Sabot At stony point/ richmond, virginia usa
Start Date: August 1, 2016
The lower school teacher-researcher will collaborate with his/her co-teacher, students, and parents to create and sustain a strong learning community. The Lower Elementary Teacher will support an early elementary class covering all curriculum subjects except Physical Education. Our school’s teaching priorities include the following
investigative research, inquiry, and project work?
collaborative work
mathematics, reading, and writing
representation of thinking in various media
documentation of learning
authentic assessment
social and emotional learning
Applicant must:
hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university or equivalent in relevant experience
have a deep interest in students as learners
have a strong understanding of child development
be able to communicate clearly – both verbally and in writing
be able to collaborate with others in an open way
be able to work both indoors and outdoors (including forest walks)
upon employment, be able to pass criminal background checks
COMPENSATION WILL BE COMMENSURATE WITH EXPERIENCE.
Candidates should submit a letter of interest, vitae, references, and a statement of educational philosophy. Address your letter to Dr. Susan Barstow, Lower School Director, but submit all materials through the Business Office.
Business Office, Sabot at Stony Point
3400 Stony Point Road,
Richmond, VA 23235
E-mail: businessoffice@sabotatstonypoint.org
Web site: Sabot at Stony Point: A small school for big change
Sabot, founded as a preschool in 1972, launched lower school and middle school programs in 2006. One of the first schools in the U.S. to adopt the Reggio Emilia Approach (REA), Sabot employs a social constructivist approach throughout the school.
We have small classes (16-18 children) in the lower school and two teachers in each classroom. Our Reggio-inspired, social-constructivist curriculum is inquiry-based and driven in part by the children’s interests. We emphasize collaboration and recognize the gifts that each child brings to the group. Our math curriculum is based on the University of Chicago’s Everyday Math program, and our literacy curriculum is based on Lucy Calkins’ widely-recognized Reading and Writing Workshops. Study in science and history emphasizes process skills, and topics emerge from children’s answers to our guided questions. The arts are incorporated into all areas of the curriculum and children learn to represent their thinking in many media and through many modes of expression. Our approach is one that recognizes the whole child and focuses first and foremost on social and emotional learning and relationships as the necessary foundations for learning.
Our bi-annual Sabot Institute and semi-annual Open Doors: Visiting Educators Days have drawn more than 400 educators from around the U.S. and Canada to observe in our classrooms and collaborate with our faculty and staff. This outreach is one of the many ways in which we work to meet our goal to be A Small School for Big Change.
THE OPPORTUNITY
SABOT AT STONY POINT, A REGGIO-INSPIRED PRESCHOOL-8TH GRADE SCHOOL IN RICHMOND, VA, SEEKS TWO FULL-TIME TEACHERS FOR ITS LOWER SCHOOL. THESE NEW TEACHERS WOULD JOIN A COHESIVE, COMMITTED, AND TALENTED TEAM WHOSE MEMBERS ARE GARNERING NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR THEIR GROUND-BREAKING WORK.
SABOT, FOUNDED AS A PRESCHOOL IN 1972, LAUNCHED LOWER SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN 2006. ONE OF THE FIRST SCHOOLS IN THE U.S. TO ADOPT THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH (REA), SABOT EMPLOYS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL.
WE HAVE SMALL CLASSES (16-18 CHILDREN) IN THE LOWER SCHOOL AND TWO TEACHERS IN EACH CLASSROOM. OUR REGGIO-INSPIRED, SOCIAL-CONSTRUCTIVIST CURRICULUM IS INQUIRY-BASED AND DRIVEN IN PART BY THE CHILDREN’S INTERESTS. WE EMPHASIZE COLLABORATION AND RECOGNIZE THE GIFTS THAT EACH CHILD BRINGS TO THE GROUP. OUR MATH CURRICULUM IS BASED ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO’S EVERYDAY MATH PROGRAM, AND OUR LITERACY CURRICULUM IS BASED ON LUCY CALKINS’ WIDELY-RECOGNIZED READING AND WRITING WORKSHOPS. STUDY IN SCIENCE AND HISTORY EMPHASIZES PROCESS SKILLS, AND TOPICS EMERGE FROM CHILDREN’S ANSWERS TO OUR GUIDED QUESTIONS. THE ARTS ARE INCORPORATED INTO ALL AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM AND CHILDREN LEARN TO REPRESENT THEIR THINKING IN MANY MEDIA AND THROUGH MANY MODES OF EXPRESSION. OUR APPROACH IS ONE THAT RECOGNIZES THE WHOLE CHILD AND FOCUSES FIRST AND FOREMOST ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND RELATIONSHIPS AS THE NECESSARY FOUNDATIONS FOR LEARNING.
