Position Overview
The Meliora School seeks a knowledgeable, engaging Social Studies Learning Guide to teach sixth-grade social studies. This educator will develop learners’ understanding of the world through the study of geography, history, government, economics, and culture, with instruction aligned to Georgia’s sixth-grade social studies standards.
The position focuses on Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Australia, helping learners understand how geography, historical events, political systems, and economic decisions shape communities.
At Meliora, Learning Guides combine explicit instruction, inquiry, personalized support, and mastery-based assessment. The successful candidate will help learners analyze sources, consider different perspectives, and support conclusions with evidence.
Content Knowledge and Instruction
The Social Studies Learning Guide will:
- Teach the physical and human geography of Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Australia.
- Help learners use maps to locate significant countries, regions, and physical features and explain their influence on settlement, trade, and population distribution.
- Examine historical developments identified in Georgia’s standards, including European exploration and colonization, conflict and political change in Europe, and the effects of colonization on Indigenous peoples.
- Teach structures of government, citizen participation, and comparisons among political systems.
- Develop understanding of economic systems, trade, specialization, trade barriers, currency exchange, and factors influencing economic growth.
- Examine environmental issues and relationships among people, resources, and geography.
- Translate Georgia’s standards into clear learning targets, unit plans, and measurable criteria for mastery.
- Develop coherent lessons using Meliora’s social studies curriculum and carefully selected supplemental resources.
Historical Inquiry and Literacy
The Social Studies Learning Guide will:
- Teach learners to distinguish primary and secondary sources and evaluate their usefulness.
- Guide learners in examining authorship, purpose, audience, context, and perspective.
- Develop learners’ ability to interpret maps, timelines, photographs, political cartoons, graphs, and informational texts.
- Teach cause and effect, chronological reasoning, comparison, and continuity and change.
- Integrate evidence-based writing, structured discussion, research, and presentations.
- Explicitly teach academic vocabulary and support learners in reading increasingly complex social studies texts.
- Connect historical and geographic learning to age-appropriate contemporary issues.
- Establish respectful discussion routines that encourage curiosity and consideration of different perspectives.
Personalized and Mastery-Based Learning
The Social Studies Learning Guide will:
- Use daily checks for understanding to identify misconceptions and adjust instruction.
- Assess learning through source analysis, written explanations, projects, discussions, quizzes, and performance tasks.
- Maintain accurate records of progress toward specific standards.
- Provide actionable feedback and structured opportunities for revision and reassessment.
- Deliver small-group reteaching and meaningful enrichment.
- Implement IEP and Section 504 supports in collaboration with specialized services staff.
- Support multilingual learners through vocabulary instruction, visual resources, scaffolded texts, and discussion supports.
- Help learners set goals, monitor progress, and present evidence of mastery through portfolios and exhibitions.
Classroom Culture and School Community
The Social Studies Learning Guide will:
- Establish consistent routines for independent work, collaboration, research, and discussion.
- Build a classroom grounded in belonging, curiosity, accountability, and respect.
- Teach responsible research practices, source attribution, and appropriate use of technology.
- Serve as a Life Navigator advisor, supporting organization, goal-setting, reflection, and social-emotional growth.
- Collaborate with colleagues to review learner work and strengthen instruction.
- Communicate proactively with families about progress, celebrations, and needed support.
- Participate in professional learning, family conferences, learner exhibitions, House activities, and assigned supervision duties.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Strong knowledge of middle school social studies, including world geography, history, government, and economics.
- Ability to translate Georgia social studies standards into engaging instruction and assessments.
- Ability to teach source analysis, evidence-based writing, and respectful discussion.
- Ability to use assessment data and learner work to plan targeted support.
- Strong classroom management, organization, communication, and collaboration skills.
- Commitment to mastery-based learning, learner ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Ability to meet applicable employment, credentialing, and background-check requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
- Georgia teaching certification in middle grades social studies or a related field.
- Experience teaching sixth-grade social studies in Georgia.
- Experience designing inquiry-based units and interdisciplinary projects.
- Experience supporting learners with disabilities and multilingual learners.
- Experience teaching in a personalized or mastery-based setting.
Compensation
Salary: Salary based on experience and qualifications.