Associate, Content Specialist; Temporary

Content Specialist (Temporary)

Position

Reports To:

Managing Director, Leadership Development

Location:

Connecticut

We are prioritizing the following content areas:
Elementary (K-5), Humanities (Secondary ELA + Secondary Social Studies), STEM (Secondary Math + Secondary Science), and Special Education (K-12)

Teach For America Connecticut is looking for Content Specialists to support the development of corps members working in Connecticut. The ideal candidate will be passionate about supporting corps members in growing the knowledge and skills associated with their content area expertise and serving as a Content Specialist for the  school year. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong content and pedagogical knowledge who is motivated by the chance to lead a Professional Learning Community (PLC) for corps members.

Content Specialists will be responsible for planning and delivering six sessions to their PLCs, contributing to corps members' growth in rigorous, data-driven instruction and reflective practice. Four PLC meetings will be half-day, in-person experiences in August, October, February, and May. An additional two PLC meetings will happen virtually in November/December and March/April.

We need Content Specialists in the following areas:

• Elementary (K-5)
• Humanities (Secondary ELA + Secondary Social Studies)
• STEM (Secondary Math + Secondary Science)
• Special Education (K-12)

The Content Specialist will report directly to the Managing Director, Leadership Development, who supports corps members across Connecticut. Together, they will collaborate to identify corps member learning needs.

Design, Planning, and Execution

• Design, attend, and facilitate four monthly Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions with ~10-15 teachers during our Corps Saturdays
• Design and facilitate two virtual PLCs in November/December and March/April
• Model effective teaching strategies through your sessions while effectively meeting the needs of adult learners
• Share makeup work and track progress for any corps member who misses a session
• Attend meetings with TFA staff to plan the content of quarterly sessions, identify trends in learning, and make adjustments where possible
• Share session plan drafts with TFA staff in advance for feedback by the designated due date
• Share the finalized session plan and relevant materials with TFA staff
• As applicable, provide subject-area context and support for corps members via 1:1 mentoring

Systems Management and Logistics

• Maintain attendance tracking and communicate attendance with TFA staff in a timely and accurate manner
• Email reminders to corps members with advance notice of meeting dates, times, agendas, and pre-work by the designated date
• Follow up, as necessary, via email or in person to address corps member concerns and document support for each corps member
• Submit timesheets at the end of each month

Collaboration with Teach For America staff

• Engage in responsive and ongoing communication with Teach For America staff, engaging in check-ins for planning and collaboration
• Demonstrate dedication to continuously improving effectiveness
• Regularly collect feedback and corps member data; analyze data to synthesize trends
• Prepare for and attend alignment meetings with TFA staff and participate actively in collaborative work and discussions

Over the course of a month, when a Corps Saturday is scheduled, the Content Specialist will spend time:

• Meeting with the Managing Director, Leadership Development, to discuss programmatic priorities and the development and learning of corps members. Work collaboratively to identify support and establish learning objectives aligned to corps member growth and development.
• Design an in-person learning experience for corps members aligned to the feedback and insight shared by TFA staff and grounded in research-backed best practices associated with their given content area.
• Reach out to corps members in your Professional Learning Community to remind them of deadlines, collect make-up work, and encourage community building and a sense of belonging.
• Execute an in-person Professional Learning Community to promote corps members' development as teacher-leaders who are equipped with the knowledge and best practices associated with supporting students in their content area.

Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter most for this role (minimum qualifications):

• At least 3 years of teaching experience
• Content area expertise, including strong planning and execution skills, and knowledge of Common Core
• A strong grasp of assessment and tracking tools that enable consistent monitoring of student progress
• The ability to model the use of data in instructional practice to improve student achievement
• Available to attend each in-person Professional Learning Community during our Corps Saturdays

• Strong organizational skills and ability to follow through independently
• The passion and potential to create a positive and productive…