Job Description – Teachers

Title: Teacher

Leads & Manages: None

Work Location: School and home based

Reports To: Head of School  

We consider the position of teacher to be the most influential position in the school (Hattie 2011).

Teachers at RIS are expected to model the attitudes of life-long learners, and show through their actions that they respect the values that underpin both the IB and school, as laid out in their respective mission statements, and through the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. Teachers are expected to demonstrate the highest of professional standards at all times.

Teachers should be aware of the Norwegian School Environment Act and familiar with the School Environment Policy and should recognise the crucial role that they have to play in upholding its purpose. All students in primary and secondary schools have the right to a good physical and psychosocial environment promoting health, wellbeing and learning. All those in the school community have a duty to work for prevention and intervention regarding the school environment.

Due to the school’s small size, this position will demand that teachers be multi-talented, multi-skilled and capable of working independently as well as being able and willing to contribute to the work of the team. They will be required to work in an innovative manner that should at all times strengthen and facilitate the programmes that the school may offer to students and the community.

The philosophy of the school demands that teachers believe in the individual child and that meeting the needs of a child is the prime concern and function of a teacher.  This philosophy also requires teachers to be team players in achieving this.  While acknowledging the value of strongly held principles, he/she will seek ways to resolve any conflict in the interests of the individual child.

In terms of pedagogy the school uses the practices and goals of the International Baccalaureate Organisation’s Primary and Middle Years Programmes. (PYP and MYP). These programmes are based on an inquiry model and they require that teachers are able to differentiate learning for students through the use of grouping and multi level teaching strategies.

As part of their work, teachers are expected to fulfill the following operational requirements:

Research

Teachers are expected to be actively engaged in research projects within the school. The school is actively seeking partnerships with universities to support this. Teachers are expected to publish on a yearly basis or to be engaged in a long term project.

Additionally teachers are expected to base their practice in research based practice and to be able to identify which research informs their practice.

Learning Environment

  • Ensure that any concerns regarding the school environment either physical or psychosocial are recognised, acted upon, reported to the ELT and recorded using the School Environment Concern link on the school webpage.
  • Maintain an orderly, tidy classroom and establish systems and routines that promote student responsibility in achieving this.
  •  Promote a purposeful, positive working atmosphere that allows for individual, group and whole class learning situations.
  • Display student’s work in an attractive manner that will promote interest and learning. Change these displays at regular intervals.
  • Promote the philosophy that students are responsible for their learning and actions.
  • Seek ways to involve students in planning their work and active research.
  •  Develop systems and procedures that enable and encourage students to be reflective learners.
  • Encourage students to prepare presentations, displays, and other methods of reporting and reflecting on their work.
  • Establish and maintain positive methods of control and discipline within all activities
  • Actively promote the school wide expectations of the students
  • Recognize and act upon any action that could be seen as bullying or harassment in any form.

Record Keeping

  • Maintain effective record keeping systems that reflect the progress of the students.
  • Update and keep current, centrally stored information about students’ progress and achievements.
  • Daily record student absentees in the class register on Toddle before 0840.

Assessment

  •  Regularly assess student’s knowledge products using a variety of techniques, based on the school’s assessment policy and the relevant programme guidelines.
  •  Record these assessments in a form that can be easily recovered and communicated.
  • Use assessment as a tool for improving teaching and learning, this may include the use of portfolio evidence.
  • Develop strategies for involving students in self-reflection about their results or products.
  • In concert with the school, establish appropriate, clearly articulated standards for assessing work and communicate these to students, parents and other professionals.
  • Student reports as directed by the coordinator
  • Keep a written record of units of study, using the unit planner templates provided by Toddle, and discuss these with the team, the curriculum coordinators and other professionals.
  •  Use the most current documentation provided by the IB (Making it Happen (PYP), Principles into Practice (MYP), Subject Guides (MYP)) and the resources platform provided by the IB.
  • Provide opportunities for students to be involved in the planning of their work or programme.
  • Attend planning and professional meetings as required and contribute to maintaining the ethos of team planning within the school.
  • Make available an “Emergency Lesson Pack” for a whole week to be used in the event of an unforeseen absence. This should be updated as necessary.

Teaching

  •  Ensure teaching meets the requirements of the relevant IB programme (PYP or MYP)
  • Use a variety of teaching methods and seek ways to best suit the individual learning styles of students.
  • Model the qualities of a lifelong learner.
  • Differentiate learning to meet the needs of all students in the class.
  •  Deliver programmes that are inquiry based and adhere to the IB principles and philosophy, as well as to the ideals laid down in the school’s own mission statement.

Professional Growth

  • Take part in IB workshops (these may be online or venue based)
  • Participate in appropriate in-service programmes that may be provided by the school.
  • Contribute to the community of professional learners represented by the staff at RIS through sharing knowledge, expertise, experience and research.

Communication

  • Keep the homeroom teacher and other appropriate professionals informed of significant educational or personal developments that may affect a student or class particularly concerning our obligations with regards to the School Environment Policy. Concerns should be communicated using the School Environment Concern link on the website in conjunction with direct forms of communication
  • Keep the coordinator, homeroom teacher, other appropriate professionals, students and parents informed about upcoming trips. The trip form will be completed well in advance of an upcoming trip.
  • Respond within two working days to requests from parents for information regarding their child.
  • Respect the confidential nature of information about students.
  • Communicate regularly with parents so that success can be celebrated and concerns met.
  • Hold three way conferences with parents and students, and attend parent information evenings
  • Attend Graduation ceremonies, Exhibition and Personal Project evening
  • Write constructive and well-informed reports as required.
  • Help the students prepare for the Student Led Conferences

Additional Duties

Do break, lunch or before school supervision according to guidelines. This should include a full patrol of the school premises. Duty staff should inform children of the end of the recess by blowing a whistle. It is expected that all children should be outside having eaten their lunch, unless the weather is particularly poor.