Primary Academy Special Education Teacher - Tulsa, United States - Tulsa Legacy Charter School

Description

Tulsa Legacy Charter School (TLCS) teachers are more than instructional staff members and classroom managers.
They help transform children's lives by creating opportunities for a brighter future. We are seeking teachers who will
make the commitment to teach with determination, integrity and purpose, embodying these essential qualities:

• Past experiences and actions reflect a commitment to the TLCS mission, vision, core values

• A passion and ability to build and sustain the TLCS PK-8 model in a high need, urban environment

• Work in schools that demonstrates a sense of urgency and the relentless pursuit of high academic student
achievement

• Reflective, self-aware and adaptable to communication and work styles of others

• Critical thinker and problem solver who takes initiative

• Belief in the power of collaboration and works to build a collaborative culture with TLCS
community, staff, families and students

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
A Legacy teacher works to create and enhance a culture of achievement and respect where high expectations
and results are the norm. All teachers are responsible for demonstrating significant and measurable academic
gains, each year, with the students they teach. All teachers' actions must always be aligned with our mission,
vision, core values and education program. The essential functions for our teachers are as follows:

INSTRUCTION

I. PLANNING for INSTRUCTION

• Use the state standards to create rigorous, objective-driven, arts-infused lessons aligned with curriculum
maps.

• Identify in each lesson what thinking skills will be explicitly taught and practiced; what physical, social, or
content skills students will be able to do and how students will know if they can doit.

• Differentiate for individual students based on their unique learning needs so all students are appropriately
engaged and challenged.

• Ensure students are engaged through activities and technology that accommodate various learning styles,
personality styles, and the need for physical movement.

II. DELIVERY of INSTRUCTION

• Explicitly introduce learning objectives to activate students' prior knowledge as it relates to the objectives,
and conclude the lesson by revisiting the learning objective and having students apply it in context.

• Present academic content through a variety of instructional strategies to reach all learners.

• Provide many and varied opportunities for students to achieve mastery while working to promote
achievement by all students without exception.

ASSESSMENT

• Develop standards-aligned, measurable, ambitious big goals that will increase student opportunities for
achievement; assess and track performance against these goals.

• Measure student achievement of, and progress toward, the learning objectives and big goals with formative
and summative assessment tools.

• Provide ongoing and timely feedback to students on their progress towards meeting big goals by frequently
checking for understanding and listening.

• Use data to reflect on effectiveness of lessons and student achievement progress in order to improve
instruction and personal practice.

• Use data to update each student's Individual LearningPlan.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

• Create a focused environment of fairness and respect that encourages students to take risks and strive to
reach goals.

• Communicate and enforce high expectations and standards for behavior and academic performance, aligned
with the TLCS School Culture Guide and Responsive Classroom, to create a strong culture of achievement
and respect.

• Establish, model, practice, and reinforce age-appropriate rules and logical consequences; create and
consistently use individual behavioral management plans, as needed.

• Implement classroom procedures, systems, and routines that provide structure for students and maximize
instructional time.

FAMILY and COMMUNITY RELATIONS

• Communicate respectfully and thoughtfully with parent/guardians remaining sensitive to different families'
cultures, values and needs.

• Initiate and maintain timely communication with all parents/guardians (through daily/weekly folders, notes
home, weekly newsletters, phone calls, in-person meetings, conferences, report cards) concerning student
progress and to provide a clear picture of the curriculum and highexpectations.

• Work collaboratively with parents/guardians, families, and other members of the community to involve them
in academic activities and to support the success of a diverse student population and to bring in volunteers
and additional resources.

PROFESSIONALISM

• Collaborate with colleagues (grade level and school-wide meetings, professional development days, the
professional development institute) to continuously improve personal practice, classroom instruction,
assessment, and student achievement, as well as the overall goals and mission of the school and the
network.

• Access meaningful learning experiences (current theory, research, and developments in relevant academic
disciplines, professional development opportunities, and ideas from colleagues and supervisors) and
exercises judgment in accepting findings as valid for application in classroom practice and teacher
improvement.

• Reflect critically upon teaching experience; identify areas for further professional development as part of a
professional development plan that is linked to grade level, school, and network goals; access meaningful
learning experiences; and listen thoughtfully to other viewpoints and respond constructively to suggestions
and criticisms.

• Use feedback to update Individual Professional DevelopmentPlan.

• Fulfill all outlined and related functions professionally, timely and thoroughly

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree required, Masters Degree preferred

• Minimum of two years teaching experience in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred

• Required state teaching certification/licensure; Highly Qualified status under No Child Left Behind

• Proven track record of raising student achievement scores in an urban environment

• Strong desire to work within an innovative, urban educational program

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Mission Focused

• Driven towards Excellence

• Results Oriented

• Culturally Proficient

• Collaborative Colleague

• Constant Learner

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Knowledge of or experience with Common Core State Standards or Understanding by Design preferred

• Ability to use data to inform instruction and decision-making related to student achievement

• Ability to turn best practices into high quality, goal-driven results

• Highly effective writing, oral and interpersonal skills to communicate with a varied audience

• Data managements tools, organizational tools, computer skills (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook)