An all-boys, all-boarding college-preparatory school serving 180 students, Blue Ridge School’s 751-acre campus lies along the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains 20 miles from Charlottesville, Virginia.
Blue Ridge School is innovative in its approach to educating young men. Passionate teachers, small classes, strong relationships, lots of opportunities to participate in athletics and co-curricular activities, and a rigorous but supportive college prep curriculum, empower Blue Ridge graduates to thrive in college. With an average class size of 9 students, faculty members are able to help each student discover the best way to master the course material, and challenge each student to reach beyond self-determined limits and fulfill his untapped potential.
Most teachers live on campus in homes provided by the school. On campus housing helps give our safe, family-oriented community the sense of a small village in which students and families live and work together.
The role of English & Drama Teacher is a full-time, 9-month, position that has primary responsibilities to plan, organize and implement an appropriate instructional program in a learning environment that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential. This teacher will teach 4 sections of English in a combination of courses that could include Language/Literature I, Language/Literature II, World Literature, or American Literature.
Qualifications:
Bachelor's Degree or higher in English from an accredited institution
Experience teaching and leading vocal music ensembles, preferred
Experience teaching theatre to high school students from diverse backgrounds
Working knowledge of research on the benefits of single-gender education
Specific knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar
Flexibility, creativity and willingness to play an active role in the life of the School community
Proficient use of technology in the classroom and the theory behind such use
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with students, parents, peers, and supervisors
Exceptional organizational, planning, problem solving, decision making and critical thinking skills
Effective time management skills
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Plan, prepare and deliver instructional activities that facilitate active learning experiences
Develop course lesson plans
Establish and communicate clear objectives for all learning activities
Prepare classroom for class activities
Provide a variety of learning materials and resources for use in educational activities
Use relevant technology to support instruction
Willingness to work with students of different academic backgrounds, utilizing professional development opportunities and experiences to identify and select appropriate instructional resources and methods to meet students’ varying learning profiles.
Instruct and monitor students in the use of learning materials and resources
Demonstrate a willingness to engage students in developing solid skills in reading literature for comprehension, appreciation, and interpretation
Work with students to improve their writing skills both in formal and creative formats
Facilitate instruction in the fundamentals of English grammar by means of familiarizing students with the basic sentence patterns and by the practice of sentence combining, and the strengthening of vocabulary skills
Keep up to date with developments in subject area, teaching resources and methods and make relevant changes to instructional plans and activities
Assign and grade class work, homework, tests and assignments to include regular constructive feedback on all work and assessments
Observe, evaluate, and record each student's overall performance and development
Prepare reports and update all necessary records accurately, completely, and timely as required by school policies regarding students’ behavior and academic achievement
Participate in department meetings, school meetings, and parent meetings
Communicate necessary information regularly to students, colleagues and parents regarding student progress and student needs
Perform certain advisory duties including but not limited to student support, counseling students with academic problems and providing student encouragement
Maintain discipline in accordance with the rules and disciplinary systems of the school
Direct the school's drama productions, a daily after school program, that involves the direction of one major musical in either the winter or spring.
Ordering scripts and coordinating stage production, including constructing, painting, moving scenery, operating stage light, and sound equipment
Managing productions, including tech, lighting, sound and backstage management
Teaches acting principles and techniques to individuals and to groups
Conducts readings to evaluate student talent
Teaches enunciation, diction, voice development, and dialects, using voice exercises, speech drills, explanation, lectures, and improvisation.
Auditions students, our boys and girls from the local public school, to select cast and assign parts.
Participates on weekday and weekend duty teams
Attends on-campus special events, such as Registration, Parents Weekend, Alumni Weekend, School sponsored mixers, etc.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
Teaching credential or certification preferred; not required
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; frequent stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally the job requires 25% sitting, 25% walking, and 50% standing. The job is performed under minimal temperature variations and under conditions with some exposure to risk of injury and/or illness.
Blue Ridge School is an all-boys college preparatory boarding school, grades 9-12. We serve approximately 180 young men who respond well to small classes, a structured environment, close faculty support and a strong sense of community. Blue Ridge is located 20 miles from Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the University of Virginia. Our campus, which comprises nearly 800 acres, lies at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
We believe, understand and respect that all boys are different; they grow at different rates, have different interests, learn differently and walk different paths. We know how to relate to boys and teach them to reach: reach their potential, their goals, and their best. We do this by focusing on individual needs, building success, self-confidence and independence. The results are boys who are independent thinkers, creative problem solvers, self-directed and self-reliant.