About Atmosphere Academy

Atmosphere Academy is a SUNY-approved charter school that serves Bronx School District 10 students and families in grades 6 through 8. Atmosphere's mission is to provide an "atmosphere" for learning in which students and teachers realize their potential as collaborative leaders. To realize this goal, Atmosphere has developed a suite of robust academic and enrichment programming in conjunction with key partners that are designed to develop students’ skills, knowledge, and character. Similarly, the school promotes a professional culture for its faculty and staff that focuses on distributed leadership and continuous improvement through embedded professional development, coaching, mentoring, and teaming.

Teaching Assistant

Atmosphere Teaching Assistants (TAs) work in close collaboration with lead teachers to develop their teaching practice and support student learning. In this way, TAs are given the support they need to develop their instructional practice and focus on continuous improvement that culminates in better student outcomes. Teaming, mentoring, and professional development are embedded in every TA’s schedule. Moreover, observation and evaluation are approached as shared processes with an emphasis on collaboration, self-reflection, and accountability.

Why Atmosphere

Atmosphere has designed a work environment that makes it a destination workplace for a diverse range of highly qualified, innovative professionals. The school offers team members:

• Culture - Atmosphere nurtures and promotes a professional and pioneering culture that is focused on continuous improvement and development. This is realized through embedded professional development, coaching, mentoring, teaming, self-reflection, self-evaluation, peer observation, instructional rounds, continuous feedback, and other important supports that promote participation in and contribution to a professional learning community.

• Compensation - Atmosphere offers salaries that are competitive with those paid by other charter and public schools in the New York area. Moreover, the school also provides an annual increase of up to 4% and an annual merit bonus of up to 6% that are tied to each employee’s performance evaluation and ability to meet specific annual goals.

• Benefits - Atmosphere provides a 401k plan (with employer matching up to 5%), health insurance plan (school pays 85% of premium), dental insurance plan (school pays 100% of premium), vision insurance plan (school pays 100% of premium), and flexible spending plan.

• Flexibility - Atmosphere acknowledges that its staff needs to be afforded the flexibility to meet obligations they have to family and other responsibilities outside of work. By partnering with employees to customize their work schedules, Atmosphere is able to increase their productivity and level of satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Relevant teaching assistant experience in a charter school or other school setting

• Proven track record of successfully working with Atmosphere’s student population

• Experience working with diverse student groupings that may include a range of ELL students, special education students, general education students, and gifted students

• Student-centered teaching philosophy and pedagogy that is compatible with both the SIOP and GRR instructional model

• Strong interpersonal skills and track record of collaborating with diverse stakeholders

• Strong communication, writing, and presentation skills

• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail

• Relentless determination to do whatever it takes to help Atmosphere students succeed

• Proactive and creative problem-solver

• Values input and feedback

• Team player capable of working both collaboratively and independently

• Strong recommendations from prior employers, colleagues, or employees

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required

• Teacher Assistant certification required

Responsibilities

Instructional Duties

• Travel with team(s) of students to 5 or 6 periods of subject area classes per day

• Serve as the lead teacher for 1 subject area class per day (if relevant and/or needed)

• Support teacher development of daily lesson plans and unit plans in myriad ways

• Work with lead teachers to help adjust and refine curricula choices and design

• Create selected curricular documents that buttress and scaffold student understanding and application of knowledge (in close collaboration with lead teachers)

• Identify and implement multi-media resources and tools that enhance the learning experience by presenting students with blended learning opportunities (in close collaboration with lead teachers)

• Work with and leverage pre-existing curricula from vendors like Pearson, Scholastic, etc.

• Support the creation and improvement of curriculum guides, scope and sequences, etc.

• Collaborate with lead teachers and other support staff to ensure all students’ needs are met

• Maintain a highly engaged classroom setting that promotes good order and a love of learning

• Highlight student voices and promote student-led discovery of meaning

• Serve as an advisor in tandem with a co-advisor by leading a daily advisory class focused on the underlying soft skills that all students need to succeed in academia, in careers, and in life

• Teach two quarterly elective courses per year that meet twice per week and focus on an area of particular personal or professional interest (examples include TED Talk elective, Photography elective, Gardening elective, etc.)

Professional Duties

• Serve as a key team member, striving to collaborate whenever possible

• Seek out internal and external professional development opportunities that are either presented by Atmosphere or independently identified

• Take part in school-wide special events or activities by serving as an advisor, coach, chaperone, etc.

• Participate in and contribute to teacher team meetings, department meetings, data inquiry team meetings, coaching meetings, and mentoring meetings (among other meetings)

• Lead the self-evaluation portion of Atmosphere’s 50-50 professional evaluation system using the rubric and annual goals as the metric for success and growth

• Actively contribute to a professional learning community by partaking in coaching, mentoring, teaming, and other activities and tasks focused on promoting professional learning and growth

Other Duties

• Any and all other responsibilities as delegated and assigned by the Board of Trustees and the Principal.

• Equal Opportunity Employer: Atmosphere Academy Public Charter School is an equal opportunity employer and hires without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

• Compensation: Pay and compensation are commensurate with skill and experience.

• Benefits: Atmosphere offers a full benefits package (health care, vision, dental, 401k, etc.).

Job Types: Full-time, Contract

Benefits:

• 401(k)

• 401(k) matching

• Dental Insurance

• Health insurance

• Paid time off

• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Supplemental Pay:

• Bonus pay

Education:

• Associate (Preferred)

Work Location:

• One location

Work Remotely:

• No