
• a brain-based pedagogical model that is informed by current research in human development and neuro-cognitive sciences which provides common language and consistent practices schoolwide.

The primary teaching responsibilities of the middle school Spanish teacher include delivery of the Harding Academy Spanish curriculum. Also to serve as a grade level advisor with all of its duties. In order to achieve this, Harding Academy faculty work with their students, families, and colleagues across the following four domains.

1. Instructional
   1. Demonstrates a desire to meaningfully integrate technology into the classroom
   2. Employs a variety of teaching methods to engage different learning styles and ability levels in the classroom
   3. Prepares motivating and innovative lessons that reflect knowledge of the curriculum, child development, 21st century instruction, and student abilities
   4. Encourages an inclusive classroom that accepts the different perspectives and backgrounds of the students and elicits a greater understanding of the world around them with a global perspective
   5. Utilizes a variety of assessments and uses data in the classroom to develop lessons and instructional activities needed
   6. Updates curriculum and materials as needed
   7. Serves as a grade level advisor
   8. Work collaboratively with the Learning Effectiveness Instructor to support and enrich students in and out of the classroom.
   9. Participates in the Fall Grade Level retreats
   10. Participates in and chaperones Spring Grade Level field trips

1. Teaching and Learning Environment
   1. Creates a learning environment that is a motivating and age-appropriate setting with clear expectations for classwork and homework while maintaining instructional resources that support classroom learning
   2. Seeks to actively know students’ strengths and weaknesses and responds promptly and with care to parent concerns. Communicates effectively with parents, colleagues, and administrators
   3. Utilizes the school's online system to maintain an accurate and organized system for monitoring and reporting student grades and records.
   4. Meets reporting deadlines and requirements and follows school-wide procedures for reporting grades
   5. Prepares well-thought out and thorough conference reports and written documentation on student progress
   6. Maintains substitute plans and engages substitutes in advance when needed and when possible
   7. Demonstrates classroom management skills

1. Professional Development
   1. Demonstrates a willingness to learn, grow, and improve as an educator
   2. Continues to update knowledge of content area(s) taught, as well as instructional practices
   3. Engages in goal setting and review process with assigned administrator
   4. Attends and participates appropriately in full, divisional, and departmental/team faculty meetings

1. School Community
   1. Maintains a positive attitude and approach
   2. Supports colleagues
   3. Represents the school in the larger community in a positive manner
   4. Assists with projects and school-wide initiatives
   5. Other work-related duties as assigned by supervisor or management

COMPETENCIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The competencies listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Professional maturity and the ability to respond calmly and effectively in stressful and dangerous situations
2. Professional and effective written, oral, and listening communication skills
3. Respectful attitude toward school faculty, students, and parents 
4. Ability to maintain integrity and confidentiality of personal information
5. Ability to demonstrate a high level of work, personal, and professional ethics
6. Enthusiasm for working collaboratively as part of the Harding Academy team
7. Active involvement in school functions, goals, activities, etc.
8. Ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills
9. Working knowledge of technology including email, spreadsheets, written and electronic correspondence, internet, school’s online portal, and smartboards.
10. Must have reliable transportation

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to speak; hear; stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, grasp or feel; and reach with hands and arms.  The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.  Reasonable accommodations may be available to allow the employee to perform the essential functions of the job.