High School ELA Teacher

Uncommon High School English Language Arts (ELA) teachers are passionate about literature and building an engaging, rigorous classroom culture focusing on helping all students prepare for college. Our teachers become experts in their course content, and have a keen sense of how to motivate and inspire high school students. At the heart of our English classes is an emphasis on reading and student-led discourse. Teachers use a variety of instructional strategies to prioritize discussion, ignite a passion for literature, and promote strong voice and agency within students. At the conclusion of each high school year students are more prepared for the academic rigor and independence of college coursework, as well as for a long term love of literacy.

Responsibilities

1. Instruction

• You'll teach from a robust literature curriculum shared across our high schools that prioritizes inclusive texts, emphasizes diversity, and prepares students for Advanced Placement (AP), SAT and collegiate level coursework. • You'll conduct a deep exploration of daily content in order to guide students to analyze books by authors like James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Shakespeare, and Yaa Gyasi; books that ignite a passion for literature, sharpen a critical eye for examining the world, and deepen students’ intellectual identity. • You’ll develop students’ independent and collaborative reading, writing, and discussion skills. • You'll facilitate student-led discourse, teaching students to use evidence to make sophisticated claims, and to synthesize and evaluate arguments and rhetoric. • You’ll analyze student comprehension and writing regularly and determine how to adapt and write your own lessons to maximize student learning. • You’ll partner with your department and your grade level team on content and instructional strategies that support your students and help all students succeed.

2. Data Analysis

• You'll meet weekly with your principal and/or instructional coach to analyze and respond to trends in student work samples and assessments. • You'll learn and implement strategies to differentiate instruction for all learners in your classroom.

3. School Culture

• You’ll build positive relationships with students to ensure they feel seen, loved, and heard. • You’ll partner with students’ families to ensure appropriate resources are available to support their child's learning needs. • You'll engage in practice-based professional development, mentorship, and coaching sessions. • You'll participate in weekly, school-wide meetings to cultivate community, model our core values, and encourage student achievement. • You'll partner with your grade level team to develop academic goals and practice instructional strategies. • A demonstrated commitment to supporting students’ social emotional and academic development • An enthusiasm for collaborating with internal and external partners in the best interest of students • A self-directed learner who solicits and implements feedback to improve outcomes and achieve objectives • Required Experience: • A demonstrated interest in impacting K-12 students in urban schools and communities (1-2 years experience preferred). • Academic expertise in Humanities, English, Social Sciences, or other related fields of study. • Prior to the start of employment, you must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Certification is not required to be hired at Uncommon, but you do need to meet NY state certification eligibility requirements. To meet these requirements, you must enroll in a teacher preparation program and maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher during your employment with us if you do not have a degree in education. Uncommon Schools teachers are required to become certified in the state of New York within a reasonable period after beginning employment.