K-12 Humane Letters/Philosophy Teacher in AZ and TX

GREAT HEARTS PHILOSOPHY OF HUMANE LETTERS: 

Humane Letters comprises of the study of English, History, and Philosophy through the reading and discussion of a selection of Great Books from the Western canon. The primary mode of instruction in Humane Letters is the seminar, which will also be supplemented with direct instruction through lecture or coaching. The seminar format requires that students participate actively in their search for the fullest understanding of the texts under examination. While the instructor serves as a guide in this project, the students and the instructor together investigate and explore the many complex ideas presented in the texts.  

OVERVIEW OF GRADE LEVELS 

Humane Letters is offered to 9-12 grade, and each of the four years has an individual thematic focus: 

  • 9th grade focuses on the great literature and texts of the American canon. With special attention to the historical progression of the United States from its founding to the present, students will explore the ideas, principles, and stories that have shaped this nation into a modern republic; 

  • 10th grade is devoted primarily to reading, discussing, and writing on ten great books of the modern European tradition & the study of European history from the Late Middle Ages to the end of World War Two. Although the course presents a general overview of European life and thought, special emphasis is placed on political and societal change (constitutional government, the basis of property rights, the birth and growth of modern ideologies in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the causes and effects of revolution).  

  • 11th grade focuses on the civilization and thought of ancient Greece through the reading of foundational and seminal texts which explore ideas such as freedom, duty, happiness, virtue in conjunction with ancient Greek history 

  • As the capstone seminar, 12th grade covers a broad range of literature and philosophical works from the beginning of the first century through the 19th century which starts with Virgil’s Aeneid and culminates in Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. In undertaking such a wide-ranging survey of texts, students will have the opportunity to encounter the ideas and stories that have both shaped, and sprung from, the Western Tradition in the last two thousand years. 

 

RESPONSIBILITIES/POSITION OVERVIEW: 

Ultimately, the teacher’s responsibility is to cultivate the hearts and minds of students in the wonder-filled pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness. Some specific practices of a Great Hearts teacher include, but are not limited to: 

  • Study, plan, practice, and execute lessons in accordance with the philosophy of the discipline and the hierarchy of goals within a lesson and subject 

  • Thoughtfully plan and grade homework assignments that help students practice material from that day’s lesson or prepare for tomorrow’s lesson  

  • Thoughtfully plan and grade assessments that accurately evaluate the hierarchy of goals within a lesson, unit, and/or subject 

  • Evaluate each student’s holistic progress through yearly parent-teacher conferences, twice-yearly narrative evaluations, and quarterly report cards 

  • Maintain consistent communication and partnership with parents 

  • Host tutoring sessions for students  

  • Collaborate with grade-level and/or subject-area teams to unify goals, habits, and practices consistently throughout each classroom 

  • Conference regularly with Special Student Services teams, including but not limited to discerning and implementing ARDS, IEP and 504 plans 

  • Cultivate an ordered and joyful classroom culture consistent with the broader academy culture through habits, discipline, systems, and procedures 

  • Commit to the habit of life-long learning, including but not limited to the teacher’s own assigned subject(s), other disciplines in the liberal arts, the art of teaching, athletic games, and the fine arts 

  • Prepare for and participate in frequent faculty seminars on a classic text, piece of art, mathematical proposition, or other beautiful work 

  • Participate in network-wide and campus-specific professional development throughout the academic year 

  • Meet with headmasters, administrative team members, and/or assigned mentor or master teachers to receive coaching on successes and improvements 

  • Complete other responsibilities as assigned by the headmaster and/or administrative team 

 

REQUIREMENTS 

Certification is not required to teach at any of the Great Hearts Academies. Great Hearts teachers hold a bachelor's degree or higher, demonstrate both a love for the breadth of the liberal arts, and a depth of knowledge in the subject area(s) they teach.   

All candidates must be able to demonstrate they are qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned.  

 

HIRING PROCESS 

In conjunction with the Great Hearts recruiting team, headmasters review candidate applications to fill the vacancies at their respective academies. Candidates may hear from one or more headmaster(s) and/or Great Hearts staff member(s) shortly after submitting their application when their qualifications meet the hiring needs at that moment. Alternately, candidates may not hear anything for several months if there are no (anticipated) vacancies that meet their skill set. In either case, it is in a candidate’s best interest to submit application materials as soon as possible. 

 

If you are interested in teaching at Great Hearts, please click here. 

 

For questions about the online application process, submitting of documents, and specific openings, please email careers@greatheartsamerica.org.


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