Elementary Teacher Role
This position will report to Elementary School Building Principal. The Elementary School Teacher will plan, prepare, and teach well developed culturally responsive lessons which enthuse and inspire students, and promote an exciting rigorous learning environment. The Elementary School Teacher will assess, track, and provide relevant and timely feedback on achievement and developmental needs to students, families and colleagues. The Elementary School Teacher will maintain a strong home, school and community connection. The Elementary School Teacher will work within a diverse environment of dynamic learners. This position will require a high degree of creativity, cultural awareness and problem-solving capabilities.
Elementary Teacher Expectations
- Effectively and appropriately differentiates and scaffolds instruction to meet all students’ learning styles with an appreciation for students’ cultural and learning differences;
- Select and sequence culturally relevant materials, resources, and approaches according to the content area and audience of diverse learners;
- Design, administer, and evaluate a range of authentic formative and summative assessments as appropriate;
- Induct students using culturally responsive practices to provide academic advice, counselling, educational guidance, and advisory support, including individual learning plans, as directed;
- Develop culturally relevant materials and resources, implement, support and/or lead in the production and improvement of curriculum planning, and undertake other academic project work as directed;
- Utilize learning spaces and tools (i.e., notice boards, displays) to share student work and lived experiences;
- Maintains student data to be shared with classroom teacher, building leader and family;
- Develops a variety of interventions and activities designed to meet students’ academic, social, psychological and physical needs with a system for monitoring progress;
- Creates opportunities for explicit instruction in small group to provide opportunities for pre-teaching, re-teaching and targeted intervention to address lagging skills;
- Establishes and communicates clear learning objectives for all learning activities;
- Actively engages students in the learning process which leads to an academic success identity;
- Communicates openly and with a growth mindset with adults and students;
- Demonstrates the ability to create a partnership and shared vision with parents for student success;
- Provides constructive feedback to students;
- Monitors students and observes changes in student behavior and seeks appropriate assistance;
- Creates a positive student learning environment;
- Positively manages student behavior;
- Analyzes, reflects, and responds about instructional practice.
Elementary Teacher Key Qualities
- Embraces an assets based perspective;
Places students at the center of learning;
Values students' linguistic and cultural backgrounds;
Challenges and supports students; - Demonstrates good critical thinking skills to understand student and staff experiences;
- Demonstrated skill in Data Driven Instruction (DDI);
- Demonstrated ability to close the opportunity gap with vulnerable subgroups including Students with Disabilities, English Language Learners, Black, and Hispanic/Latino;
- Ability to work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders including families, teachers, paras, social workers, principals, coordinators, coaches and community members for student success;
- Knowledge of developmental literacy, the District Literacy Plans and literacy assessments;
- Instructional practices that reflect an explicit understanding of being culturally responsive
- Excellent listening and questioning skills;
- Flexible and adaptable;
- Proactively plans for situations and circumstances;
- Imparts a positive impact with students and staff.
About Schenectady City Schools
With a population of nearly 10,000 students, the Schenectady City School District is one of the largest in the Capital Region. With an incredibly diverse population we are committed to ensuring that all children feel valued, are safe and will learn. We place the highest priority on a culture of equity, ensuring that race, economics, and disability are never predictors of student achievement. Every child in our district counts and will be supported each step of the way, along the path to graduation.
The Schenectady City School District is committed to hiring members of protected classes and residents of the City of Schenectady. For more information on the District’s recruitment and hiring plan, please contact the Human Resources Office at 881-2000 ext. 40133. The Schenectady City School District does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race or gender. This policy is in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Regulations and By-Laws of the Board of Education of the Schenectady City School District.