Position Opening at Acton Morristown
Spark Apprentice Guide
Ages 4.5-7
Do you want to change the world?
If your goal is to instill your love of learning in others while advancing your own professional growth, this is your chance to get in on the ground floor of one of the world’s most innovative schools.
Acton Academy Morristown—is a one-room schoolhouse for the 21st century with innovative elements such as Quest-like projects with real world application, Socratic discussions, apprenticeships, and the Hero’s Journey in a student-centered, multi-age Studio.
We opened Fall 2019 grades K-6. For the 2019-2020 school year we had learners grades K-6. Now searching for a Spark Apprentice Guide to join our Spark Studio (ages 4-7) beginning ASAP. The Apprentice Guide is expected to work five days a week spending time in the Studio (our term for classroom) and as well as planning, documenting, communicating with parents, and performing administrative tasks.
The Apprentice Guide’s main role will be to move young learners on a Hero's Journey to understand and develop their most precious gifts, to help them discover their deepest passions, and to inspire learners to use their gifts and passions to serve others in a meaningful way.
We believe our learners will go on to change the world in a profound way.
Position Description:
The Apprentice Spark Guide will:
Facilitate a truly customized education for each learner in the Studio and create character building experiences in an intentionally diverse environment.
Facilitate reading and math skills and lay the foundation for self-directed learning.
Create and launch age-appropriate Quests (projects), including developing daily challenges and curating world class examples.
Affirm students, holding them accountable to their promises and to their commitment to deliver “the best work they can do” as they discover and pursue a calling on a Hero’s Journey.
Create meaningful exhibitions, ceremonies, and celebrations that reinforce the rules of engagement, personal and group covenants to provide and strengthen a safe learning community.
Act as a role model as an independent learner on a Hero’s Journey.
Launch and lead Socratic discussions.
Supply Studio environment and set up Studio as inspiration for learning.
Incorporate materials and lessons into ‘core skills’ work time. Observe and track each child’s progress.
Encourage young heroes to track their progress and create portfolios to show parents, peers, and apprenticeship employers what they can do.
Uphold promises to learners, parents, and fellow Guides made in relational covenants.
Pass along each of these responsibilities to students as quickly as possible, so as to allow students to lead themselves.
The Guide also will get to know senior leadership members at both Acton Academy Morristown to stay aware of industry trends, events, and partnership opportunities.
Qualifications:
Strong relationship building with children ages 4-7
A deep curiosity about life and love of lifelong learning.
Innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
Understanding diversity, equity, and inclusion with a passion for an intentionally diverse learning environment.
Ability to build and maintain a strong culture of self-directed learning.
Customer service and user-centered orientation with the ability to give and receive feedback, meet needs, and get a positive response.
Proven excellence in written and oral communication skills.
Proven excellence in childhood settings.
Evident passion for being on a Hero’s Journey.
Agile facilitating project-based / experiential / real-world learning.
Proficient quantitative reasoning skills to look at learner growth data to inform next steps.
Training in Montessori, Reggio, Waldorf, or unschooling models is helpful but not required.
This is a position for an independent learner who: can work with little direct guidance; likes to collaborate, experiment, evaluate and continually improve; has a deep respect for all children believing that each human has genius within; and is a flexible problem-solver.
It is essential that this person can learn fast, loves to work hard, and is an active reader and writer.
The position will begin ASAP with (paid) consulting hours expected once a contract is signed. We are an 11-month program. We run on 4-7 week Sessions with 1-2 week breaks in between Sessions. The Guide will be expected to work five days a week. We will be closed for six and one-half weeks in the summer.
Apprentice Guide will work intermittently through the summer to continue learning the Acton model, prepare the Studio environment, and perform other administrative tasks.
Acton Academy Morristown Non-Discrimination Policy
Acton Academy Morristown admits students of any race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. Acton Academy Morristown does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship, and loan programs and athletic and other School-administered programs.