Position: ESL Teacher - Gr. 6-8 Watertown Middle School (SY 24-25)
Department: ESL
Location: Watertown Middle School
Reports to: Principal and EL Director
Affiliation: WEA Unit A
Salary range: As determined by Unit A WEA Salary Schedule
Apply on the WPS website: https://watertownps.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
Summary:
Watertown Public Schools seeks an exceptional ESL Teacher who is highly qualified and knowledgeable to join our community of teachers, learners, and leaders. A passionate language teacher, the candidate should have strong academic knowledge and the ability to teach students to communicate effectively and thoughtfully, justify their reasoning, and consider multiple perspectives while building their self-esteem alongside their emotional, social, ethical, and academic growth. The candidate will be able to properly identify Multilingual Learners (MLs) in a timely manner and be able to administer the WIDA ACCESS, the WIDA screener, and/or the WIDA MODEL. This is an exciting opportunity for teachers who desire to serve where their efforts matter.
Position Responsibilities:
Working under the general supervision of the English Language (EL) Director as well as building administration, the successful candidate will plan and teach a self-contained English Language Development (ELD) class as well as co-teaching with content teachers. They will work collaboratively with members of the department and the school to support student learning and growth. It is anticipated that the person may co-teach math, social studies, and/or science. Candidates who are bilingual are strongly preferred and encouraged to apply.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Demonstrates mastery of related subject matter, instructional skills, and resource materials for the course(s) taught.
- Utilizes lesson plans and units of instruction, aligned with current state and district standards, which drives instruction through formative assessment and differentiation.
- Maintains a safe, organized classroom, which supports students’ independent learning, collaboration, and choice.
- Utilizes a variety of effective instructional and management techniques.
- Provides a variety of assessments and uses assessments for planning and instruction
- Provides consistent, immediate feedback to student learning and asks analytical questions that elicit students’ responses that incorporate prior knowledge, life experience, and interests that are directly related to the content objective.
- Monitors and maintains a positive classroom environment that supports the school-wide behavior expectation in which most students are engaged, incorporates mutual respect, and provides cooperative learning opportunities.
- Uses available technology/instructional media to enhance the students’ learning experiences.
- Establishes and maintains appropriate relationships with students, parents, staff, and community members by communicating in a tactful, courteous, and confidential manner.
- Appropriately communicates and interacts with other professional staff in academic planning and school committee work.
- Attends and participates in staff meetings and school-related activities and committees.
- Demonstrates a commitment to continuous professional growth and works with the administrator to formulate and complete professional growth plans.
Core Competencies: Using the Massachusetts Model System for Educators Rubric, priority skills and abilities that all Watertown Public School teachers should possess:
Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment
(Subject Matter Knowledge, Well-Structured Lessons, Curriculum and Planning Indicator, Child and Adolescent Development)
- Demonstrates mastery of and enthusiasm for the content area and the pedagogy it requires
- Can convey a grasp of child development and how students learn
- Designs effective and rigorous standards-based units of instruction consisting of well-structured lessons with measurable outcomes
Teaching All Students
(Meeting Diverse Needs, Student Engagement, Safe Learning Environment)
- Uses instructional practices that are likely to challenge, motivate, and engage all students and facilitate equitable, active student participation
- Builds a productive learning environment where every student participates and is valued as part of the class community
- Cultural Proficiency
- Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected
Family and Community Engagement
(Parent/Family Engagement)
- Engages with families and builds collaborative, respectful relationships with them in service of student learning
- Professional Reflection & Collaboration
Professional Culture
(Reflective Practice, Professional Collaboration)
- Regularly reflects on practice, seeks and responds to feedback, and demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to continuous learning and development
- Seeks to participate in and contribute to a collaborative adult learning community
Qualifications - Required:
- Education: Hold a Bachelor’s degree
- Hold a valid Massachusetts Teaching License in the appropriate grade level
- Meet all state and federal guidelines in order to be fully licensed and Highly Qualified
- Ability to meet the Standards of Effective Teaching established by the Massachusetts Model System for Educators as outlined above
- Current authorization to work in the United States - Candidates must have such authorization by their first day of employment
Qualifications - Preferred:
- A minimum of a Bachelor's degree is required; a Master's degree is preferred. The preferred candidate will be prepared to teach ESL and either majored in ESL or have completed a significant amount of ESL coursework in order to ensure their ELD services are effective in meeting the needs of the MLs. They should be engaging and provide rigorous grade-level instruction for language development and access to grade-level content.
- Bilingual in Portuguese or Spanish. Arabic, Turkish, Pashto, and Russian are also sought after.
License Requirements:
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education license as a 5-12 ESL teacher.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Watertown Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Language:
License/Certification:
- Teaching Certification (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Watertown, MA 02472 (Required)
Ability to Relocate:
- Watertown, MA 02472: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person