English Teacher
Sophia Academy, Providence, RI
Sophia Academy
English Language Arts Teacher
Sophia Academy is the only independent middle school in Rhode Island that provides a gender specific, holistic middle school education focusing on the intellectual and emotional growth of girls in grades 5‐8 who are from low‐income families. Founder Sr. Mary Reilly’s vision remains Sophia’s goal: to provide a rigorous, relevant, empowering education, preparing our students to be successful in high school and beyond, helping them to lead their lives as confident, compassionate women.
A close‐knit team of faculty draws connections to our 60 students’ lives through humanities (social studies and language arts), math, and science. Ninety‐five percent of Sophia graduates complete high school in four years and most continue on to postsecondary education. The school is accredited by the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE) and is nonsectarian.
Sophia’s strong social justice ethos has attracted the attention of such inspiring women as #MeToo cofounder Tarana Burke and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafsai, and its dedicated and talented faculty are recognized nationally and state‐wide for their excellence.
Aligned with our Guiding Principles, the humanities (social studies and language arts) curriculum provides a forum for students and teachers to explore the values on which the school was founded, upholding Sophia’s commitment to social justice and equality and its appreciation for diverse perspectives and experiences.
The English Language Arts teacher teaches three or four classes of approximately 15 students.
ENGLISH TEACHER JOB SUMMARY
Major areas of responsibility include the following:
- Develop, teach, assess, and evaluate an English language arts curriculum that:
- Teaches students how to learn, analyze, communicate (listening, writing, and speaking), and think critically
- Differentiates instruction and adapts the curriculum to the needs of students with varying abilities and cultural backgrounds
- Incorporates the concepts of gender specific programming
- Exposes students to current authors of young adult literature and introduces them to
classic literature
- Encourages students to read on a regular basis in order to become proficient readers and develop an appreciation for reading in their daily lives
- Focuses on acquiring the ability to make connections between topics they read about, themselves, society and the world
- Emphasizes vocabulary development; instructs students in grammar and spelling
- Covers all aspects of the writing process
- Guides students to respond to a rich variety of literature with increasing complexity and communicate their interpretation of what they have read, heard, and seen through various means of expression
- Partner with the social studies teacher as a humanities team that develops and implements cross disciplinary goals and projects
- Create an organized classroom atmosphere that also encourages students to ask questions, provides equal opportunities for all students to be heard, and promotes and inspires appropriate student behavior
- Understand the fundamental developmental stages in the social, emotional, and academic lives of middle school students
- Evaluate students’ work on a regular basis using a variety of methods including but not limited to portfolio collection, rubrics and state standards, formal and informal assessment measures
- Use student work, standardized testing and other forms of assessment to inform decision‐ making regarding instruction
- Participate in curriculum development and serve on faculty committees
- Commit to continuously improving teaching practice through goal setting, professional development, working with mentors, and collaborating with colleagues
- Communicate with parents and provide opportunities for them to participate in the education of their daughters
- Provide substitute coverage for classes as needed
- Commit to continuously improving teaching practice through goal setting, professional development, working with mentors, and collaborating with colleagues
- Attend weekly faculty meetings
- Attend school events/activities outside of the school day and supervise as needed
- Serve as 6th grade co-advisor, if needed
- Other duties as assigned
Desired Qualifications:
- Belief in and support for the mission, core values, and guiding principles of Sophia Academy
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in English, education or a related field
- Two or more years of classroom teaching experience teaching English, social studies
or humanities in a middle school setting
- Demonstrated commitment to middle school education, urban education, and girls education
- Eager to work in a team environment
- Ability to work independently as a curricular leader, as well as collaboratively with faculty peers
- Initiative, creativity, and willingness to advise extracurricular activities and seek community‐ based opportunities to enrich the curriculum
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work effectively with a wide range of people in a diverse community
- Strong organizational and effective time‐management skills
- Experience in independent schools preferred
- Clearances required
- Bilingual (English and Spanish) is a plus
To apply, send cover letter, resume, references to Marie Myers, Head of School, at mmyers@sophia‐ academy.org
Sophia Academy is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.