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Posted: 13-May-26
Location: Oakland, California
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Salary Details:
Preferred Education:
About Aurora School
Aurora School is an independent, progressive TK–8 school in Oakland committed to academic excellence, emotional intelligence, and social engagement. Our inclusive community nurtures creativity, leadership, and a genuine love of learning, developing self-aware, confident students who advocate for themselves and others.
Aurora’s Middle School program is grounded in inquiry, interdisciplinary and project-based learning, authentic relationships, and a deep understanding of adolescent development. We believe rigor emerges through deep thinking, meaningful engagement, and authentic application of skills and concepts. Our classrooms foster creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and hands-on learning within a culture of both academic challenge and belonging.
Rather than viewing the middle school years as simply “awkward” or “difficult,” we see them as a critical period of transformation intellectually, socially, emotionally, and ethically. Aurora educators create learning environments where students are known deeply, challenged thoughtfully, and empowered to take increasing ownership of their learning, identities, and ideas.
As Aurora continues to grow its Lab School model, we value educators who see themselves as lifelong learners and reflective practitioners. Our classrooms serve as spaces of inquiry, innovation, and professional learning, where teachers collaborate, reflect on practice, and actively help shape the evolution of Aurora’s growing programs and progressive educational model.
We are especially excited to partner with educators who are warm, grounded, collaborative, and eager to bring creativity, curiosity, and thoughtful practice into the classroom.
About the Position
Reports to: Head of School or designee
Position Status: Full-Time
Location: Aurora School, Oakland, CA
Start Date: August 1, 2025
Aurora School is seeking a passionate, student-centered, and highly skilled educator to join our middle school team as a STEM Guide. The ideal candidate is an educator who creates engaging and academically challenging learning environments while building strong relationships with adolescents and fostering curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking.
In this role, you will:
- Teach interdisciplinary, project-based STEM curriculum rooted in inquiry, problem-solving, experimentation, and real-world application.
- Teach middle school math and science courses with opportunities for integrated and collaborative curriculum design.
- Foster a classroom culture where students learn to think critically, engage respectfully across differences, collaborate effectively, and develop confidence as learners and problem-solvers.
- Design meaningful learning experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, innovation, and hands-on exploration.
- Lead Morning Meetings and/or advisory structures that support social-emotional development and relationship-building.
- Partner closely with families through clear communication, strong relationships, and shared investment in student growth.
- Collaborate closely with colleagues to support interdisciplinary learning experiences and a cohesive middle school program.
- Help shape and strengthen Aurora’s evolving middle school program through collaboration, innovation, and shared ownership of the student experience
- Contribute positively to Aurora’s broader school culture through committees, admissions activities, community events, and occasional evening or weekend school responsibilities.
As a Middle School STEM Guide at Aurora, you will help students develop both foundational and advanced STEM skills while cultivating resilience, collaboration, curiosity, and confidence.
What We Look for in a Guide
- A Whole-Self Approach to Education: Aurora educators create inclusive, relationship-centered classrooms where students develop confidence, emotional intelligence, resilience, and a strong sense of belonging. We believe social-emotional learning is foundational to academic growth and value educators who lead with empathy, consistency, and strong relational awareness.
- A Commitment to Equity, Belonging & Critical Thinking: Aurora is committed to cultivating an anti-racist, inclusive community where every student is affirmed in their identity and encouraged to think critically about themselves, their communities, and the world around them. We seek educators who honor diverse perspectives, foster thoughtful, age-appropriate dialogue across differences, and approach their work with reflection, humility, and a commitment to growth.
- A Passion for Educating Middle Schoolers: You love working with adolescents and understand the middle school years as a critical period of intellectual, social, and emotional growth.
- A Growth Mindset & Love for Learning: You are reflective, curious, and collaborative. You welcome feedback, value innovation, and see teaching as an ongoing process of inquiry, creativity, and professional growth.
- An Entrepreneurial, Real-World Perspective: You have an entrepreneurial mindset and energy for creating and adapting project-based curriculum that connects learning to the real world through community partnerships and authentic application.
- A Relational Approach to Community: You build trusted relationships with students, families, and colleagues through clear communication, follow-through, collaboration, and shared investment in student success and belonging.
