Vassal Lane Upper School Community:

Vassal Lane Upper School is a vibrant 6-8 middle school, part of the Cambridge Public Schools. We are home to 300 students from three feeder schools. In addition, we have students from all over the world as part of our Sheltered English Immersion program.

We are committed to collaboration and creating environments in which all students learn at high levels. We are mindful of societal inequities and work to challenge injustice. We strive to promote inquiry, reflection, critical thinking, creative expression, resilience, civic engagement, and lifelong learning.

The Role:

The Vassal Lane Upper School in conjunction with the Health and Physical Education Department seeks a Physical Education/Health Teacher, to join our caring and innovative community. The successful candidate will have experience planning and implementing Health and Physical Education instruction according to the Massachusetts Health Curriculum Framework, the National Health Education Standards, the National Sexuality Education Standards and the National Physical Education Standards. S/he will teach the Health and Physical Education curriculum weekly and lead electives courses. As a professional, the teacher will display a collegial spirit that supports and enhances continual professional growth consistent with the educational goals and philosophies of our school community. Moreover, she/he will be fully committed to continuously learning, improving, reflecting and working together to ensure that all students achieve at high levels.

Key Responsibilities:

• Utilize accepted H/PE department strategies and techniques, which have been developed as a framework for enhancing life skills development and encouraging meaningful dialogue between students, teachers, and parents/guardians.
• Coordinate guest speakers and special presentations.
• Build school-wide relationships with students, staff and parents by participating on appropriate committees and by engaging students in various programs and school-wide health promotion activities. 
• Be responsible for all reports, data collection, inventory and purchasing as well as other duties as may be designated by the Coordinator of Health and Physical Education or the Health Education Program Leader.                                                                                   
• Integrate social emotional learning into the classroom and work to foster a safe, caring, and active learning community.

Your Skill Set:

As the incoming Physical Education/Health Teacher you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience and/or education in: physical education, leading adventure activities and adaptive physical education.
• First Aid/CPR/WSI certification.
• Massachusetts Certification in PreK-8 Physical Education and K-12 Health/Family and Consumer Science required.
• Awareness of the developmental needs of middle school and adolescent learners and the strategies to meet those needs through the curriculum.
• Strong classroom management skills.
• Previous and successful experience working in a multicultural environment and demonstrated implementation of culturally responsive practices that includes students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, alongside the ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with a diverse staff and student body.
• A strong work ethic, alongside a commitment to doing whatever it takes for students to excel.

How to Join Our Team:

Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills, experience, and commitment to equity in education meet the qualifications of the position as well as stating how you heard about this opportunity. 

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.