Saturday Academy Lead Teacher

Description

Overview

Horizons Greater Washington (HGW) is seeking dedicated teachers and youth development professionals with classroom experience and a penchant for cultivating students’ lifelong love of learning for two of our six-week sessions of Saturday Academy.

2025 Program Dates and Schedule:

Saturday Schedule:  Bus chaperone hours will be 8:15am to 2:30-3:00pm, depending on bus schedule. Otherwise, hours will be 8:30am to 2:30pm. 

Winter Session: January 18, 2025 to February 22, 2025

Spring Session: March 1, 2025 to April 5, 2025

Program Location: Bancroft Elementary School (1755 Newton St. NW, Washington, DC 20010)

Organizational Background

Horizons Greater Washington (HGW), an affiliate of Horizons National, advances educational equity by building long-term partnerships with students, families, communities, and schools to create experiences outside of school that inspire the joy of learning. Through our cornerstone summer program, HGW supports over 400 students in grades 1-9. In Fall 2022, we launched the academic year Saturday Academy for students to continue the gains that they make during the summer.

Working in partnership with our families, sending schools, and host schools, HGW develops the whole child through experiences that build problem-solving skills, foster awareness of community responsibility, and instill respect for self and others. The program begins when a student enters first grade and extends until they enter ninth grade, allowing for a rewarding long-term relationship between a diverse set of learners and the nurturing staff who work with them every summer and through the academic year.

HGW applies a Positive Youth Development approach to its work and emphasizes staff practices aligned with the four domains within the Pyramid of Program Quality designed by David P. Weikert's Center for Youth Program: Engagement, Interaction, Supportive, and Safe Environment. All HGW staff strive to create an environment that is engaging, interactive, supportive, and safe to ensure that programs are meeting the needs of youth.

Position Description

Each Saturday Academy Lead Teacher will lead six-week long project based learning curricula for students in 1st-8th grade, centered around a common theme and supervise a group of up to 20 students on up to two field trips per session.

Pay Rate and Hours: This position is paid at a rate of $30/hour, for approximately seven hours per week.

Job Responsibilities

The Saturday Academy Lead Teacher’s areas of direct responsibility include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Implement and teach, project-based curriculum, as selected by Horizons Greater Washington in advance of the Saturday Academy, throughout our six-week Saturday Academy sessions.
• Engage approximately 15-20 students in weekly lessons that promote active, student-centered learning around a theme
• Supervise a group of 15-20 students on field trips, including on bus transportation
• Establish and maintain a classroom environment conducive to learning
• Ensure compliance to state and organizational regulations and policies
• Meet regularly with the Saturday Academy Site Director to proactively accomplish goals and problem solve as issues arise
• Assist in the administration of student assessments

Job Requirements

In addition to having a steadfast commitment to Horizon’s mission, the ideal candidate will possess classroom experience in project-based instruction, behavior management, and differentiation. Candidates must also be flexible, organized, and self-driven.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Position-relevant teaching credentials are strongly preferred, but equivalent content expertise or teaching experience will be considered in lieu of certification
• Knowledge of best practices for classroom management as well as socio-emotional learning and the ability to implement specific strategies for developing children’s non-cognitive skills such as focus, determination, empathy and self-discipline
• Proven ability to relate well to diverse children and families as well as plan and deliver engaging, challenging lessons for school-aged children
• Excellent communicative, organizational, and time management skills
• Leadership experience and demonstrated ability to work as a member of a multidisciplinary team
• Access to reliable transportation for travel to/from the program
• Willingness to make changes in instruction based on feedback and observation

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience teaching elementary and/or middle school-aged students in a classroom setting is strongly preferred
• Knowledge of effective teaching strategies for second language learners
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred

Background Check Requirements

All offers of employment to employees 18 or over are contingent on the successful completion of the background checks described below:

• Fingerprinting (FBI) (MD & DC)
• Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Criminal Background Check (DC)
• National Sex Offender Registry (DC)

All offers of employment at Horizons Greater Washington are contingent upon clear results of the above suitability checks. 

Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates immediately after acceptance of employment offer and on all employees who are promoted, as deemed necessary.

How to Apply

Please include an up-to-date copy of your resume and a brief cover letter that outlines your relevant skills and experience as well as your availability for the Winter and Spring Programs.

Environmental and Physical Conditions

The environmental factors and/or physical requirements of this position include the following: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations; and the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-20 pounds. Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard. The employee frequently is required to be in one position for long periods of screen use, reach with hands and arms, and talk and hear both in person and over devices. The employee interacts in close spaces and frequently with children and other staff. May be in situations which require conflict resolution. The position works in a school environment with artificial light and air.

COVID-19

Horizons Greater Washington requires that the holder of this position be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined by the CDC, and as ordered by DC law. Horizons Greater Washington will review and consider requests for reasonable accommodation to this requirement and determine whether an accommodation can be provided based on the essential functions of the job. Horizons Greater Washington may require information or documentation from an employee and reserves the right to request additional information or documentation in consideration of the request for accommodation.

Horizons Greater Washington is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, disability, genetic information, matriculation, source of income, place of business or residence, pregnancy, homeless status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Salary : $30