Key Responsibilities
Teaching & Curriculum Development
- Design and implement engaging, interdisciplinary STEM “Quests” aligned with Aurora’s mission that connect STEM concepts to authentic questions, real-world challenges, community issues, and students’ curiosity, developmental needs, and emerging interests.
- Past examples of Quests: “How can nature inform robotics?”, “How can we develop, market, and brand an energy bar that is healthy for teens?”, “How could humans evolve or be genetically engineered to survive on Earth after climate change?”
- Teach rigorous middle school STEM courses rooted in inquiry, conceptual understanding, experimentation, engineering design, problem-solving, and real-world application
- Bring real-world STEM learning into the classroom through guest experts, community partnerships, frequent excursions, authentic problem-solving opportunities, and culminating exhibitions, presentations, and showcases for authentic audiences.
- Foster critical thinking, scientific inquiry, innovation, and collaborative problem-solving through hands-on learning experiences, labs, projects, engineering challenges, and discussion.
Differentiate instruction to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of a range of learners.
Use assessment, observation, documentation, and reflection to understand student growth and inform instruction. - Collaborate with colleagues to design integrated curriculum and interdisciplinary learning experiences as Aurora continues to grow and evolve its middle school program.
Participate in Aurora’s evolving teacher inquiry cycle, investigating questions about teaching and learning and contributing to our growing Lab School model. - Integrate technology and other resources thoughtfully when they enhance learning.
Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning through reflection, collaboration, professional growth, and openness to innovation.
Social-Emotional Learning & Classroom Culture
- Build a classroom culture grounded in belonging, curiosity, consistency, high expectations, and respectful dialogue across differences.
- Support students in developing collaboration skills, self-advocacy, emotional regulation, and resilience while guiding them through social-emotional learning moments using restorative, relationship-centered, and developmentally appropriate practices.
- Serve as a trusted adult and advisor by leading an advisory group and supporting adolescents through a critical stage of social, emotional, and academic growth.
- Foster a learning environment where students feel safe taking intellectual risks, asking questions, learning from mistakes, and growing in confidence as learners and community members.
Family Partnership
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with families through clear communication, trust, and shared investment in student growth and well-being.
- Share meaningful feedback about student progress, learning experiences, and social-emotional development through conferences, progress reports, and ongoing communication.
- Communicate regularly with families about curriculum, projects, excursions, and upcoming learning opportunities.
- Provide regular classroom communications that help families stay connected to classroom experiences and learning.
- Partner with families to support students’ academic growth, self-advocacy, organization, and increasing independence during the middle school years.
Collaboration & Community Engagement
- Collaborate closely with middle school colleagues, specialists, and school leadership to support a cohesive and integrated student experience.
- Participate actively in faculty meetings, professional development, teacher inquiry work, admissions initiatives, and collaborative program development as Aurora’s Middle School continues to grow and evolve.
- Contribute to Aurora’s culture of belonging, enrollment, and retention through strong partnership with students, families, and colleagues.
- Attend, support, and help plan community events such as Back-to-School Night, admissions events, student showcases, performances, school celebrations, and family engagement opportunities.
- Serve as an ambassador for Aurora’s middle school program through active participation in student visit days, admissions events, and broader community-building efforts.
- Participate in the planning, supervision, and execution of middle school traditions and experiences, including culminating events, creating new initiatives and traditions, graduation activities, excursions, and one overnight trip in both the fall and spring.
- Participate in occasional after-school, evening, and weekend responsibilities as part of Aurora’s collaborative community culture.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, anti-bias education, and culturally sustaining teaching practices.
- Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
- At least 2 years of experience teaching STEM subjects at the middle school or upper elementary level preferred.
- Ability to create inclusive learning environments that support a range of learners, learning styles, strengths, and neurodiverse needs.
- Experience designing curriculum for adolescents.
- Experience with inquiry-driven, project-based, and/or progressive teaching practices.
- Preferred experience with restorative practices, advisory programs, or social-emotional learning approaches.
- Preferred experience teaching mixed-grade or multi-age classrooms.
- Preferred experience leading field experiences, overnight trips, or experiential education programs.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and education. Aurora offers health and retirement benefits, disability insurance, and professional development opportunities.
Health & retirement benefits, disability insurance, and professional development opportunities.
How to Apply
To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter to Lynsey Kamine, Head of School.
Aurora School is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and evaluate all candidates based on merit.
Learn more at www.auroraschool.org.
