The Hillside Montessori Adolescent program is a well-established and thriving learning community within a supportive school community. The school has just moved onto a brand new 13-acre campus and is seeking an Adolescent Lead Guide to take over the founding Lead Guide's position. The new campus offers an abundance of outdoor learning possibilities with indoor facilities designed specifically for and by Montessori guides. Thanks to an abundance of local resources, our learning experiences are filled with the arts, outdoor excursions, and dynamic speakers/demonstrators.
General Responsibilities:
The Hillside Montessori Adolescent Lead Guide (ALG) works with adolescents in grades 7-8. The Lead Guide must, first and foremost, deeply love and respect working with this age group and must be able to challenge and inspire the active minds and bodies of the adolescent. The Lead Guide must be intellectually curious, well grounded in a broad range of academic areas, have a wellspring of energy, a good sense of humor, and be able to communicate fairly and effectively with students and their parents.
As team leader, the ALG must be highly organized, a good listener, a keen observer, and diplomatic. The ALG should be conversant with the precepts of Montessori philosophy and seek to integrate them as much as possible within the curriculum. An integrated, interdisciplinary curriculum, developed with the other team members under the auspices of the ALG should provide students with a balance between self-directed and group learning activities.
The ALG must be willing to lead in a collaborative atmosphere, be open-minded, non-competitive and must be committed to developing a safe, comfortable place to learn and grow.
Teaching Responsibilities:
The Adolescent Lead Guide is responsible for the design, coordination, and oversight of:
Academics:
Planning the scope and integration of entire curriculum across the disciplines
Give lessons and review student work in particular disciplines
Choose and help plan appropriate experiences for the fall and spring overnight trips
Ensure that individual student learning needs are met
Student Life:
Be in contact with families (and included in all family contacts from team members)
Oversee community meetings and discussions
Oversee individual student disciplinary procedures and plans
Plan, with team and adolescents, service-learning opportunities
Ensure that individual student emotional needs are addressed
Support student-run business (micro-economy)
*Additional responsibilities included in full job description.
Professional Qualifications:
Required:
Bachelor of Arts or Science
Thorough understanding of and belief in Montessori philosophy
Skill in an academic area of specialization
Preferred:
Montessori diploma
Staff supervision and management experience
Experience in the art of team teaching
Lead teaching in a Middle School Program
Personal Qualifications:
An adolescent at heart
A compassionate leader
High energy
Highly organized
Flexible
Excellent communication skills
Willingness to both receive and offer coaching. Specifically,accepts coaching graciously and with an open mind.
Implements coaching received in a timely fashion and in the way it was intended