SCIENCE SUMMER TEACHING FELLOWSHIP

If you're a college junior or senior considering teaching, become an Ascend Summer Teaching Fellow! You'll join other exceptional aspiring educators for a challenging and rewarding summer training program in Brooklyn.

You'll start by taking part in a fast-paced, intensive orientation, in which you'll learn the basics of classroom management, lesson planning, and pedagogy to set you up for success with your students. Then, you'll co-lead a core content during Ascend's Summer School, and teach an elective of your own design. Throughout the program, you'll work under the close guidance of an experienced mentor teacher, receiving consistent feedback and development in Ascend's instructional and philosophical approaches.

The Ascend difference

Ascend is a network of K-12 public charter schools serving 5,500 students across 15 schools in Central Brooklyn. Our mission is to provide our students an extraordinary education, placing them firmly on the path to success in college and beyond.

We guide our students to think critically and independently, and to enjoy education as an end in itself. We teach a rich and rigorous liberal arts curriculum that nurtures students' natural curiosity about the world. We foster a positive, non-punitive school culture where students feel connected, empowered, and safe to take academic risks. And we design our school buildings to reflect the incredible accomplishments that happen within their walls and our high aspirations for teaching and learning.

To create this kind of vibrant learning community, we invest heavily in our faculty by providing ongoing professional training and support, and encourage our educators to collaborate closely and push each other to achieve great outcomes.

Visit our website to learn more.

• Build pedagogical skills through professional development sessions with Ascend staff
• Create lesson plans for daily elective block
• Observe, assist, and/or co-teach, gradually increasing responsibility throughout summer; teach full lessons independently by week three of the program
• Facilitate classroom activities, tutor small groups, develop homework assignments, grade assessments, analyze student data, create plans for remediation, and assume extracurricular activities
• Actively participate in grade-level meetings, collaborative planning, professional development sessions, and community-building events

Staff and reporting relationships

The Summer Teaching Fellow reports to the Director of Teaching Fellows Programming. They also receive direction from and work closely with, the mentor teacher, dean of students, and school director.

Candidates must be:

• College juniors, expected to graduate in December 2020 or spring 2021, or
• College seniors expected to graduate in December 2019 or spring 2020

Candidates must demonstrate a:

• Deep passion for the importance of a liberal arts education and a particular academic discipline
• Commitment to teaching students in underserved areas and the drive to combat the systemic inequities in America's schools
• Strong track record of academic achievement and extracurricular leadership
• Relentless pursuit of and track record of setting and achieving ambitious goals
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• Strong organization and time management
• Ability to quickly implement feedback to improve practice

Diversity at Ascend

Ascend is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, both through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students. Ascend staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities—opening a window to the entire Ascend community on the richness of humanity. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our deeply consequential work.

Compensation

Ascend offers a generous stipend, free housing at a local university (or a housing stipend for those who opt-out), and a free unlimited MetroCard.