Instructor - Reading
Goodwill Excel Center
OUR STUDENTS EXCEL IN LEARNING AND IN LIFE!
The Goodwill Excel Center isn’t just DC’s exclusive diploma awarding adult charter high school, it’s also a welcoming, innovative, and rewarding place to work. If you’re looking for a great please to teach, grow and impact multiple generations of underserved populations, you should consider The Goodwill Excel Center.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Instructors hold primary responsibility for the implementation and development of The Excel Center curriculum and the success of its students. Instructors are responsible for continuously improving curriculum and instruction through collaboration as part of the instructional team. Instructors will facilitate learning for students, meeting students “where they are” and employing a student-centered approach. Instructors are expected to instruct with passion, creativity, and innovation with a student-centered approach. Instructors will serve as a member of the instructional team focused on excellent, high-quality educational service to all students. The position will meet standards-aligned educational objectives, school-wide goals and create intervention plans to meet student outcomes. Instructors will work with Academic Success Coaches and members of the Special Education Team to fully support students and create intervention plans and wrap around support plans. The position will support the school’s motto: “Relationships, Relevance, and Rigor” and will be held accountable for behaving in accordance with divisional and organizational RISE values and expectations.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Preparing and delivering lessons to a diverse student population who reflect a range of different ages and reading abilities, with specific emphasis on teaching adult literacy, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. The GEC instructional model is an in-person learning model, however, instruction may be delivered through synchronous virtual instruction and/or hybrid instruction.
2. Implementing and creating a reading curriculum for a variety of readers who score below a 1000 level Lexile on the SRI. Utilizing many different supplemental tiered reading and writing materials to increase students’ fluency, comprehension, and writing skills in our 8-week academic terms.
3. Creating and facilitating a welcoming learning environment for students with reading gaps where students feel inspired and encouraged to grow in their reading and writing skills.
4. Grading diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments and giving appropriate feedback. Maintaining records of students' progress and development through accurate and on-time grading and gradebook upkeep.
5. Applying best practices in adult literacy, reading acquisition for adults, researching new topic areas, maintaining up-to-date subject knowledge, and devising and writing new curriculum materials when needed and/or as assigned by Lead Instructor based on school needs.
6. Preparing students for progress toward improved reading skills, including support in moving from elementary and middle school reading levels to high school levels. Preparing students for core Humanities content classes.
7. Participating in collaborative curriculum development, grade-level activities, and school-wide functions aimed at improving student retention, productivity, attendance, credit attainment, school culture, and new student orientation. Understanding student retention is the role of every staff member in the school and is increased through strong communication and excellent service.
8. Communicating student grades and progress reports effectively, each week, with students and colleagues by maintaining an updated gradebook in PowerSchool. Collaborating with staff to ensure student success and identify intervention plans and/or individualized support plans as needed Providing weekly feedback in collaborative meetings with Academic Success Coaches on student progress.
9. Using data to drive decisions and take action. Employing a “data focused” mindset around outcomes, interventions, and action steps.
10. Working with Academic Success Coaches, members of the Special Education Team, and other Leadership staff to support students’ progress towards graduation and post-secondary planning.
11. Attending all team and professional development meetings.
12. Offering tutoring and other academic supports for students struggling academically. Tutoring takes place on Fridays when students do not have class.
13. Thinking creatively around ways to engage students in the class and school at large. Approaching student engagement and retention from a lens of innovation.
14. Approaching each student with a unique lens and from a solution-oriented mindset.
15. Other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibility:
None
Required Qualifications:
1. Bachelor’s Degree in Literature, English, Education or similar subject matter.
2. 2 years of teaching experience in an urban setting with readers who have reading skills gaps or 5 terms (1 full year) of long-term substitute teaching at the Goodwill Excel Center.
3. Experience with curriculum design focused on reading and writing skills and the ability to create daily, scaffolded, Common Core-aligned lesson around reading and writing goals.
4. Possesses the essential mindset that all students can succeed.
5. Drives to improve the outcomes and lives of students in and out of the classroom.
6. Exhibits resilience to persevere and create opportunities for students out of challenges and lessons learned.
7. Strong organizational, analytical and problem solving skills, with a focus on analyzing data for informed decision making.
8. Strong communication skills with ability to communicate direct feedback in a compelling way that empowers students to make immediate improvements.
9. Ability to work well in a team; ability to bridge and enhance professional learning communities.
10. Ability to create, monitor, and maintain systems that enhance instructional outcomes.
11. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment; flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed.
12. Effective presentation skills accompanied with inspiring stage presence.
13. Has working knowledge of computer programs to perform clerical tasks: Google Applications, Microsoft Office, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer.
Preferred Qualifications:
1. Master’s degree in Education.
2. 3-5 years of teaching experience, preferably in reading instruction.
3. Certification in respective teaching area as required by the Office of the State Superintendent.
4. Experience instructing adult learners returning for a high school diploma.
5. Experience using data to track and monitor student progress and growth along reading assessments.
6. Experience working with and/or teaching reading programs or a reading curriculum. This could include, but is not limited to Wilson Reading, Read 180, Systems 44, Breakthrough to Literacy, Kaleidoscope, Language for Thinking, Readwell, Opencourt, etc.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer minority/female/disability/vet. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.
GOODWILL OF GREATER WASHINGTON IS A DRUG FREE WORK ENVIRONMENT!