Upper School Psychosocial Teacher (2020-2021 School Year)

Quad Preparatory School

Updated: April 7, 2020

Classification: Exempt

Reports to: Upper School Clinical Director

The Quad Preparatory School is an alternative, non-profit, K-12 college preparatory school dedicated to the education of twice-exceptional students, bright and creative children who learn differently. Quad Prep is a young, fast-growing school founded in 2013 that is a vibrant professional and collegial learning community for employees.

The Quad Preparatory School transforms the lives of twice-exceptional people – those who are gifted and learn differently – by redefining the experience of school. Our personalized model fully integrates social and emotional learning with challenging academics, empowering our students to rise to the level of their extraordinary talents. Through our innovative programs we are leading a larger movement in service of both twice-exceptional people and society at large.

Our teachers, clinicians, and staff joined together to craft our statement of values, which we are proud to share:

Quad Prep is a kind and joyful learning community where everyone is celebrated for who they are.

We ignite students’ strengths and passions and allow for safe academic pursuit at the highest levels by learning from mistakes.

We are trustworthy and steadfast, and our high academic expectations challenge students to grow uniquely as people and in the way they learn.

We widen our students’ perspectives, giving them the tools to know themselves and find success in the future of their choosing.

We never give up on each other and are driven by the ethos of “not if, but how.”

The Quad Preparatory School is looking for an individual to fill the role of Psychosocial Teacher in our Upper School program, working with students in grades 6-12. Psychosocial teachers work in tandem with the head academic teachers in seminar classes to provide social-emotional and relevant academic (e.g., executive functioning) support to students. Psychosocial teachers also provide social-emotional, self-regulatory, and executive functioning support to students in the milieu of the school day.

Psychosocial teachers have the opportunity to receive mentorship and support from the Upper School leadership team, academic head teachers, and the clinical staff. A benefit of this position is the amount of professional development one will obtain in working with twice-exceptional youth and in being mentored by veteran special education teachers and clinicians.

Expectations:

Empower students to optimize their learning by providing all necessary scaffolding, modeling, materials, and resources, and consistently maintaining a high level of expectation for student success.
Coach students in utilizing psychosocial and executive functioning skills in seminars, classes and during work periods and transitions. (Psychosocial teachers do not support academic concepts and skills, rather the social, emotional and executive functioning skills necessary for carrying out academic assignments).
Facilitate projects and/or independent activities nurturing the talents and interests of individual students in collaboration with the academic teachers and clinical team.
Establish and continuously monitor students’ individual psychosocial goals and strategies.
Assist students with personalized projects and daily living skills as determined by their schedule.
Co-lead seminar classes. An academic teacher and a psychosocial teacher/clinical staff member co-lead these classes and are equally involved in and are expected to collaborate on:

Curriculum Mapping/Lesson planning

Academic teachers and psychosocial teachers/clinical staff are expected to consistently meet and plan for the seminar classes with the goal of planning.
Psychosocial teachers are responsible for discussing specific strategies to be reinforced and psychosocial support plans for students with their co-lead academic teacher during this time (and during all-prep Friday meetings) so that both instructors are reinforcing the same social, emotional and executive functioning strategies and delivering the same support plan.

Content for the class is derived from:

The adjacent topics the academic teacher is instructing in during individual or group class time in the same subject area
Concepts and activities relating to executive function and/or social-cognitive topics that fit well with an academic content area from the course syllabus
Scaffolding that relates to executive function and facilitating successful group work (e.g., visual schedules, strategies for working in a group, pre-planning and pre-discussions prior to activities)
A topic or concept that is appropriate for all students in the seminar group
Integrated lesson plan template created by both members of teaching team

Instruction/class time:

Psychosocial teachers actively participate in seminars by engaging in group discussion. Psychosocial teachers actively model executive function and social communication skills such as note-taking, consideration of others’ input, appropriate phrasing of personal opinions

Work cooperatively with school administrators, colleagues, and parents to deliver a fully-integrated, student-centered learning environment for each individual learner.
Participate in all training and staff development modules, including reading required books and articles on cutting-edge 2E and other educational developments.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies:

Love for working with children
Desire and ability to work with students with special needs
Ability to connect with middle and high school aged students (grades 6-12)
Effective oral and written communication
A solid understanding of elementary-aged and adolescent children’s social, and emotional development
Attention to detail
Maintaining confidentiality and privacy
Ethical conduct
Time management and the ability to multitask
Teamwork and collaboration
Patience and flexibility

Work Environment:

This job operates in a school setting. The school is located on the fifth and sixth floors of a building with one elevator. This role requires working in various locations around the school and accompanying students to a local park for outdoor time.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and listen. This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and stooping all day. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move items under 20 pounds. During fire drills, the employee, unless physically unable, will need to use the stairs to go to ground level from the fourth floor. Typing is required for composing emails and writing reports. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position in an educational facility which is open eight hours a day. Teachers work ten months out of the year according to the academic calendar (late August to late June). Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required. In general, though, hours are Monday-Friday 8:15 A.M.-4:15 P.M.

Required Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, education, or related field
Experience working with children in grades 6-12

Preferred Education and Experience:

Experience working with twice-exceptional youth
Crisis prevention and intervention

AAP/EEO Statement: The Quad Preparatory School is based on an inclusive philosophy that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital status, creed, sexual orientation, familial status, citizenship, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by law in its hiring procedures and policies.