The Buckley School is a dynamic, nurturing learning community committed to equity and inclusion, and as such, seeks to hire talented employees with diverse backgrounds.

Mandarin Teacher

The Buckley School, Los Angeles’ oldest K-12 all-gender learning institution, has an opening for a Mandarin Teacher for the 2024-2025 school year. The Mandarin Teacher will join the world languages department as a contributing member of the program aligned with the school’s mission, commitment to DEI, and Portrait of a Graduate. The position is responsible for teaching five sections of Chinese Language and Culture, typically in middle school. This teacher will be responsible for all aspects of teaching the curriculum and serve as an advisor for middle school students. Preferred candidates will have experience teaching Mandarin and the creativity to develop curricular units exploring transdisciplinary concepts.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

● Teaching up to five sections of Mandarin in middle school

● Collaborating with colleagues in designing curriculum and instruction

● Developing students’ four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing Mandarin

● Providing differentiated instruction to meet individual needs including for students who already have some Mandarin proficiency and those who have had no prior exposure to the language

● Creating interactive activities and games to engage and support students in the language learning process

● Building curricular units that explore concepts and ideas that develop intercultural understandings

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

● Bachelor’s degree

● Previous experience teaching Mandarin at the middle and/or upper school level

PREFERRED CANDIDATES WILL HAVE:

● Master’s degree, and /or Doctorate and/or teaching credential

● Demonstrated leadership in diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice

● Experience with classroom technology to connect the study of world languages to the modern world

● Capacity to establish an immersive language-learning classroom where students develop proficiency in the target language

● Flexibility to offer collaborative and individual learning opportunities that support student growth

● Experience in implementing concept-based learning to support student-driven discovery and exploration of the Chinese-speaking world

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

● Models the highest standards of professionalism and creates warm, uplifting and trusting learning environments and working relationships marked by humor, positivity, humility, empathy, excellent emotional intelligence, extraordinary interpersonal skills, and collaboration

● Demonstrates great individual integrity, initiative, self-awareness, commitment to personal and professional growth, and the ability to receive and apply feedback

● Possesses a passion for education, particularly in an independent school environment, conveyed by a solid understanding of educational practice and philosophy grounded in DEI

● Knowledge of and demonstrated competency in diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice

● Relishes the joys and challenges of working with k-12 students and possesses a deep understanding of the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of children

● Demonstrates adaptability, dependability, good judgment, strong social skills and the abilities to read, assess, imagine, evaluate, calculate, & make wise decisions

● Significant experience implementing instructional programs

● Demonstrates strong communication skills in person, in writing, by phone and through other electronic means (such as Zoom)

KNOWLEDGE:

● Current knowledge of all subject area content

● Knowledge of instructional methodologies to support discipline-specific and transdisciplinary learning, and the ability to learn and implement knew instructional practices over time

● Knowledge of and ability to implement useful diagnostic and progress assessment measures

● Knowledge and effective use of instructional methods and learning materials

● Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Blackbaud/Education Edge, Zoom, and the ability to learn new and evolving technology

COMPENSATION:

The Buckley School is comprised of faculty who are brand new teachers to experts in their field with over 40 years of experience. The broad range which includes all experience levels is $54,614 - $118,039. As a school with a unionized faculty, compensation is determined as a step scale according to the collective bargaining agreement, negotiated with the union.

The base salary is separate from fringe benefits, such as retirement contributions, daily lunch, on-site parking, contributions to medical, dental, vision, life/AD&D plans, our generous time off policy, or potential stipends (for eligible employees). Our pay ranges are reasonable estimates of what the School anticipates paying for a role but are not guaranteed. If hired at The Buckley School, your actual base salary will be determined by your education, experience, and schedule. Our salary scale can be found by visiting: https://www.buckley.org/about/employment

TO APPLY:

Interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter to jobs@buckley.org. In a cover letter/email please explain how you have included diversity, equity, and inclusion in your work with students or colleagues.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL:

The Buckley School proudly carries on the mission of its founder, Dr. Isabelle Buckley, who in 1933 set out to provide students with an education characterized not only by academic excellence, but also a sense of self-esteem, responsibility, and character. An independent, all-gender day school for students in kindergarten through grade 12, providing students with a program based on critical thinking, creative self-expression through arts, physical development, and moral education lies at the heart of Buckley’s ethos.

At The Buckley School, faculty and staff believe in their students, see their capacity for growth, and nurture their ability to create and evaluate. Students are honored for their diverse backgrounds and admired for their ability to lead with empathy and courage. Inspired by its mission, the Portrait of a Graduate, Dr. Buckley’s Four-Fold Plan — education with equal emphasis on Academics, the Arts, Athletics, and Moral Education — and the Buckley Commitment of Honesty, Loyalty, Respect, Kindness, Self-Reliance, and Self-Discipline, faculty uplift students, partner with parents, and build community every day.