Instructional Coaches
General Job Description
Instructional coaches (ICs) are experienced professional educators who provide content-specific support for Breakthrough teachers throughout the summer and engage fully in the Breakthrough Fort Worth community. ICs dictate the level of academic rigor during Breakthrough’s summer program through their interactions with the teaching fellows. Exemplary ICs effectively communicate content specifics to their assigned teachers, guide the teachers through effective planning and execution, and hold both teachers and students to high expectations. Each IC will have six teachers in their department and is expected to lead department meetings, visit classes, evaluate lesson plans and curriculum overviews, and meet individually with teachers regarding their ongoing work, all while giving constant feedback and support to their teachers. Since ICs are the only professional teachers on site, they are accountable for the quality of instruction Breakthrough students receive and are responsible for supporting Breakthrough teachers through their first teaching experience.
Instructional coaches (ICs) are experienced professional educators who provide content-specific support for Breakthrough teachers throughout the summer and engage fully in the Breakthrough Fort Worth community. ICs dictate the level of academic rigor during Breakthrough’s summer program through their interactions with the teaching fellows. Exemplary ICs effectively communicate content specifics to their assigned teachers, guide the teachers through effective planning and execution, and hold both teachers and students to high expectations. Each IC will have six teachers in their department and is expected to lead department meetings, visit classes, evaluate lesson plans and curriculum overviews, and meet individually with teachers regarding their ongoing work, all while giving constant feedback and support to their teachers. Since ICs are the only professional teachers on site, they are accountable for the quality of instruction Breakthrough students receive and are responsible for supporting Breakthrough teachers through their first teaching experience.
Specific Instructional Coach Duties: Summer
Pre-summer:
- Complete training sessions (8 hour training on a Saturday in April/May with date TBA)
- Familiarize yourself with Breakthrough curriculum in your grade level; modify curriculum as needed in consultation with Breakthrough directors
- Meet with program staff to plan orientation workshops
Teacher Orientation (June 8-17)
- Lead one or two orientation workshops relating to instruction or classroom management
- Co-facilitate all instruction and classroom management sessions
- Lead purposeful department meetings
- Coach teaching fellows through their mock lessons and provide constructive feedback
Six-Week Summer Program (June 20-July 30):
- Guide teachers through using Breakthrough curriculum, understanding student assessments and locating appropriate teaching resources
- Provide teachers with support and regular feedback as they prepare lesson plans
- Observe each teacher in your department twice weekly. Each full observation will be followed with a debriefing session in which teachers receive concrete feedback based on Breakthrough’s Teacher Excellence Rubric.
- Meet twice a week with the program director and Dean of Faculty to discuss teacher and student progress
- Plan and lead daily department meetings
- Lead at least one large group, mid-summer professional development session
- Engage fully in the Breakthrough Fort Worth community, sharing our passion for teaching, learning and leading
Evaluation Week (August 1-3):
- Submit a final evaluation and letter of recommendation for each of your assigned teachers
- Evaluate the overall summer program
- Supervise teachers as they evaluate student final assessments
- Read and edit student evaluations
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required, certification in field and master’s degree preferred
- Outstanding track record as a professional classroom teacher, preferably in grades 6-9, for at least two years
- Superior presentation, writing and organizational skills
- High degree of flexibility, ability to multitask between projects
- Ability to deliver positive, constructive and honest feedback, both written and verbal
- Experience with curriculum development and implementation
- Outstanding knowledge of subject matter and broad knowledge of available resources
- Comfort and confidence in working with children and adults
- Creativity, energy and commitment to excellence
- Commitment to and passion for teaching middle school students from diverse backgrounds
- Prior experience with Summerbridge or Breakthrough is highly desirable
- Familiarity with Fort Worth schools is highly desirable
- Experience in an academically rigorous college-preparatory institution is highly desirable
If interested in applying for summer 2022, contact Jessica Manzano-Valdez at jessica.manzano-valdez@fwcd.com or 817-939-0594.
Fort Worth Country Day (FWCD) is a JK-12 private, independent, coeducational, nondenominational college-preparatory school located on approximately 100 acres in Fort Worth, Texas. The mission of Fort Worth Country Day School is to foster the intellectual, physical, emotional, and ethical development of capable students through an academically rigorous college preparatory program that integrates the arts and athletics.