Position Profile: Middle School Integrated Science Teacher Position

The Welsh Academy Mission:

Inspired by the Catholic faith in the Jesuit tradition, The Welsh Academy serves the unique needs of early adolescent boys of modest economic means in their journey of becoming men for others. Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Welsh Academy shares the mission and life of Saint Ignatius High School, forming boys to grow in faith, leadership, academic excellence, and the desire for lifelong learning.

About The Welsh Academy:

As a part of Saint Ignatius High School, and partnering with local families and local community, The Welsh Academy offers boys entering the sixth grade from the City of Cleveland and inner-ring suburbs an opportunity for a curriculum founded upon Catholic theology and Jesuit ideals. The academy serves boys from grades six through eight. The Welsh Academy is an academically rigorous, tuition-free, faith-based educational experience in which student is part of an intentionally planned longer school day. This allows greater time for growth in teacher/student relationships, preparation for the academic rigors of high school, and for an environment in which teaching and learning takes places in an interdisciplinary and project-based methodology. Boys attending the academy must demonstrate academic promise and a personal commitment to their education. The Welsh Academy educational environment allows boys to develop their talents in a diverse, safe, empowering, and academically-rigorous school community.

About the Position:

The Welsh Academy is seeking an exceptional individual to become its middle school Science teacher .

This individual must have:

• experience working successfully with students and families of color, of immigrant backgrounds, and of modest economic backgrounds,
• an excellent and demonstrable knowledge of how middle school students learn and develop academically, socially, and emotionally,
• an understanding of the Learning Standards for Middle School Learners (Ohio Department of Education Learning Standards or Common Core Standards), and
• mastery in planning developmentally appropriate unit and lesson plans, and
• experience in the creation of a classroom environment in which our boys learn through a methodology that is interdisciplinary, experiential, intellectually rigorous, and engaging.

A teacher joining The Welsh Academy must be committed to working in a collaborative structure with fellow faculty, parents, and members of both the high school and community at large.

We aspire to hire a culturally responsive faculty member to join our diverse community of faculty and students. The faculty is committed to equity, the seven social justice themes of the Roman Catholic Church, and supporting young adolescent boys through their personal development in faith, leadership, academic excellence, and the desire for lifelong learning.

This full-time teaching position will begin with the 2023-2024 school year and pays a competitive salary with excellent benefits in an outstanding work environment. Saint Ignatius has been named a "Best Workplace" by the Cleveland Plain Dealer annually since 2011. An annual professional development allowance and numerous personal and professional growth opportunities are offered.

If you are an experienced educator inspired by this description of our community, we encourage you to read on to learn more about this position and our school.

Teachers at The Welsh Academy will :

• Embrace the mission and guiding principles of The Welsh Academy in addition to the works of and teachings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
• Select and plan appropriate learning and teaching activities that are in alignment with Ohio Department of Learning Standards.
• Plan and teach integrated, student focused, and project-based unit plans
• Collaborate with grade level team to create learning units which are interdisciplinary and take place in classrooms both in and out of our physical school buildings.
• Work with team members to support individualized learning plans for students.
• Work with Learning Coach and Student Life Coordinator to promote social/emotional and spiritual well-being of students.
• Use both formal and informal assessments to support and plan student learning.
• Plan and teach an Advisory Cohort.
• Teacher coverage? (lunch, recess, walking students to/from PE/Band, SOLO, AACT)
• Plan and lead at minimum two sections of an Affinity Course throughout the course of the year.
• Engage in ongoing professional development.
• Adhere to the Welsh Academy Master Teacher Contract.
• Be actively involved in the school mission and formation of students in the Ignatian tradition.
• Understand that the school is in its founding years and that there is an ongoing process of developing and putting into place best practices and policies concerning the education. The teacher must be open to growth and flexible as programs, policies and curricular programming develop.
• Embrace the longer school day of the academy.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree preferred; a Bachelor’s degree with appropriate experience will be considered.
• Licensure in Science Middle School (4-9), Middle Child (4-9), AYA (7-12) or licensure in Science
• At least three years of experience teaching middle school aged students within a middle school or K-8 setting, experience teaching within an urban setting is preferred.
• Experience teaching in a project-based learning environment, developing integrated curriculum, and intentionally collaborating with other teachers is preferred. Evidence expected to be presented at the interview.
• Spanish Bi-lingual ability is preferred.

The successful candidate will also possess the following:

• Knowledge and use of methods and developments in best practices in Science education.
• Initiative and innovation to develop a challenging and engaging classroom experience.
• Provide creative opportunities for student expression using spoken, written, and visual forms of communication.
• Skills in classroom management incorporating the use of fair and consistent standards and appropriate, clearly articulated to the students.
• Ability to encourage and model reflective thinking, persistence in problem solving and creative communication of solutions.
• Identify students in need of additional academic assistance appropriately refer such students for academic support.
• Ability to provide a safe learning environment in which students are encouraged to take intellectual risks.
• Interest and willingness to participate in extra-curricular programming within the greater school community.

Our Workplace:

Praise, reverence, and service should mark the relationship that exists not only between teachers and students, but among all members of the school community. Ideally, Jesuit schools should be places where people are believed in, honored and cared for; where the natural talents and creative abilities of persons are recognized and celebrated; where individual contributions and accomplishments are appreciated; where everyone is treated fairly and justly; where sacrifice on behalf of the economically poor, the socially deprived, and the educationally disadvantaged is commonplace; where each of us finds the challenge, encouragement, and support we need to reach his or her individual potential for excellence; where we help one another and work together with enthusiasm and generosity, attempting to model concretely in word in action the ideals we uphold for our students and ourselves.

About Saint Ignatius High School:

Saint Ignatius High School, which opened its doors on September 6, 1886, is a Jesuit college-preparatory school. The school enrolls more than 1,400 young men who hail from 92 cities in an 11-county region. Located in close proximity to downtown Cleveland in the vibrant and energetic Ohio City neighborhood, the school occupies 23 acres and includes 19 buildings and three athletic fields. The school has 114 faculty members, 89 percent of whom hold advanced degrees. Fifty-six percent have spent 10 years or more teaching at Saint Ignatius.

Saint Ignatius is also home to The Welsh Academy, a middle school for boys from local families of modest economic means, founded in 2019. The Academy enrolls more than 60 boys in grades 6-8 and occupies Kesicki Hall on campus.

Academically, Saint Ignatius is a regional and state leader in National Merit finalists. To challenge students and prepare them for college, the Saint Ignatius curriculum offers 17 Advanced Placement (AP) and 21 honors subjects. In September 2009, the school was designated a Blue Ribbon school by the US Department of Education.

A Saint Ignatius education prepares students to become competent, concerned, and socially responsible members of their communities. With the motto of Men for Others, there is a prime concern for developing Christian values among all students. Part of the Saint Ignatius student experience includes the promotion of faith in the service of justice.

Employment Philosophy:

Consummate with its mission, the school strives to develop a community that is appropriately representative of the diversity of society.

As an equal opportunity employer, Saint Ignatius High School is committed to a diverse workforce. To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as amended), applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact the Human Resources Office at 216-651-0222 for assistance.

Candidates are encouraged to visit the Saint Ignatius website: www.ignatius.edu