Prospect Center

The ideal candidate would have the following qualities:

• A breadth of intellectual understanding, and an openness and desire to learn. Since very few middle school teachers are generalists, we need a candidate who is excited about the prospect of teaching disciplines other than his/her own and is able to look for support from the principal and other staff members;
• Ability to be supportive of children and aware of how to respond to individual needs and differences;
• An understanding that the interests of individuals is what drives the acquisition of knowledge;
• Ability to take a descriptive stance, not a judging or labeling stance with respect to individuals;
• Interest and ability to keep regular narrative records of students’ work and work habits for parent reports. We do not use a grading method to document our students’ progress.
• Experience with middle school age students, with evidence that the candidate understands group dynamics in general and of this age in particular;
• Classroom management skills and an understanding that discipline is anticipatory and foreword-looking, not punitive;
• Comfort in responding to the concerns of parents, an ability to discuss his/her own classroom, and even his/her own mistakes, easily.
• Experience with parent participation in the classroom;
• Some experience with activity-based curriculum and/or life experience that demonstrates a valuing of non-academic traditions;
• Enthusiasm.

Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and a resume to Jessica Howard, Principal, The Hiland Hall School, 2196 Harwood Hill, Bennington VT 05201.