Counselor/Elementary Teacher/Instructional Coach

POSITION: Counselor/Elementary Teacher/Instructional Coach

REPORTS TO: Campus Principal/Area Superintendent

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 227 days with benefits provided.

EXEMPTION STATUS: Salaried - Exempt.

LOCATION: Da Vinci Academy for Science and the Arts - San Antonio

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in counseling from an accredited college or university
• 3+ years of credible experience as a school counselor and/or classroom teacher
• Valid Texas school counselor certificate
• Valid Texas teaching certificate
• Knowledge of counseling procedures, student appraisal, and career development
• Knowledge of curriculum design and implementation
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to instruct students and manage their behavior
• Ability to interpret data and evaluate instruction programs and teaching effectiveness
• Ability to present information in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations to students, parents or guardians, and district staff
• Ability to develop and deliver training to adult learners
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

GUIDANCE CURRICULUM

• Plan, organize, implement, and deliver structured group lessons according to the district's guidance curriculum to improve students' interpersonal and intrapersonal effectiveness, personal health and safety, post-secondary planning and readiness, and other developmental needs.
• Teach the school guidance curriculum components through the use of effective instructional strategies and planned structured groups considering diverse student populations and needs for differentiated instruction.
• Work with students, staff, parents or guardians, and the community to identify priorities where students will be served through the guidance curriculum component. Collaborate across curricular areas to integrate guidance lessons into content area curriculum.
• Create a balanced curriculum by using well-planned and intentional activities and materials, incorporating guest speakers, and offering engaging delivery techniques, including technology tools.

RESPONSIVE SERVICES

• Use accepted theories and effective techniques of developmental guidance to respond to problematic or critical incidents to support students and offer services in time of need.
• Use preventive activities to remove barriers that interfere with a student's educational, career, personal, and social development.
• Implement remediation practices to assist students in coping with problem situations or unwise choices. Identify precipitating and antecedent factors, effective and ineffective approaches to dealing with the circumstances, and provide feedback to guide future decisions.
• Use specialized skills to support students in crisis situations requiring immediate response. Maintain a healthy and safe school environment by collaborating with district staff, parents or guardians, and local officials.
• Provide continued support to students in need through individual counseling, small group counseling, consultation, or referral to services outside the school or district.
• Serve as an impartial, non-reporting resource for interpersonal conflicts and discourse involving two or more students, including accusations of bullying.

INDIVIDUAL PLANNING

• Create school counseling services that are developmental and age appropriate and provide information or literature that highlights related topics to students, teachers, and administrators.
• Assist individual students and their parents or guardians in monitoring their academic, career, personal, and social development as they progress in school.
• Act as a student advocate, leader, collaborator, and systems change agent. Advocate for a school environment that acknowledges and respects diversity and ensures equitable access and placement in courses and programs for minority, disenfranchised, homeless, and other special populations.
• Interpret standardized test results, offer career development activities, provide strategies for grade level transitions, and guide students in individual goal setting and planning including creating and reviewing personal graduation plans and providing information about post-secondary opportunities.

SYSTEM SUPPORT

• Collect, summarize, and interpret testing data to plan, create interventions, guide students, and address specific student needs.
• Conduct an annual program audit to inform accountability, action plans, time management, and systemic change.
• Participate in campus-based school improvement planning and goal setting.
• Provide parent or guardian and staff training and consultation to foster student educational, career, personal, and social development.
• Clearly articulate and communicate the counseling program's management system and related program action plans to campus and district staff, parents or guardians, and the community.
• Participate in staff development and continuing education opportunities to improve job-related skills and research to identify best practices in implementing a comprehensive school counseling program.

TEACHER

• Participate in curriculum review and design.
• Implement a variety of effective instructional strategies consistent with lesson objectives.
• Diagnose and evaluates student abilities and progress in a timely and consistent manner.
• Monitor student progress and adjust instruction accordingly.
• Plan a program of study that meets the individual needs, interests, and abilities of the students.
• Create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.
• Assess the accomplishments of students on a regular basis and provide progress reports as required.
• Refer students for alternative services as provided by the District (ESL, Reading, Special Reading).
• Effectively implement district initiatives.
• Effectively collaborate with department and grade level teachers.

INSTRUCTIONAL COACH

• Work collaboratively with assigned classroom teachers to establish realistic and measurable objectives related to both the teacher's individual professional development and student learning.
• Support the continuous professional growth and improvement of teacher instructional skills through coaching and collaborative problem solving.
• Observe classroom instruction and provide feedback and coaching to classroom teachers to facilitate improvement and innovation. Demonstrate teaching strategies with students in classroom.
• Evaluate teacher effectiveness in accordance with established district programs.
• Plan and provide appropriate staff development for teachers, administrators, and staff.
• Work with teachers to analyze and interpret student data and use findings to develop and apply instructional strategies.
• Develop curricular or behavioral support materials as needed.
• Disseminate information regarding current research and significant developments on the state and national levels in area assigned.
• Compile, maintain, and file all reports, records, and other documents required.
• Comply with policies established by federal and state law, State Board of Education rule, and local board policy.
• Follow district safety protocols and emergency procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

OTHER

• Compile, maintain, and file all reports, records, and other documents.
• Comply with polices established by federal and state law, State Board of Education rule, and board policy. Comply with all district and campuses routines and regulations.
• Take all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, equipment, materials, and facilities.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and correct records as required by law, district policy and administrative regulation.
• Serve on committees as assigned.
• Stay abreast of current research and best practices in student counseling and development in educational and non-education-related settings, and adjust plans, policies, and procedures accordingly.
• Follow district safety protocols and emergency procedures.
• Abide by state statutes, school board policies and regulations.
• Attend meetings and performs duties as assigned by administrators or supervisors.
• Take all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, equipment, materials, and facilities.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and correct records as required by law, district policy and administrative regulation.
• Serve on committees as assigned.
• Remain current on instructional practices in education. (e.g. instructional technology)