Description

From craigslist:

Share your passion for history with high ability children who love to learn. This is a part-time position. You will need to work some volunteer hours initially for the purposes of training and orientation. This is a part-time position in an unusual setting in a unique new model of education model. This is not a teaching position. This is an opportunity to share your special interests with high ability learners in the hopes of sparking an interest in History which can be pursued by individual learners independently or in small groups.

In our alternative school for gifted learners we have discarded the hierarchical model of traditional education to better serve the intense learning needs of our gifted students, who tend to be intense learners and passionate, caring people. Our program is a combination of mentors who guide and assist each learner with their individual learning goals and specialists (such as a History Buff) with passion interests willing to share their expertise with Learners who get excited about Learning new things. We envision a History program that brings to life periods of history in as many ways as possible through a combination of media, literature and field trips to fully explore periods of time such as the Depression era, World War 2. For instance, We’ll study the Italian Renaissance period, including art and music of the time and we’’ll go for a gondola ride on Lake Merritt for the experiential aspect, We’’l learn about the life styles, clothes, food, government and typical experience of people of that day. In studying American History of the 30s we’ll read books and watch films of the era. We’ll also go out on a historical tour of the Bay on the “Floating White House”, the famous Potomac boat used by Delano Roosevelt while we learn about the Roosevelt years, his relationship with Winston Churchill and other luminaries of the day. We see this as a fascinating combination of multiple modalities, incorporating literary and cultural studies, field trips, films, newsreels, and visits to libraries, museums, universities and historical places nearby.

This is a part-time position of two days per week, which may increase depending on your success with our Learners. You ‘ll have exciting opportunities to collaborate with our Learners and Staff to come up with many exciting curriculum. Using local historical sites as a spring board for experiential learning, we will visit and tour the Dunsmuir House, Angel Island, Alcatraz, Coit tower and more. These studies will include food, culture, and lifestyles of the day.

Some volunteer time is requested initially for up to 4 months for training and orientation. After passing our written examination and contributing 100 hours of supervised time with gifted children you will receive a certificate qualifying you to work in our center for gifted/intellectually advanced children. This position is two days per week, with the possibility to expand to more, depending on what you bring to the table and what vision you can build for yourself and our program. Pay is $20 per hour work from 6hrs up to 15 hours per week, hours TBA.

Our unique Learning Center, an alternative school for gifted and precocious learners, seeks a person who loves learning about history to share learning experiences with children with advanced cognitive abilities who also love to learn. We hope to find a dynamic individual who has the creative ability to use interdisciplinary methods to bring various periods of human history alive in the active minds of bright Learners. you might discern that I have omitted the words teacher and student, this was intentional. at our learning center we have wholly rejected the hierarchical model of traditional education to allow ourselves the opportunity to embrace a dynamic new model that favors a more democratic structure and supports the needs for our learner's autonomy and self direction with the ultimate goal of supporting the potential for the self actualization of each learner..

Our unique learning center for children with advanced cognitive abilities uses a mentor system where he or she acts as a peer and a partner with a small group of up to 8 learners, helping each Learner to find unique learning opportunities, materials, resources and specialists, providing a highly customized learning environment for each learner that encourages interest and helps develop internal motivation. Our Learners are equal partners in the architectural design of their own Learning plans and curriculum, in this way we get a "buy-in" factor that helps with motivation and the production of tangible academic product.which might not otherwise be possible in this population of Learners. A successful candidate will be able to detach from their own ego and be there to "serve" the needs of the learner. A successful candidate will be intuitive and supportive of the Learner's interests and agenda in a partnership not unlike a dance where each anticipates and supports the moves of the other, learning takes on a beautiful shared experience enriching all participants. Experience with children is desirable. Teaching experience is not needed nor desirable as experience for this position..
To apply for this position please submit a detailed cover letter about yourself, your interests and why you think you would be an ideal candidate for this position, along with your resume. Previous teaching experience is not a plus however experience working with children is a desired. No teaching experience needed for this position. The hierarchical model associated with teaching does not serve these high ability Learners. Come with an open mind and heart. As this model is the only educational model that has been designed by the learners it serves.