Summer or (MS)2 Teaching Assistant - Math/Science

 

One of the nation’s premier boarding schools, Phillips Academy offers a number of summer programs for rising 7th through 12th grade students that are held on its picturesque campus just 21 miles north of Boston. Collectively they are referred to as "Andover Summer". Our flagship program, Summer Session, challenges students in an innovative five-week, residential program. More than 60 courses are offered, ranging from computer science to marine biology, from ethics and philosophy to economics. Mathematics & Science for Minority Students – better known as (MS)2 – is a residential, STEM scholarship program for underrepresented students of color that runs concurrently with Summer Session. Regardless of program, Andover Summer students bring the world into the classroom by virtue of their enormous diversity of geographic origin, religion, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. With strong academic records and a serious desire to spend the summer in a residential community, our students enjoy challenging themselves and one another through disciplined study.  Every summer Phillips Academy hires a number of visiting Teaching Assistants (TAs) to teach, coach, and house counsel in these summer programs, which are slated to run from June 21-August 1, 2023. As a Summer Session faculty member, the TA experience is rigorous, intensive, and challenging, structured to provide support to students academically, socially, and emotionally throughout their 5-week experience.

Teaching Assistants (TAs) are typically rising college seniors or recent college graduates who are interested in gaining direct experience with the sorts of teaching, coaching, and residential duties that comprise the life of a boarding school faculty member. 

• To gain classroom experience, TAs are paired with experienced Mentor Teachers for the duration of the summer, collaborating closely to execute on the syllabus designed by the Mentor. Together, TAs and their Mentor Teachers are charged with ensuring that students in their classes have a challenging and academically rigorous summer experience, while also making learning incredibly fun. Project-based, hands-on, authentic learning experiences are encouraged, and TAs should be prepared to support their mentors in leading students through an intensive and highly engaging exploration of their chosen content. With the support of their mentors, TAs work towards planning and leading at least one complete lesson over the course of the summer, with most TAs assuming lead-teaching responsibilities by the end of the session.

• To gain residential experience, most TAs serve as House Counselors in student dormitories. In this capacity, they are charged with creating a safe, supportive living environment and ensuring the health and wellbeing of the students in their care. Dorm teams consist of 2-5 House Counselors (depending on the size of the dorm) who share residential responsibilities, rotating through evening dorm duties, facilitating dorm meetings and activities, coordinating dorm events, communicating with families, and providing care and support to students as needed.

Typically, TAs are hired to support in at least one course, to house counsel and to coach an afternoon activity; assignments may vary slightly depending on the program. TAs should expect to have roughly 35-40 hours per week of assigned duties, including up to 3 hours of class (Monday-Saturday), ~1 hour of coaching or club facilitation (Monday-Friday), and ~2.5 hours of evening study hours or residential supervision (Sunday-Friday). Absences from assigned duties are not permitted. Few exceptions are made to this policy, although unusual circumstances may determine that an applicant’s situation should be handled on an individual basis. TAs are also expected to chaperone at least three on-campus social events and at least two off-campus trips during the summer. TAs live in Academy-provided housing, either in student dorms (if serving as house counselors) or in faculty-only dorms and have full access to all Phillips Academy facilities and dining services for the duration of the summer.

In addition to working collaboratively with the Mentor Teacher to complete all instructional duties described above, TAs are responsible for ensuring that their own developmental needs are met and that they engage with the opportunities provided for skill-building and support.

Pre-Summer

• Become familiar with all materials sent in advance for your review.

• Complete required pre-employment activities including HR paperwork, background checks/fingerprinting, and completion of online trainings.

• Communicate with the Mentor Teacher about personal/professional goals, expectations, and desired level of engagement during the summer.

• Become familiar with the preliminary course syllabus created by the Mentor Teacher, and the responsibilities outlined in the House Counselor Handbook.

• Attend faculty orientation.

• In collaboration with the Mentor Teacher & house counseling team, prepare classroom and dorm for summer. 

