Paraeducator | SALA; Summer Arts Learning Academy

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Para educator | SALA (Summer Arts for Learning Academy)

SALA (Summer Arts for Learning Academy)

Para educator (General Education and ESOL)

Reports to:

Lead Special Educator, Summer Arts for Learning Academy

Baltimore City Schools’ Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA), operated by Arts for Learning Maryland, offers students an opportunity to imagine, create, and express who they are through the arts. This is an action-packed, full-day, five-week program (Monday - Thursday) that introduces students to a wide variety of art forms —from illustration and spoken word to percussion, drama, and dance— which gives students a chance to work alongside students from across the city and be taught by professional Artists.

Students’ work is celebrated through a student showcase on the final day of the program. Arts for Learning Maryland will host ten Academy sites throughout the city, locations TBD.

The mission of Arts for Learning Maryland’s Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) is to provide students with an opportunity to spend summer learning from the best Teachers and Teaching Artists our state has to offer. Through a dynamic, creative, and supportive environment, students will explore math and literacy in a unique arts-integrated environment that allows them to develop socially and emotionally, expands their personal creative process, introduces them to different art forms taught by professional Artists, and allows them to experience math and literacy content from a different lens.

• believe unwaveringly that ALL students can achieve high standards in and through the arts.
• provide opportunities for students to develop powerfully articulate voices through art forms and honor their creative processes along the way.
• create safe, brave learning environments for students to grow, make mistakes, and contribute to the community.
• collaborate and reflect by learning from and with each other at every step of the process, cultivating positive relationships between all ages.
• encourage the development of critical thinking, problem solving, inquiry, imagination, and creativity, and provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate knowledge and mastery.
• learn about, honor, and leverage the cultural knowledge, experiences, and frames of reference of our students and community to make learning more relevant and effective.
• ensure that our students are known, loved, supported, celebrated, and valued.

The SALA Gen. Ed. and ESOL Para educator is key to ensuring all students receive the support necessary to thrive in a unique and creative learning environment. Paras are required to work hand in hand with SALA staff to support all students within the Summer Arts for Learning Academy, no matter their learning preferences or backgrounds.

All Paras are expected to provide support both through one-on-one interactions with students and through full classroom support. Paras are responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to students and will support Special Educators in meeting IEP goals for specific students, but are expected to support all students with special needs regardless of IEP status. ESOL Paras will work closely with ESOL Teachers in order to ensure ELLs feel supported and are able to make the most of their time in SALA.

• Classroom experience, preferably within special education settings and/or with ELLs and/or students from different backgrounds.
• A passion for students: an ability to build meaningful relationships and a desire to “go above and beyond” to ensure each student’s success.
• A strong desire to fully integrate into a non-traditional learning environment where flexibility is strongly valued and where new and innovative ideas are not only cultivated but expected from all staff.
• Knowledge of federal laws protecting the educational services for students with disabilities.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with students, peers, and parents.
• An ability to attend and engage in all required training and program dates.
• A willingness to use either the school office landline or…