Teacher Librarian/Learning Resources Coordinator

You are an independent thinker and learner looking for a position out of the ordinary. You are hoping to find a school that is totally dedicated to providing a values-based, future-oriented education that is impossible within the constraints of a conventional international school curriculum. You know that high quality education demands purposeful collaboration among learners, both teachers and children. You do not place limits on what can be achieved. You wish to build strong links with the host country community and work within a locally-founded organization that provides outstanding opportunities for career development. 

Role description: 

The Teacher Librarian/ Learning Resources Coordinator is an important member of faculty at this pioneering early childhood center. He/she will support the work of the collaborative teams, each of which is responsible for a multi-age group of up to 50 children. Initially there will be two such teams. Each team typically includes: an expatriate lead teacher; two Chinese class teachers; two expatriate assistant teachers; two Chinese teacher assistants; and two or three Chinese care assistants. The exact configuration of the founding teams may vary slightly according to the number of children initially enrolled. The role of the Teacher Librarian/Learning Resources Coordinator will be to participate in the teaching of the children, promote the progressive learning of reading, coordinate the identification and acquisition of appropriate reading materials and other learning resources, and support and participate in ongoing curriculum development and professional development.

Reports to: The Founding Principal, YueCheng Kindergarten, Courtyard Campus.

Qualifications sought:

• Mother tongue fluency in written and oral English

• Education degree and certification

• Three or more years’ experience in early childhood teaching (preschool or kindergarten); library/resource center experience preferred

• Commitment to progressive, play-based learning experiences for young children.

Responsibilities. These include the following:

In general: 

• Collaborate with teacher teams in fulfilling the Kindergarten’s mission: to empower every child to enjoy a positive and purposeful life

• Contribute to teaching and learning in accordance with the program’s foundational principles (above)

• Maintain high but personalized expectations of students and self 

• Support the Kindergarten’s strategic goals

• Contribute to a collaborative and positive working environment among team members

• Maintain a calm, caring, and appropriately challenging environment for children

• Develop a deep understanding of the Kindergarten’s curriculum and assessment policies and practices, and collaborate with team members in their implementation

• Contribute to ongoing curriculum development

• Engage in professional development and support the professional development of others

• Build and maintain excellent relationships with parents

• Participate in school activities and meetings

Specific responsibilities:

• Be an advocate for literature and information literacy across the curriculum

• Help students develop a passion for reading for life

• Promote the spirit and practice of learning through inquiry 

• Introduce students to a range of genres in both print and digital formats.

• Help students use a range of resources and technologies.

• Assist students to seek, critically evaluate, synthesize and present information.

• Promote best quality literature and authors reflecting a variety of cultures and themes.

• Guide students in their reading and learning resource choices 

• Keep informed about current literature for children

• Work collaboratively with teachers to select suitable texts, develop literature-based reading programs, and participate in the development of unit plans.

• Collaborate with the lead teachers in keeping up to date and informing team members on readings and research related to best teaching practices for young children

• Coordinate the selection, allocation and use of educational resources and materials

Remuneration package

The position attracts a competitive salary and benefits package. The benefits package includes furnished housing, medical insurance, annual home leave airfare for employee and family, excellent professional development opportunities, and the benefit of belonging to a highly engaged educational team within a warm, caring and innovative community.

An expatriate parent of school-age children will be granted up to two full-fee discounts on places at the YueCheng Kindergarten, Courtyard Campus, or at the Beijing City International School, depending on the child’s age and subject to student enrolment criteria and availability. 

Applications

If you wish to apply for this position, please send a letter of application and resume / CV as soon as possible to the YCE Superintendent, Mr. Nick Bowley, at the following address: nick.bowley@bcis.cn

The deadline for applications is February 28th 2019, but YCE reserves the right to make an appointment prior to that date.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit names of professional referees. The starting date will August 2nd, 2019. 

YueCheng Kindergarten, Courtyard Campus (Opening September 2019)

The beautiful Courtyard Campus (www.yuechengkg.com) juxtaposes sweeping modern lines with the traditional elegance of an original courtyard palace dating from the early Qing dynasty. Designed by master architect Ma Yansong, the campus is a purposeful metaphor for the education that our new flagship kindergarten will offer. The form of the campus and the philosophy of the educational program are rooted in the efficacy of harmonious relationships: between architecture and nature; old and new; youth and experience; tradition and future; China and the world.

The mission is ambitious. All children will be empowered to enjoy a positive, purposeful and healthy life, becoming confident and creative learners as they begin their educational journey. To this end, the holistic, child-centered program will be based on the following foundational principles: 

• Planned intergenerational learning opportunities between the children and the citizens of the adjacent YueCheng Shuangqiao retirement community (opened October 2017);

• Multi-age learning groups, reflecting the relationships and responsibilities of the members of a family;

• Constructivist learning through investigative play;

• Free-flow learning spaces, inside and out, removing the conventional boundaries that constrain opportunities for young children to learn;

• No boundaries dual-language learning, enabling children to learn to speak, read, and write in either English or Chinese as appropriate to the context;

• Reading as a gateway to life-long learning and pleasure;

• Interactive, developmentally appropriate introduction to logical-mathematical thinking skills;

• Practical immersion in the arts and the development of a sense of beauty;

• The relationship between mind and body and the development of skills for fitness and a healthy lifestyle.