OUR BI-ANNUAL SABOT INSTITUTE AND SEMI-ANNUAL OPEN DOORS: VISITING EDUCATORS DAYS HAVE DRAWN MORE THAN 400 EDUCATORS FROM AROUND THE U.S. AND CANADA TO OBSERVE IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND COLLABORATE WITH OUR FACULTY AND STAFF. THIS OUTREACH IS ONE OF THE MANY WAYS IN WHICH WE WORK TO MEET OUR GOAL TO BE A SMALL SCHOOL FOR BIG CHANGE.
THE SABOT APPROACH
OUR APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING IS GROUNDED IN THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH, KEY ELEMENTS OF WHICH ARE DESCRIBED BELOW.
IMAGE OF THE CHILD
WE BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN ARE BORN THINKERS AND THEORISTS WHO, FROM THEIR EARLIEST MONTHS, OBSERVE AND EXPERIMENT IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THEIR WORLD. CHILDREN ARENATURALLY CURIOUS AND CREATIVE, MOTIVATED TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE, AND TO SEEK UNDERSTANDING BY DEVELOPING, TESTING, AND REFINING THEORIES. WE BELIEVE THAT THESE DISPOSITIONS, WHEN NURTURED AND SUSTAINED, CONTRIBUTE POWERFULLY TO LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING.
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM
WE BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER TO TRULY LEARN AND UNDERSTAND, CHILDREN NEED TO CONSTRUCT KNOWLEDGE THEMSELVES, NOT SIMPLY ABSORB OR MEMORIZE KNOWLEDGE THAT HAS BEEN ACCUMULATED BY OTHERS. ACROSS THE CURRICULUM, OUR STUDENTS BUILD UNDERSTANDING BY EXAMINING THEIR EXISTING IDEAS IN LIGHT OF NEW EXPERIENCES AND NEW INFORMATION, DISCUSSING QUESTIONS, AND TESTING AND REFINING THEORIES IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CHILDREN AND ADULTS. IT IS ESSENTIAL, THEREFORE, THAT LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS BEGIN THE ACADEMIC YEAR BY BUILDING THE COMMUNITY OF THE CLASS AND BY TEACHING CHILDREN TO COLLABORATE ON PROJECT WORK.
INQUIRY
SABOT CLASSROOMS ARE INQUIRY-BASED. THIS MEANS THAT OUR STUDENTS DO NOT WAIT FOR THE TEACHERS TO PROVIDE ANSWERS; INSTEAD, THEY ASK QUESTIONS, DESIGN INVESTIGATIONS, AND ACTIVELY SEEK ANSWERS THEMSELVES. STUDENTS LEARN THAT THERE IS NO SINGLE RESOURCE FOR ANSWERS; THEY DISCOVER INSTEAD THAT MANY TOOLS ARE USEFUL FOR EXPLORING PROBLEMS AND FINDING SOLUTIONS AND, FREQUENTLY, THERE IS MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION. AS THEY MAKE OBSERVATIONS; COLLECT, ANALYZE, AND SYNTHESIZE INFORMATION; AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS, SABOT STUDENTS DEVELOP LIFELONG PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS THAT CAN BE APPLIED ELSEWHERE. OUR STUDENTS QUICKLY REALIZE THAT LEARNING HAS CYCLES, NOT ENDPOINTS. MOREOVER, INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING BEGINS WHERE STUDENTS ARE; IT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO VALUE THEIR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE AND TO MAKE USE OF MULTIPLE WAYS OF LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING.
METACOGNITION
AT SABOT AT STONY POINT, CHILDREN LEARN TO THINK ABOUT THEIR THINKING. THIS MEANS THAT WE HELP THEM BECOME AWARE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THEIR MINDS WORK, THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY LEARN BEST, WHICH MEANS OF REPRESENTATION AND EXPRESSION COME EASILY TO THEM AND WHICH ARE MORE DEMANDING, AND WHICH COGNITIVE STRATEGIES HELP THEM DO THEIR BEST WORK. OUR PRACTICE HAS TAUGHT US THAT CHILDREN WHO KNOW THEIR OWN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, WHO ARE CHALLENGED TO ASSESS THEIR OWN WORK, AND WHO ARE COMFORTABLE ASKING FOR HELP WHEN THEY NEED IT WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE LEARNERS. THEY ALSO WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO ADAPT TO THE NEW CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE.
