Job Description

Make a real impact in a small, joyful school community.

Discovery is a small, non-traditional public charter school serving 100 children from fourth to eighth grade in Newark, New Jersey, founded in 1999 by two veteran public school teachers.

We are guided by the principle of building on students' natural curiosity to help them develop life-long learning skills and work habits. We train our students to be critical, creative, and reflective thinkers, effective writers, who become active citizens. Discovery has a solid track record of proficiency on state tests, and many of our graduates have obtained scholarships to go on to the best high schools in the area.

Our learning environment is an open schoolhouse setting, and includes frequent mixed-grade instruction and cross-curricular learning activities. Our pedagogical emphasis is on experiential, problem-based learning. Within our lessons, we create active learning situations that encourage our students to explore and tinker, to notice patterns, to represent math problems with visual or math language, and justify their responses in multiple ways.

At Discovery, children are active members of our school community. They express their ideas, tutor younger children, and share communal responsibilities. Every adult in the school knows every child, and we place a high value on building close, constructive relationships with the families of all of our students. Parents/guardians are welcome in the school at any time to observe and discuss the progress of their children. Discovery views families as our school's natural partners for supporting children's education.

Because we are a very small school, teachers undertake varied responsibilities outside of planning and instruction, and are involved in multiple aspects of sustaining and improving our learning community.

JOB SUMMARY

The math teacher will be responsible for planning and teaching math for approximately 45 students in grades 5 and 6.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Using the Illustrative Math curriculum (IM 5-8), plan lessons that reflect Discovery's teaching priorities: exploration, craftsmanship, and equity. Share school-wide responsibility for ensuring that all our students become engaged readers and thinkers. Show high expectations for all children, creating learning experiences that are both accessible and challenging. Incorporate a variety of teaching strategies, including hands-on and cooperative learning activities, flexible grouping, and differentiated instruction for children of different levels and abilities. Use meaningful forms of assessment to adjust the curriculum and your instructional strategies. Review the work of a small group of homeroom students every morning, engage them in conversation about their progress, and provide individual support. Communicate with students' families constructively through our website, online grading program, emails/text, by telephone, and in-person meetings in order to build school-family partnerships that support student learning. Participate in building a positive, constructive, and productive culture in the entire school. Engage in reflective practice during weekly staff sessions, team meetings, or ad-hoc conversations, welcoming input from leadership and colleagues to continue improving one's craft.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Teaching experience, preferably in an urban upper elementary or middle school Strong background and interest in elementary or middle school math Ability to plan lessons and instructional material with clear learning goals that engage students in activities that foster their intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills Strong communication skills New Jersey certification (or being in the process of certification): either standard elementary certification or middle school with subject matter specialization certification in mathematics.
SALARY & BENEFITS

Salary range: annual salary ranging from $60,000 to $75,000 prorated for the coverage period Health & dental benefits and participation in the state teacher pension plan are provided throughout the leave coverage period
TO APPLY

Send a cover letter and a resume to DCretinon@discoverycs.org. Please include "Math Maternity Leave Position" in the subject line.

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary

Pay: $62,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Health insurance Vision insurance
Work Location: In person