Bricolage Academy Middle School is searching for a 4th Grade ELA and Social Studies Teacher. Bricolage is a New Orleans charter school that started in 2013 with a Kindergarten and will be growing one year, and one grade, at a time until we serve students in all grades, K - 12th.

SCHOOL OVERVIEW

Instructional Model

At Bricolage Academy, the 4th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher will be responsible for providing common-core-aligned instruction that is culturally relevant. The Social Studies curriculum will derive from LDOE guides, the DBQ Project, and The Writing Revolution. Social studies lessons and experiences will prepare students to tackle challenges in a world full of interrelated concepts and ideas. In English Language Arts, students will learn from the Wit and Wisdom Curriculum. Social Studies and ELA will share literacy strategies, including fluency, vocabulary, and knowledge-building.

In 4th grade, students will also take Science using the Amplify Curriculum, which invites students to explore phenomena with the purpose of solving authentic problems. Students will take Math using the Bridges in Mathematics Curriculum, a hands-on approach to learning the concepts and applications of math.

Additionally, we will deepen the co-curricular experiences from elementary school – visual art, music, physical education, and innovation (a combination of design thinking technology, and engineering basics) by offering survey style classes in each of these disciplines. These classes are designed to introduce students to the basic concepts and principles of different types of art, music, innovation, and physical education so that they can make better informed decisions about which type to specialize in in high school.

Personalized Learning

Students will spend part of their week learning at their own pace and working toward meeting their individual academic and social-emotional goals. Each student will have a Personalized Learning Plan that advisors will use when working with students (and families) to set goals and agendas for this time. During this time, students may be working on:

• • Adaptive learning programs

  • Teacher curated playlists

  • Independent practice

  • Small group remediation, intervention, or extension

  • Projects

  • Makerspace

A Personalized Learning Platform (i.e. Summit Learning Program) will be used to power personalized learning.

School Culture

Restorative Practices will be used alongside strategies from both Responsive Classroom for Middle School and the Institute of Social and Emotional Learning to proactively build a physically and emotionally safe, joyful, inclusive, and supportive school culture.

Undoing Racism

We attempt to undo racism by addressing the traditional power structure by creating space for dialogue across traditional lines of division. We offer trainings and workshops that focus on racial reconciliation for teachers, students and families, and employ culturally responsive instructional practices. We are committed to supplementing the dominant narrative approach to History/Social Studies with culturally responsive pedagogy that uses “cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them” (Geneva Gay’s definition of culturally responsive teaching). This work is not ‘nice to have’; it is essential to advance equity.

Bricolage Academy is a school with a big goal: we aim to be the highest performing non-selective school in New Orleans. There are many people who contribute to making Bricolage special - parents, administration, students and community members - but teachers are at the center of it all.  Bricolage teachers must demonstrate a deep commitment to our mission of advancing educational equity by creating innovators who change the world. Our teachers embody our organizational values (integrity, empathy and innovation). They are always trying to get better, have a deep love for children and approach everything with a joie de vivre. Our teachers create the kind of classrooms that nobody ever wants to leave - where it’s fun to learn and you can almost see the discovery fireworks bouncing off the walls.  We’re looking for others who approach their work like we do – balancing seriousness and diligence with warmth and levity.

DUTIES

Specifically, the 4th Grade ELA and Social Studies Teacher is responsible for:

• student outcomes. We use multiple measures to assess student learning and preparedness, but it’s on teachers to deliver.  

• creating a classroom culture where students:

  • share in its ownership

  • treat each other with empathy and act with integrity

  • learn how to be responsibly autonomous

• delivering engaging, rigorous, and effective ELA Social Studies instruction that includes:

  • balanced literacy instruction using strategies Achieve the Core’s Core Actions and Wit and Wisdom

  • explicit writing instruction using strategies from the Writing Revolution and Wit and Wisdom

  • Project and experience-based instruction

  • inquiry-based history/social studies instruction

• actively seeking ways to supplement the dominant narrative approach to History/Social Studies with culturally responsive pedagogy

• differentiating instruction to meet the needs of each individual student

• integrating technology, innovation, and design thinking into instruction

• being an active member of the school community including assuming before, during, and after school duty posts, advising/mentoring small groups of students and attending school activities and events

• developing relationships with colleagues, students and their families

Some other things you should know about us:

We're building a new kind of school that doesn't have a formula to follow.  There is no 'how-to' book for our community. We're making it ourselves. That requires people who can embrace vulnerability, take initiative, learn from mistakes, and be open to giving and receiving feedback.

Bricolage is a diverse community, but we are committed to being an anti-racist one.  This means devoting time to understand what racism is, exploring how it manifests, and taking actions to dismantle it.  Also, Bricolage's diversity is not itself an end. Rather, we believe our diversity is a means to amplifying empathy, advancing equity and facilitating creativity and innovation.

We don't have all of the answers, and we're okay with that.  If you're looking for certainty, we suggest you pursue a position in a factory (or a factory-like school).  Bricolage is being built as we speak. It's a magical place, but an imperfect one. Everyone at Bricolage has successes and failures.  You will experience both.

We’re looking for a special kind of teacher. If this sounds like you, please apply.  We can’t wait to meet you.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Strong belief in Bricolage Academy’s mission, vision and core values

• Strong belief in and commitment to diverse, equitable, and inclusive educational access and equitable outcomes

• Strong belief in and commitment to the city of New Orleans

• Bachelor’s degree

• Demonstrated success raising student achievement

• Louisiana teaching certificate or working towards it

• At least 3 years of middle school (5th-8th grade) ELA and/or Social Studies teaching experience

Preferred

• 3rd-5th Social Studies teaching experience

• 3rd-5th grade ELA teaching experience

• Familiarity with/experience using the Common Core Standards

• Familiarity with/experience using a scripted curriculum

• Familiarity with/experience delivering explicit writing instruction (i.e. the Writing Revolution)

• Deep understanding of Common Core standards for ELA, ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, and 21st Century Skills

• Familiarity with/experience delivering inquiry-based History/Social Studies instruction

• Familiarity with/experience with Personalized Learning

• Deep understanding of the components of Balanced Literacy and strategies for the classroom

• Success as a teacher with a predominantly middle to high income student population and success as a classroom teacher with a predominantly low income population

• Familiarity with/experience using one or more of the following: Responsive Classroom, Love & Logic, Restorative Practices

• Familiarity with/experience using culturally responsive teaching strategies

People of color strongly encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Bricolage Academy does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, gender or gender identity, age, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.