• Review the student information and files available in Cooley House for the students in your class, dorm and/or activity.

During Summer

• 1st Week:

o Provide support in class to the Mentor Teacher, collaborating as needed to determine appropriate involvement, roles and responsibilities. Prioritize learning student names and class routines, defining your role, and setting boundaries.

o Participate in the facilitation of Student Orientation activities, including All School Meeting, campus tours, Dorm Olympics, and Field Day, among others.

o Complete all tasks required of house counselors and coaches, including contacting advisees and their families, coordinating dorm team-building activities, participating in dorm meetings and athletics assemblies or the Club Fair, and completing assigned duty night responsibilities.

• Ongoing:

o In collaboration with the Mentor Teacher, plan and teach classes daily according to summer schedule, provide feedback on assignments regularly, offering intervention and extra help as needed. 

o Build relationships with students in your class, activity and/or dorm through regular check-ins, being available for extra support during study hours or other free times, communicating in-person and through email, etc. 

o In collaboration with the Mentor Teacher and house counseling team, solve student issues and address concerns as they arise, and escalate to deans when necessary.

o Participate in faculty meetings.

o Participate in TA Seminars

• Mid-Summer

o In collaboration with the Mentor Teacher, write mid-summer Instructor reports and submit estimated grades.

o Schedule and hold mid-summer check-in meetings with each advisee and any students of concern.

End-of-Summer

• In collaboration with the Mentor Teacher, administer a final exam or culminating project.

• In collaboration with the Mentor Teacher, write Instructor Reports for each student according to direction provided.

• Collect any student textbooks; complete an inventory of any that can be re-used and identify those that need to be recycled. Collect fees for any missing books.

• Prepare classrooms for departure: return to original layout, ensure boards and wall spaces are left as they were originally found, shut off any portable AC units.

• Return classroom keys to Cooley House.

• Provide feedback to Director via survey and reflection session.

• Prior to arriving on campus, complete a series of readings that will be sent before the end of May.

• Attending a daylong TA Orientation, as well as New Faculty orientation.

• Providing support for student registration and departure days by acting as bus chaperones.

• Prepare for, and participate in, each of the TA Seminar meetings held under the direction of the TA coordinator.

• Hold a regularly scheduled meeting with the mentor teacher before or after class in order to prepare the lesson and/or debrief.

• Work towards independently leading portions of classes in the early weeks of the term and leading full classes, and then a series of full classes, by the end of the term. The content and pedagogy of these classes should be consistent with the broad framework designed by the mentor teacher.  

*Please note that duties and responsibilities may shift depending on public health guidance, updated program offerings, or Andover Summer policies. 

• At least three years of undergraduate education completed by the time of employment; all TAs must be 21 years of age by the start of Summer Session  

• Strong interest in teaching or youth development

• Experience working with middle- or high-school-aged students

• Demonstrated experience and success in a collaborative environment

• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced, dynamic environment requiring both the ability to take direction and the readiness to problem-solve

• Appreciation of the mission and culture of independent, residential, college-preparatory schools.

• Exceptional communication skills (speaking and writing)

• Exceptional interpersonal skills 

• Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Compensation

Starting salary is $3500 for a Teaching Assistant with a full workload of assisting with up to two courses, house counseling, and coaching an afternoon activity. Salary offers may increase based on the demands of a particular program or a TA’s years of education/experience.

How to Apply

In order to apply for this position, please visit our website at: https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=7ddc8884-11ea-4d1a-a8a0-2e8834b6caf3&ccId=9200508496526_2&lang=en_US.

Phillips Academy is an equal opportunity employer. Phillips Academy is an intentionally diverse and inclusive residential community “committed to creating an equitable and inclusive school in which students from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences—including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and ability—learn and grow together.” The ideal candidate supports the inclusive and diverse nature of the community. Any offers of employment will be contingent upon successful CORI/SORI and fingerprinting background checks as well as unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.