Blue Engine Teaching Assistant

Company: Blue Engine
Location: New York
Posted on: January 18, 2012

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Job Description:

If you're interested in applying to become a Blue Engine Teaching Assistant, please apply through our website . Thank you!

About Blue Engine
Blue Engine is a New York-based nonprofit that harnesses the power of national service to combat a cycle of college under-preparedness by recruiting, training, and supporting a professional corps of Blue Engine Teaching Assistants (BETAs) dedicated to academic acceleration in high-need public high schools. Our BETAs are placed in school-based teams that work with every student in the grade level - not just high achievers and not just students who need more attention - a feature of Blue Engine designed to minimize the number of students who feel stigmatized by "high dose tutoring" and provide a way for students of all ability levels to have safe, individualized spaces to learn.

Blue Engine helps its students master the academic skills required for high school, college and work success. By accelerating achievement in core academic courses, Blue Engine prepares students in our target schools for the higher-level courses necessary to succeed in college and work. Blue Engine seeks individuals whose past experiences have prepared them both to excel under challenging circumstances and to affect measurable change in the lives of young people. After a highly competitive selection process, our 2012-2013 BETAs will begin their year of service in August 2012 in New York City.

About the Teaching Assistantship
Throughout twelve months of service, BETAs work in school-based teams, collaborating with school staff to help entire grade levels make dramatic gains in academic achievement. During the 2012-2013 academic year, BETAs will support students enrolled in high school Math and English Language Arts courses. An intensive four-week training program in August prepares BETAs to review content, learn how to set ambitious goals, invest students in their own success, and conduct measurably effective small group instruction that is both flexible and responsive to student learning. During the school year, BETAs work with small groups of students (4-6) and collaborate with teachers in the classroom and after school to customize instruction, increase academic rigor, and build empowering relationships with students at every academic level.

We are seeking BETAs committed to:
-achieving ambitious and measurable results
-demonstrating exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills
-showing enthusiasm for teamwork
-thinking creatively
-implementing new strategies that help Blue Engine grow
-overcoming steep challenges

In short, Blue Engine is a new kind of service opportunity. To learn more, get involved today:
-Sign up to receive periodic emails about Blue Engine, including notifications about our 2012-2013 BETA application.
-Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@theBlueEngine)
-Take a look at our website to check out everything from BETA Unplugged (Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Engine, as answered, unedited, by BETAs), to see our job description (including stipend and benefits), to watch a short video about Blue Engine and our first year results, and to read a letter from Alison, one of our inaugural BETAs.
-Contact us with questions at admissions@blueengine.org.

Diversity
Blue Engine values diversity in all forms, including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity. We actively seek individuals from all backgrounds who are committed to our mission of academic achievement in high-need public high schools. We are committed to recruiting a team that reflects the diverse communities in which we serve and that brings a variety of ideas, opinions, and working styles to the table.

Read our full diversity statement.

Responsibilities
-Conduct rigorous small group instruction for high school students in English Language Arts, Algebra, and/or Geometry (content area support will be provided)
-Assist teachers in classroom instruction and curricular planning
-Evaluate and monitor student progress and adjust educational plans accordingly
-Lead students on carefully planned college visits throughout the New York City metropolitan area
-Develop relationships with school staff, administrators, and community members
-Coordinate and execute afterschool enrichment programming

Qualifications
-Record of prior academic achievement
-Teamwork orientation
-Demonstrated ability to take initiative
-Extremely well organized and detail-oriented
-Ability to communicate effectively within a team
-Flexibility to adapt to new situations
-Interest in instructing small groups in high school Mathematics or English/Language Arts
-Interest in or experience working with high school youth
-Recent college graduate (within 5 years) from any academic concentration

Benefits
-Stipend ($1,200 pre-tax per month for twelve months, $14,400 annually)
-Basic health coverage (similar to Americorps healthcare)
-Free unlimited monthly MTA passes
-4 weeks of training in New York City
-Career development workshops and networking opportunities
-Student loan forbearance/interest accrual payment (AmeriCorps application pending)
-Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($5,350 upon completion of service to pay education costs at qualified institutions or to pay back student loans. Some schools will also match the Education Award.) (AmeriCorps application pending)

Other Requirements
-Bachelor's Degree
-2.50 Minimum GPA (undergrad)
-US Citizenship or National/Permanent Resident Status
-Service History
--If you have served for a year or less with an AmeriCorps program (including never having served with AmeriCorps), you are eligible to apply to become a BETA.
--If you have already served a year and a half or more with AmeriCorps, your potential AmeriCorps benefits may be affected -- please contact us at admissions@blueengine.org.
--Previous AmeriCorps experience is NOT a prerequisite to become a BETA.
--If you have any questions about your eligibility, please contact us at admissions@blueengine.org.
-Teaching certificates or advanced degrees are NOT required to become a BETA.

How to Apply
STEP ONE: Sign up
If you are interested in applying, sign up to get more information.

STEP TWO: Apply
-Online applications are due on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

STEP THREE: INTERVIEW
After a review of online applications, qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a thirty minute phone interview. A select number of applicants will be invited to attend a half-day in-person interview session in New York City. Final decisions will be announced in late March (second deadline) to allow sufficient time for planning and travel arrangements prior to the beginning of training in August 2012.

For more information on "who we're looking for" and to review FAQs about the fellowship, please visit our admissions page or contact us at admissions@blueengine.org.

Keywords: Blue Engine, New York, Blue Engine Teaching Assistant, Education, New York, New York

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