Middle School Computer Science Teacher

Ransom Everglades School seeks a full-time Middle School faculty member in the Emerging Technologies and Computer Science department. The teacher will lead hands-on courses in design, engineering, programming, and artificial intelligence for students in grades 6-8. Our department aims to keep students on the cutting edge of emerging technologies, and we do it through design thinking and the engineering design process. Students define problems, prototype, test, and iterate as they learn to partner with the powerful resources available to them. We help students move from consumers of emerging technology to informed, thoughtful creators of it. The ideal candidate is a confident, curious practitioner who models responsible and resourceful artificial intelligence use for students and colleagues. The teacher promotes lifelong learning while engaging and supporting a diverse student body in a values-based community.

Responsibilities

• Teach five courses per year in classes related to design, engineering, computer science, and/or emerging technology.
• Deliver engaging, hands-on lessons to students in grades 6-8, using varied instructional strategies to reach different learners.
• Guide students through design thinking and the engineering design process: defining problems, brainstorming, prototyping, testing with real users, and documenting design decisions.
• Teach programming fundamentals in block-based and text-based languages, including variables, conditionals, loops, and functions, applied to creative and real-world projects.
• Teach students to read, test, and debug code, including code generated by AI tools.
• Lead hands-on robotics, building, and prototyping projects that develop collaboration, troubleshooting, and problem-solving.
• Introduce user experience (UX) design, including critique, scoping, pitching, and iterating on prototypes.
• Coach students to document their process through engineering notebooks, design portfolios, and presentations.
• Model responsible and resourceful use of AI tools in daily teaching, showing students how to partner with AI, guide it with clear instructions, and evaluate its output with a critical eye.
• Keep the curriculum current by continually exploring new AI tools and other emerging technologies, and bringing them into the classroom thoughtfully.
• Integrate ethical reasoning throughout the curriculum, including fairness, privacy, ownership, attribution, misinformation, and the human impact of automated decisions.
• Create and administer assessments that measure learning and growth, including projects, presentations, quizzes, and design portfolios.
• Provide individualized feedback and support, including tutoring during office hours before or after school.
• Foster a positive, structured learning environment that encourages collaboration, creativity, curiosity, and respect.
• Participate in ongoing professional development in computer science education, design pedagogy, and emerging technologies.
• Communicate with parents about student progress, including through conferences and progress reports.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the department and school to share resources, support responsible AI practices, and keep curriculum aligned from middle school through upper school.
• Participate in, and possibly lead, extracurricular activities such as robotics, coding, or design competitions and clubs.
• Engage actively in the school community by attending events, contributing to school initiatives, and supporting the school’s mission.
• Serve as Academic Advisor, participate in student activities, engage in the life of the school community by attending events, contributing to school initiatives, and supporting the school's mission.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline; Master’s degree preferred.
• Demonstrated comfort and fluency working with AI tools, along with a thoughtful, balanced perspective on their capabilities, limits, and ethical implications.
• Experience teaching engaging, problem-based, student-centered classes, preferably at the middle school level.
• Working knowledge of design thinking and the engineering design process, with experience applying them in the classroom.
• Enthusiasm for learning new technologies and adapting quickly as the field evolves.
• Experience with robotics, physical computing, CAD, or digital fabrication is a plus.
• Collaborative approach with colleagues, including sharing resources and communicating about curriculum and students.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to model effective, ethical AI use for students, including writing clear prompts and specifications, reviewing and testing AI output, and knowing when not to use AI.
• Proficiency in Python and the ability to teach programming to beginners with confidence and enthusiasm.
• Ability to facilitate open-ended, iterative projects and help students learn from failure and feedback.
• Skill in pairing core programming concepts with creative problem-solving and user-centered design.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to model them for students.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.