Job Description

About St. John's

St. John's is an independent, coeducational Episcopal school serving up to 500 students in grades Pre-K 3 through eight. Located in a park-like setting on 10 acres in East Dallas, the School offers its employees and students a supportive esprit de corps fueled by a common mission – one dedicated to a program of academic excellence designed to train the mind, strengthen the character, and enrich the spirit of each student in a Christian environment. We think of St. John's not only as a school but also as a very special kind of community. We seek to employ people who – regardless of the role they play in the School –understand that they impact the lives of our students, families, and colleagues. The St. John's Code calls us to model honesty and respectfulness in our relationships, responsibility in the performance of our assignments, and a caring attitude that extends to all members of our community.

Position Purpose

The St. John's World Languages Department seeks to ignite in students an interest in and passion for language study that leads them to discover different cultures and contributes to the growth of students' language skills and global perspectives.

The Primary School Spanish teacher introduces Spanish to Pre-K 3 and builds through the pre-kindergarten-4, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten years. This part-time position requires the teacher to teach Spanish in a blended on-campus and virtual 1:1 iPad environment that values project-based learning, collaboration, and differentiated instruction. The Spanish curriculum encompasses:

• Teaching beginning Spanish to instill a love of the Spanish language and culture.
• Creating a developmentally appropriate, activity-based, sequential curriculum that includes cultural exploration, vocabulary, emergent dialogue, and written expression.
• Planning and collaborating with the Lower School Spanish teacher to ensure continuity of curriculum and skills acquisition.

Key Accountabilities

• Guide the development of age-appropriate Spanish skills.
• Cultivate a culturally competent Spanish classroom by establishing and maintaining a respectful and conscientious environment.
• Participate in continuous curriculum evaluation and collaborate with grade-level peers and integrated arts, drama, and technology specialists to extend and enrich the curriculum.
• Collaborate with vertical team members to ensure Spanish curriculum continuity between Primary, Lower, and Middle School. The vertical team monitors and advances the overall program's quality and students' progress and success.
• Maintain curriculum documentation in accordance with School requirements.
• Understand and meet the developmental and academic needs of Pre-K 3 through kindergarten students of varying academic, social, and emotional abilities. Differentiate instruction to meet individual student needs.
• Provide feedback to students and parents using various tools, including progress and grade reports, in-person and video conferences, phone calls, emails, and one-on-one meetings. The teacher is expected to write thoughtful, meaningful, and well-articulated comments that reflect students' progress and give specific direction for growth.
• Maintain daily lesson plans and effectively use the Student Information System, Learning Management System, and other online tools. The teacher is expected to record attendance, gradebooks, and reports electronically.
• Attend and contribute to grade‐level, vertical, divisional, and all-employee meetings.
• Fulfill other duties as assigned, such as lunch and carpool duty.
• Adapt curriculum and instructional modalities based on whether learning occurs on campus, at home, or in a hybrid environment. Demonstrate technical proficiency and the ability to plan, organize, teach, and communicate in person and in synchronous and asynchronous online environments.

Opportunities and Challenges

The Primary School Spanish teacher plays a vital role in the life of a St. John's student. The teacher must:

• Model the St. John's Code of respect, responsibility, honesty, and care.
• Demonstrate clarity in verbal and written communication.
• Demonstrate strong listening skills.
• Embrace the School's Episcopal identity, ethos, and commitment to respecting the dignity of each individual.

Growth Mindset

• Collaborate with colleagues on the development of curriculum and practice of instructional strategies.
• Leverage the Student Support Team's knowledge, skills, and abilities to support student needs.
• Pursue growth in relevant technology skills.
• Network with peers at other local and national independent and Episcopal schools.
• Demonstrate commitment to personal and professional growth.
• Attend conferences and professional meetings to remain current with the Spanish curriculum, world language instructional strategies, multicultural instruction, and social and emotional learning.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Fluency in Spanish includes a strong knowledge of Spanish grammar and vocabulary and training in second-language instruction.
• Minimum of five years of experience teaching Primary, Lower, or Middle school Spanish.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver lessons in hybrid and online learning environments.
• Must meet minimum technology proficiency standards, including the ability to work in online Student Information and Learning Management Systems, schedule and conduct classes via Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and use the Microsoft 365 suite.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift approximately 30 lbs.
• Ability to work for extended periods, including weeknights and weekends when required.
• Ability to work with children and adults in indoor and outdoor settings.
• Ability to work in on-campus, home, field trip, and overnight trip settings.

In our commitment to diversity and equity, St. John's Episcopal School does not discriminate regarding race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, genetic information, disability, pregnancy, marital status, religion, military status, and any protected category. This commitment extends to our employment, educational, admission, financial aid policies, and other school-administered programs.

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