Middle School Innovation Lab Teacher - Long-Term Substitute

At Children’s Day School, what you learn and who you become are equally important. 

Children’s Day School (CDS) is a welcoming community in the big city, a farm and garden among urban streets, an advocate for change and uplifting progressive values, an independent school with down-to-earth values, and an institution that is always asking how we can do this better. 

We strive for balance so students become both academically successful and grounded. They leave CDS confident, with the humility to listen and the resolve to speak up for what they see as right.

CDS is a co-educational preschool through eighth-grade school serving over 470 students in the Mission Dolores neighborhood of San Francisco, California with two campuses, two sheep, and lovely people. 

To learn more about CDS, visit our website at www.cds-sf.org and specifically our Middle School Program, click here.

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced, talented, and energetic Middle School Innovation Lab Teacher for eight weeks during the 2024-2025 school year. This position reports to the middle school director and works with all students in grades 5 through 8. The ideal candidate will bring middle school expertise, cultural competence, a commitment to equity and inclusion work, and alignment with the CDS Learning Beliefs. The successful candidate will prepare and inspire all students to be passionate about hands-on learning and foster innovation.

Dates/Schedule:

• During the school year, the daily schedule is 8:00am - 4:30pm Monday – Friday (hours may vary slightly for meetings or events).
• Some events may occur on weekends.
• This role is expected to begin at the start of May 2025 and continue for approximately 8 weeks.

Primary Responsibilities

Essential Practices of a CDS Educator 

CDS Educators have identified and aligned on these five essential teaching practices to guide instruction and learning in the classroom. Applicants should excel in using these practices and be able to apply them to curriculum and unit design across all content areas they are responsible for.

Humanities Program Responsibilities

• Work with students
  • An unwavering commitment to middle school students and the community
  • Enthusiasm for the opportunities and challenges inherent in working with middle school students
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with students, colleagues, and parents
  • Willingness to model professional and ethical standards when working with students and the middle school teaching team
  • The desire and ability to contribute to student and community life inside and outside the classroom
  • A commitment to professional development
  • A commitment to social justice and multicultural education
• Curricular content and instruction
  • Deep understanding of visual arts, making, tinkering, and engineering projects.
  • Can support creative expression and innovations, blending elements of design, computing, and engineering with a focus on fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Encourage a school culture of inquiry, innovation, creativity, and engagement.
• Other responsibilities may include:
  • Being a co-advisor of 10-12 students
  • Performing lunch, recess, and dismissal duties as assigned
  • Writing narrative reports for all students
  • Maintaining positive working relationships with parents
• Minimum Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; academic program focus on literature, history, and/or education-related fields
  • Experience working with middle school or upper elementary students 
  • Proficiency with technology and tools: coding, laser cutting, 3D modeling, printing, light power tools, electronics, etc.
  • Teaching credential and/or master’s degree preferred
• Other responsibilities will include:
  • Attend middle school meetings
  • Facilitating a small group advisory (10-12 students) throughout the term 
  • Performing lunch, recess, morning, and dismissal duties as assigned
  • Supervise and engage with breaks, lunch supervision, free play, and program transitions.
  • Provide a safe physical and emotional environment for all students. Encourage children to take the initiative to solve problems. Help children think, investigate, ask questions, and laugh. Strive to meet each child’s individual needs.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Division Wide Collaboration 

• Partner with the Middle School Division Head, Grade Level Team, Learning Specialists, and Counselors to advocate for student learning and well-being.
• Partner with the Middle School Division Head, Team Leads, and other leaders on campus to respond to feedback.
• Attend weekly division meetings, grade-level team meetings, and, as needed, meetings with families to update or check in on student progress and development.
• Build strong collaborative partnerships with other teachers to integrate curriculum and support student learning inside and outside of the classroom.

Whole School - CDS Team

• Engage actively in the CDS professional learning community by forwarding schoolwide initiatives and strategic priorities

Position Requirements

• BS/BA (highly preferred); will consider relevant teaching experience
• MA and Teaching credential preferred
• Demonstrated successful experience with inquiry-based models of teaching technology, computational skills, making, and design to middle school students in a classroom setting
• Demonstrated experience with curriculum development and/or oversight
• Acumen in 21st-century learning skills and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and habits within whole child learning practices - a focus on core academics and SEL development
• Strong communication skills and solutions-oriented mindset 
• Proficiency in the use of technology, Google Suite, and managing multiple platforms for the purpose of organization and curriculum implementation

Compensation
Projected daily rate is $315 - $639 per day. The daily rate is based on qualifications and experience. 

CDS is an equal-opportunity employer. Our community is diverse in many ways, inclusive of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender spectrum, age, ability, and more. We welcome and value the same in our faculty and staff.

Contact Information

http://careers.cds-sf.org/