Social Studies Teacher (Middle School)

**We are currently hiring for the 2024-2025 school year**

Job Description

Title: Social Studies Teacher

Division: Middle School

Reports to: Middle School Assistant Principal 

Status: Full-time, Exempt, CalSTRS Retirement Eligible (During the Academic Year)

Salary: Faculty Scale plus $12,000 Temporary Cost of Living Allowance and MWA Benefits

Position Summary
The role of the Social Studies Teacher is to develop and implement effective instruction for the courses they teach that engage all students while creating and maintaining a safe, supportive, and rigorous learning environment within the classroom.  Making Waves Academy (MWA) teachers are expected to collaborate with colleagues and develop lesson and unit plans that help students meet and exceed proficiency in content standards.  Teachers are also expected to actively facilitate and participate in culture building within and beyond the classroom, including but not limited to, during lunch, at recess and/or break supervision, and in hallways, consistently reinforcing school-wide norms and expectations.  MWA teachers invest and engage in the work of developing a results-oriented, data-informed, and team-oriented approach to the work.

The typical teaching assignment at MWA involves the following components:

• Number of classes: 4-5
• Number of advisories: 1
• Number of flex periods: 2
• Number of prep periods: 1 per day, or 5-6 per week on average
• Average number of students per class: 25

About the Interview Process
Making Waves Academy's recruitment process is thorough and methodically designed to identify exceptional talent perfectly suited to support our community. As an applicant, you can anticipate an inclusive process that encompasses various stages, including but not limited to an initial recruiter screening, hiring exercise, hiring manager interview, final panel interview, and reference checks. We are committed to selecting the best individuals to join our team and contribute to our shared mission.

Primary Responsibilities 

Instruction

• Teachers are expected to submit weekly WAAGS (week-at-a-glance), syllabi, unit plans, and scope and sequence aligned with Common Core and California State curricular standards; these plans should be differentiated and designed to engage and challenge students.
• Execute a formalized student management plan aligned with the MWA student management system. 
• Create and revise culturally relevant, standards-based lesson plans for students, integrating literacy and writing instruction. 
• Differentiate instruction according to varied learning styles, including child cognitive and social development.
• Engage actively in mandatory morning meetings and professional development sessions to enhance your understanding of effective classroom instruction practices and expectations.

Assessment

• Create and consistently use Formative and Summative Assessments that embed and provide students practice for unit tests, finals, and standardized tests such as the SBAC.
• Manage a formalized student and parent engagement plan that details engaging students and parents and provides metrics to measure growth and development, socially and academically, on a quarterly basis. 
• Design a wide range of performance assessments aligned with lesson plans, instruction, unit objectives, MWA pacing guides, and California state standards. 
• Administer, analyze, and reflect upon quantitative and qualitative student data (schoolwide benchmark data and classroom data) to inform instructional practice. 

Classroom Management and Communication 

• Establish and maintain a well-organized and structured classroom environment conducive to learning.
• Manage classroom behavior with Tier 1 interventions as defined in the MTSS framework and ensure a respectful and inclusive atmosphere among students, including communicating effectively with students, parents, and school staff to inform them about students' progress and classroom activities.
• Enforce school policies and procedures to maintain discipline and safety.
• Employ classroom management techniques in alignment with Making Waves Academy culture, policies, and service model expectations.
• As a Mandated Reporter, supervise students to ensure their safety.
• Communicate effectively with students, parents, and school staff to inform them about students' progress and classroom activities, including participating in three Saturday half-days for parent/ guardian outreach.

Additional Responsibilities and Expectations

Mission Alignment

• Communicate with, teach, and build relationships with staff, faculty, students, and their families in the culturally and linguistically diverse MWA community.
• Commitment to actively participate in the school community – attend weekly division-specific professional development sessions, school performances, school assemblies, extracurricular activities, and field trips if needed. 

Other

• In addition to the core class, instruct students with foundational coursework in an alternate class setting (“Flex Period”) and advise a group of students (“Advisory”/ “Homeroom”)—responsibilities including, but not limited to, 1-1 check-ins, instruction in social-emotional-based curriculum, advisor family conferences, test preparation lessons, and post-secondary exploration and planning support, as applicable.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Work Environment
This job operates in a classroom environment. This role routinely uses standard classroom equipment such as art-related supplies, laptops, photocopiers, whiteboards, and Chromebooks.

Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to adhere to the following:

• May frequently walk across the middle and/or upper school campus.
• Participate in campus supervision duty each week – Monday through Friday. The frequency may vary based on the supervision assignment each semester.
• Lift files, open filing cabinets, bend or stand on a stool as necessary, and sit for long periods.

Travel
Some travel is required for MWA-related events, such as workshops or conferences.

Qualifications

Experience

• Teaching experience is desirable, but related work experience may be considered
• Experience working with students and families from historically underserved communities 
• Dedication, commitment, and resilience to succeed in an urban public school
• Ability to create lesson plans
• Familiarity with reading and analyzing data 
• Previous mentorship experience desirable
• Understanding and ability to implement restorative justice practices 
• Upper School Only: Strong understanding of California’s A-G college readiness requirements

Skills

• Highly effective communication skills 
• Skills in designing and revising authentic, culturally relevant, standards-based lesson plans
• Ability to adapt and align with school-related initiatives
• Highly organized, goal-oriented, and focused on outcomes
• Ability to design a wide range of performance assessments aligned with lesson plans, instruction, unit objectives, MWA pacing guides, NGSS and California state standards
• Ability to communicate with, teach, and build relationships with students and their families in the culturally and linguistically diverse MWA community
• Demonstrate an understanding of technology and literacy learning platforms (PowerSchool, Canvas, Blackboard, Google Drive and Calendar, Khan Academy, Newsla, Zinc/Springboard, etc.)
• Professional orientation – appearance, communication, organization, and attitude
• Ability to work in a team-first setting where colleagues hold one another accountable and support one another to be at their best in lesson preparation and instruction

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• Valid California Single or Multiple Subject Teaching Credential in Subject Area is required
• English Learner (EL) Authorization Certificate
• Applicants without credentials or an EL designation, as well as those who are eligible or currently enrolled in a CTC-approved program, will also be considered
• Passing scores on CBEST and CSET required (more information about California's Basic Skills Requirement and alternate options for meeting it can be found here)

Preferred but not required

• Advanced Degree desirable
• Spanish language proficiency

Licenses or Certificates Needed

• Employment eligibility will include fingerprints, tuberculosis, COVID-19 vaccination, and/or other employment clearance
• California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Certificate of Clearance (COC) required (learn more here)

Reasonable Accommodation
Consistent with its obligations under the law, MWA will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.

Equal Employment Opportunity Is Our Policy

Making Waves Academy is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the School to afford equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to their perceived or identified: race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, including but not limited to braids, locks, and twists); color; gender, (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity, whether or not the employee is transitioning or has transitioned); sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to such); religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices); marital/registered domestic partner status; age (forty (40) and over); national origin or ancestry (including native language spoken and possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the U.S. is authorized by federal law); physical or mental disability (including HIV and AIDS); medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics); taking of a leave of absence pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Pregnancy Disability Leave (“PDL”) law, Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”), the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), or laws related to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking laws; genetic information; sexual orientation; military and veteran status; or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy extends to all job applicants and employees and to all aspects of the employment relationship, including the hiring of new employees and the training, transfer, promotion, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits of existing employees. For a full copy of our non-discrimination policy, visit: https://bit.ly/mwapublicnotices

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