COLLABORATION
IN A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT, CHILDREN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN COMPETENCIES, BOTH AS INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS AND AS PART OF A GROUP. FROM KINDERGARTEN ON, SABOT STUDENTS BEGIN TO RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER’S UNIQUE TALENTS – WHAT HOWARD GARDNER CALLS THE MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES. THEY WILL SEEK OUT THOSE WITH MECHANICAL SKILLS WHEN SOMETHING IS BROKEN, THOSE WHO CAN NEGOTIATE ABLY WHEN CONFLICTS ARISE, AND THOSE WHO LOVE TO DREAM WHEN A BIG IDEA IS NEEDED. THIS RECOGNITION OF THEMSELVES AND OTHERS USUALLY COMES WITHOUT JUDGMENT AND IS RARELY COMPETITIVE. STUDENTS VIEW EACH OTHER AS RESOURCES, REALIZING THAT WHAT THEY CAN ACCOMPLISH BY WORKING IN CONCERT FAR EXCEEDS WHAT THEY MIGHT ACCOMPLISH INDIVIDUALLY. A SCHOOLWIDE EMBRACE OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND A CONCOMITANT EMPHASIS ON THE BRAIN’S PLASTICITY AND NEARLY INFINITE CAPACITY FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ALLOW CHILDREN TO BUILD UPON THEIR STRENGTHS AND ADDRESS CHALLENGES WITHOUT PRESSURE OR LIMIT.
THE HUNDRED LANGUAGES STUDIO
THE STUDIO IS A CRUCIAL PART OF THE PROCESS BECAUSE IT HELPS STUDENTS TO MAKE THEIR LEARNING VISIBLE. IN THE STUDIO (BE IT THE SHARED STUDIO IN THE MAIN BUILDING, THE CLASSROOM STUDIO, OR SIMPLY A STUDIO-INSPIRED MINDSET), CHILDREN CAN USE VARIOUS MEDIA (CLAY, DANCE, VIDEO, OR PEN AND PAPER) TO REPRESENT, ANALYZE, PROBLEM-SOLVE, AND COMMUNICATE IN WHAT REGGIO TEACHERS CALL “THE HUNDRED LANGUAGES OF CHILDREN.” THIS PROCESS OF REPRESENTING KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING LEADS TO REFLECTION, QUESTIONING, AND ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION IN AN ONGOING CYCLE OF INQUIRY.
ACCESS TO THE NATURAL WORLD
OUR CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT PROVIDES CHILDREN WITH A RARE DEGREE OF EXPOSURE TO THE NATURAL WORLD, AN EXPERIENCE THAT MANY CHILDREN TODAY LACK. TIME OUTDOORS FOSTERS THE GENUINE CURIOSITY THAT MAKES LEARNING MEANINGFUL; IN FACT, OBSERVATION OF THE NATURAL WORLD OFTEN PROMPTS STUDENTS TO ASK THE SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES QUESTIONS THAT DRIVE INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCH (E.G., HOW DOES WATER SUSTAIN LIFE? HOW DO BIRDS FLY? WHAT IS THE POETRY OF SOUND? WHO LIVED ON THIS LAND BEFORE THE SCHOOL CAME?) THE CAMPUS AND THE ADJOINING LARUS PARK SERVE AS A LABORATORY FOR MAKING OBSERVATIONS, ASKING QUESTIONS, AND PLANNING EXPERIMENTS. THE LARGER SPACES AVAILABLE FOR OUTDOOR PLAY ALLOW CHILDREN TO MAKE CROSS-AGE CONNECTIONS AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION, ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS IN SMALLER CLASSES. WHENEVER WEATHER PERMITS, WE EAT LUNCH OUTDOORS. RECESS IS ALWAYS OUTDOORS UNLESS THERE ARE STRONG STORMS.
ASSESSMENT
THE SCHOOL’S EMPHASIS ON SELF-AWARENESS, REFLECTION, CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT, AND LIFE-LONG LEARNING LEAD US TO AN APPROACH TO ASSESSMENT THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE ASSIGNMENT OF LETTER GRADES. WE DO NOT REGARD “A” LEVEL WORK AS A REASON TO STOP WORKING, IMPROVING, OR THINKING. WE EXPECT STUDENTS TO ACQUIRE THE KNOWLEDGE INECESSARY FOR LEARNING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT KNOWLEDGE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH. WE ASSESS WORK TO ENSURE THAT IT MEETS APPROPRIATE BENCHMARKS, BUT OUR MOST IMPORTANT GOALS FOR OUR STUDENTS ARE (1) TO LEARN THE PROCESS OF SOLVING COMPLEX PROBLEMS, AND (2) TO DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR OWN WORK. AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE LOWER SCHOOL GRADES, STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO OBSERVE, EVALUATE, AND REFINE THEIR OWN WORK AND LEARNING. THIS PROCESS OF HELPING STUDENTS TAKE INCREASING RESPONSIBILITY FOR, AND OWNERSHIP OF, THEIR OWN LEARNING BEGINS IN PRESCHOOL AND CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
Candidates should submit a letter of interest, vitae, references, and a statement of educational philosophy. Address your letter to Dr. Susan Barstow, Lower School Director, but submit all materials through the Business Office.
Business Office, Sabot at Stony Point
3400 Stony Point Road,
Richmond, VA 23235
E-mail: businessoffice@sabotatstonypoint.org
Web site: Sabot at Stony Point: A small school for big change
Together, we are empowering exceptional education.