Middle School Science Teacher & STEM Coordinator

Middle School Science Teacher & STEM Coordinator

The Academy for Global Citizenship seeks a visionary Science Teacher & STEM Coordinator to foster a world-class Sustainability Science program that taps into the utilization of our innovative campus as an experiential and hands-on teaching and learning tool. The role will be responsible for spearheading the development, implementation and continual strengthening of our sustainable STEM, biomimicry, and other green “wonder lab” spaces and programs. This position also involves teaching science and expanding the wonder and curiosity of our 6-8 graders.

This position is ideal for a passionate middle school educator seeking a collaborative and open environment for whole-student learning with a focus on environmental stewardship. As an International Baccalaureate school, the successful candidate should be an adaptable and inspiring educator, with the ability to deliver a coherent, balanced, integrated, inquiry-based program and should be capable of preparing students in a stimulating, challenging and well-organized learning environment.

Science & Sustainability Teacher Responsibilities include:

• Teaching: Uses various modes of learning to accommodate different learning styles: inquiry, real-life experiences, current events, technology, the arts and other engagement opportunities.
• Campus Engagement: Maximizes the integration of our six-acre campus as a hands-on and experiential learning tool, including on-site renewable energy and battery storage systems, learning gardens and greenhouses, innovative water systems, and sustainability features.
• Outdoor Learning: Spends at least 30% of time outdoors with students, facilitating nature-based learning experiences, year-round.
• Content: Teaches middle school students assigned science subject area according to IB Middle Years Program principles and student data.
• Collaboration: Meets weekly with the middle school team. Collaborates with special education teachers and other grade level teachers to differentiate instruction.
• Professional Development: Participates in coaching cycle, stays abreast of latest techniques and demonstrates an eagerness to learn new skills and share experiences with others.
• Curriculum Development: Works to align curriculum with Next Generation Science Standards, the IB MYP, and AGC’s unique mission.
• Performance Assessment: Sets high and measurable goals for student achievement and evaluates student progress using both summative and formative assessment data.
• Community: Encourages the use of community resources, cooperates with families in welcoming them to our community, and maintains solid communication with all community members.
• Advisory Teacher: Leads a small group of students through social emotional learning every morning in 40 minute blocks. Acts as the primary point person/contact for the student and family during the year. Co-plans advisory activities with the middle school team. Co-leads (with student) parent conferences.

STEM Coordinator Responsibilities include:

• Program Development: Spearheads the development, implementation and continual strengthening and innovating of a world-class sustainable STEM, biomimicry, and other green “wonder lab” spaces and programs that
• School-Wide Integration & Collaboration: Works collaboratively with other Coordinators, leadership team members, and teachers to support the integration and utilization of our campus’ sustainable STEM features and wonder lab spaces as an experiential and hands-on learning tool into all grade levels’ units of inquiry and learning.
• Design Studio: Actively participates in AGC’s Design Studio that is leading AGC’s “reimagining the future of learning” journey to cultivate innovative, transdisciplinary, and impactful learning and deep collaboration at our new campus.
• External Engagement: Represents AGC externally at conferences and events; participates and leads tours for donors, educators and visitors; documents and shares our innovative STEM program and practices, participates in the professional development and other dissemination activities related to sharing our model with other schools and educators.
• Extended Learning: Collaborates with the Extended Learning Coordinator and others to develop avenues for extended learning opportunities, including after school, family engagement, and summer programming.

We are looking for staff who:

• Have a big heart to match a big brain
• Are bilingual in English and Spanish (ideal)
• Want their work to define best practice
• Respect and thrive in a dynamic, changing, and growing environment
• Know extraordinary things can happen when people work hard together
• Want to participate in a laboratory for innovation in education

Working at AGC means:

• Being surrounded by thoughtful, inquisitive students and hard-working, like-minded colleagues
• Thinking outside of the box to do what is best for our students
• Being held to high standards for continuous personal and school improvement, and being given the time and support to do so – AGC teachers receive twice as many professional development hours as their peers, and coaching from an Instructional Leadership Team with a combined experience of 13 advanced degrees and 78 years in 26 schools
• Promoting student profile qualities of the International Baccalaureate Program: inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk takers, knowledgeable, principled, caring, open-minded, well-balanced, and reflective.
• Gaining experience with interdisciplinary International Baccalaureate Units of Inquiry, balanced literacy, arts integration, and constructivist Mathematics approach
• Having high academic expectations for every student in the school everyday
• Getting your hands dirty in our school garden
• Enjoying 100% organic, scratch made meals prepared by our on-site chef
• Working in an environmentally sustainable school culture

Required Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• 3+ years experience as an educator (ideal)
• Familiarity with IB (MYP) (ideal)
• Familiarity with inquiry-based teaching
• Believer in culturally relevant teaching
• Strong leadership, communication skills and personal drive
• Ability to maintain a safe, orderly environment, in accordance with restorative justice practices
• Experience with MTSS process and accommodating students diverse learners in the classroom
• Bilingual in Spanish and English (ideal)

Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor Degree in Education (preferred)
• Middle School Endorsement (preferred)
• Science Endorsement (preferred)
• State of Illinois Teaching Certificate in relevant area
• Certification in Bilingual Education, ESL Endorsement or extensive experience in ELL instruction (ideal)

Reimagining the Future of Learning

In addition to operating a K-8 school as a learning laboratory for the Chicago Public School district, AGC’s bold vision is to serve as an incubator of innovation and center of learning for the entire community. Our mission is to reimagine community learning by building partnerships, providing services, and establishing a living institution that model how to coexist peacefully and productively on a more sustainable planet. We envision a world where all have access to inspired educational opportunities, preparing communities to tackle local and global challenges and to live within our planetary boundaries.

New Community Revitalization Project

Leading up to this moment, AGC has not only been focused on helping its Chicago area students create lives full of possibility, but also has reached 5 million students in multiple states and countries by sharing our work openly and encouraging replication of our model. We are now poised to invigorate the AGC mission on a visionary new campus which will be completed in the summer of 2023. Experts from all over the world helped us reimagine the nexus between inspirational learning and healthy communities, and we have attracted a $31 million capital commitment from the State of Illinois.

The new AGC learning hub is one of the most architecturally ambitious projects in the U.S. today and is paving the way for reimagining the role of “school” and learning environments in cultivating the next generation of globally and environmentally minded leaders. AGC’s new learning hub will provide critically needed access to tuition-free early childhood learning, high quality K-8 public education, health care and mental health services, community wellness facilities and programming, neighborhood gardens and green spaces, and a fresh foods market featuring produce from the campus three-acre urban farm, food forest, orchard, apiary, and greenhouses. A variety of sustainable technologies and innovative learning environments, including STEM labs, tinkering studios and maker spaces, will allow educators to reimagine experiential and real-world learning.

Compensation:

A competitive salary based on experience and level of education will be provided. Full benefits, free scratch-made and organic breakfast and lunch, a wellness fund, an innovation fund, and professional development funding are offered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, age, national origin, or disability.