High School Life Skills Teacher

Job Title: Life Skills Teacher

Work Year: 171 days

Department: High School ESS Department

Reports to: Bayfield High School Principal

The Life Skills teacher understands the central concepts and methods of inquiry; uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills; and creates learning experiences that make content meaningful to all students. This position will focus on the academic and social development of students with special needs. Curriculum will be tailored to the individual students' needs.

The Life Skills teacher will also manage their caseload IEPs and work closely with our BOCES staff to provide additional services.

Bayfield School District is located in the mountains of Southwest Colorado and is a short drive to Purgatory Resort, Wolf Creek Ski Area, and historic Durango. La Plata County is a world-class environment for outdoor enthusiasts with miles of trails for hiking and biking, wild rivers for rafting, breathtaking lakes for fishing and boating, and winter ski opportunities to complete 12-months of recreation.

Bayfield District is dedicated to attracting and to retaining high-quality educators and leaders. You will be warmly welcomed into our Bayfield Family, provided opportunities to learn and grow, and challenged to be your very best as you share our vision:
Each Student, Each Day:
Wolverine Way.

• Colorado Department of Education teaching license with appropriate endorsement
• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Ability to perform physical labor, including lifting of up to 50 pounds.
• Experience in working with children.
• Strong verbal communication skills.
• Positive interactions and work experiences with diverse people.
• Maintain a valid Colorado driver’s license.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each of the following essential functions satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Provide support to special education students in the regular and special education classrooms. Supports may include assisting students by adapting work, monitoring and enforcing social and acceptable behavior, implementing health care plans, toileting assistant, academic support, etc. Assist children in the classroom, cafeteria, at recess, in labs or any other time help is required, including getting on and off the bus.
  
  Assist in crisis situations often involving physically-active students including, but not limited to, student crisis prevention training (CPI) and documentation. Furthermore, understand state laws, rules and regulations pertaining to management of behaviors and protocol safeguards. Implement specialized intervention programs. These supports are defined in student individualized educational plans, called IEP, and are provided under the direct supervision of the case manager/teacher.
• Mentor, support and assist students with a variety of abilities and disabilities to become competent, independent adults.
• Assist with administering tests or assessments.
• Paperwork and documentation of progress on goals and updates to plans.
• Maintain student confidentiality, following state regulations and district protocols around confidentiality.
• Collaborate with general education teachers to manage the implementation of individual student plans.
• Attend required professional development, including CPI, CPR and First Aid (maintain certification).
• Follow behavior support plans, both proactive supports and crisis management, including appropriate use of CPI and maintaining student confidentiality.
• Support eloping students by keeping them within 3-5 feet to ensure the student remains safe. Must be physically able to run and move quickly with student to keep them in close proximity and safe.
• Facilitate IEP annual or tri-annual meetings as well as attend staff meetings.
• Positively impact student achievement, using appropriate instructional strategies and strong knowledge…