First Grade Teacher - Sun Prairie Area School District

SUMMARY:  
To create a learning environment supported by a positive instructionally focused school climate and provide intellectually and emotionally safe, engaging classroom communities growing towards a culture personalized and co-constructed with students and adults to support the success of each and every learner.
 
ESSENTIAL SKILLS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:
 
1.   Create Emotionally, Intellectually, and Physically Safe Environments

1. Create positive relationships that are kind, caring, and respectful
2. Nurture self-awareness, identity development, and sense of purpose
3. Emphasize effort, supported risk-taking, and strategies for emotional growth
4. Support safe and engaged interactions with co-created procedures, routines, and classroom design
5. Encourage developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant strategies for the expression of emotions and conflict resolution

2.   Implement Equitable, Culturally Responsive, and Standards-Aligned Curriculum and Instruction

1. Provide relevant, challenging learning experiences aligned to grade-level standards through a curriculum that is adapted and supplemented, if necessary
2. Create an inclusive community where all aspects of diversity and learner variability are understood, expected, and welcomed
3. Engage learners in productive struggle to support perseverance and agency for meeting high expectations of grade-level standards
4. Implement district based, standards-aligned curriculum as adopted and written by the school district based on content area and grade level
5. Foster cultural competence and curiosity to seek others’ perspectives
6. Facilitate expression of reasoned, evidence-based arguments, thoughts, and ideas
7. Assess student progress using a variety of formative and summative tools using the information to inform instruction and feedback to students

3.   Meet the Diverse Needs of Every Learner

1. Leverage individual strengths to support academic, social, and emotional growth
2. Create multiple pathways to learn and demonstrate learning
3. Promote learner agency with immediate, goal-oriented feedback and opportunities for self-directed learning
4. Scaffold instruction and feedback for every learner to meet expectations of the standards through practices such as modeling, strategic grouping, individual conferring, sequenced questioning, timely feedback, sound assessment (formative and summative), and practice opportunities
5. Collaborate with content specialists (i.e. Advanced Learner Specialist, Special Education Teacher, English Learner Teacher) to plan and implement instruction tied to meeting the needs of all learners

4.   Professional Responsibilities – These include, but are not limited to, self-assessment and reflection, communication with parents, participating in on-going professional learning, and contributing to the school and district environment.

1. Reflects on lessons in a thoughtful, accurate way citing specific evidence and using experiences to suggest alternate and/or improved strategies.
2. Maintains records (i.e. assessment data) in an accurate, honest, efficient, and effective manner while meeting timelines.
3. Partners with families, inclusive of cultural elements and provides families inviting opportunities to participate in the instructional program.
4. Participates in school-wide and district events and school improvement projects.
5. Pursues professional learning opportunities and initiates activities to contribute to the profession and are aligned with building and district goals and initiatives while seeking and using feedback from supervisors and colleagues.
6. Shows professionalism, dedication to the job duties assigned and displays the highest standards of ethical conduct
7. Complies with state laws, district policies, procedures and guidelines, school expectations, and community expectations.
8. Maintains positive collaborative partnerships with all stakeholders (colleagues, supervisors, community members, students) leading to educational excellence for all students.
9. Punctual and regular attendance

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a core subject area with course work that leads to licensure in the content area at an appropriate age level.