Indy Teach Mentor Teacher

Are you an exceptional, experienced teacher looking for leadership opportunities but don’t want to leave the classroom?  Become a Mentor Teacher at Christel House Indianapolis!

General Role Description

Mentors play a vital role in training, supporting, and inspiring apprentice teachers seeking their license. Mentor teachers at Christel House Indianapolis are full-time teachers in the classroom who are paired with an aspiring teacher.  They support the development of the apprentice through fully integrating them into their classroom, gradually letting them take on more responsibility, sharing the triumphs and challenges of teaching, and ensuring they have the skills necessary to lead their own classroom.

The ideal mentor is an experienced teacher who has demonstrated mastery of culturally responsive, effective instructional practices and understands the skills necessary for urban teachers to be effective leaders in and outside the classroom. Mentors must also have a demonstrated passion for professional learning, a willingness to mentor adults, an unwavering confidence that ALL students can learn, and a demonstrated history of above-average student achievement on standardized tests, classwork, credit attainment, etc.

We are accepting applications for Mentor Teachers for all subjects and grade levels for the 2023- 2024 school year.  At this time, we cannot offer Special Education or English as a Second Language licensures.  Mentors hired on with us are eligible for additional pay above their base salary (one of the highest in the state!) and will be eligible for an additional $20,000 bonus for exceptional work with us after 6 years and an additional $20,000 every five years they are employed at Christel House.

More About Us

The mission of Christel House Indianapolis is to create empowering opportunities through an equitable, rigorous, and holistic education for all students and alumni so they actualize their aspirations and develop effective leadership skills.  Christel House Indianapolis provides a holistic human development approach that focuses on building strong character to complement each student’s rigorous academic foundation. By building meaningful relationships, Christel House staff empower students of all ages to achieve academic and socio-emotional success. Taking this holistic approach allows Christel House to truly support students’ life aspirations, and in turn transform whole communities. Through our College and Careers program, we continue to support graduates for 5 years after graduation through post-secondary education and job placement, so they become self-sufficient, contributing members of society.

Christel House Academy was originally organized by Christel DeHaan in 2002 and is the oldest charter school in operation in the state of Indiana. Christel House began as a K-4 charter school, but quickly grew in size and scope to become a network of charter schools and adult high schools in Indianapolis serving over 2100 children and adults. Currently, Christel House Indianapolis is comprised of two K-8 academies, a high school, an innovation high school, and an adult high school (DORS) on three campuses. The largest campus was recently relocated to the 28-acre campus of Emmerich Manual High School. This community-serving campus houses Christel House Academy South (K-8), Watanabe HS, the sunsetting Emmerich Manual HS, DORS, a new Day Early Learning Center serving infants through pre-k students.  The westside campus houses Christel House Academy West and DORS.  The third DORS campus is on the main campus of Ivy Tech Community College.  Christel House Academy South was Indiana’s first charter school to receive the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform’s “School to Watch” designation. Christel House Indianapolis received additional recognition as an Indiana Achievement and Breakthrough School and both Christel House Academy South and West have been named National Schools of Character by Character.org, the only schools in the state to receive this national distinction.

Qualifications

To qualify, you must:

• Have a valid Indiana Professional Educator License
• Have three years of teaching experience with “Effective” or “Highly Effective” ratings
• Demonstrate excellent communication and organization skills
• Show an enthusiasm for the Christel House community and a willingness to develop future teachers for our network
• Demonstrate a committment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Participate in mentor training during the summer and throughout the school year
• Have a Master’s Degree or higher (preferred)

Essential Functions

• Share responsibility for classroom instruction with an apprentice teacher by gradually increasing opportunities to provide full-class instruction
• Provide specific, consistent feedback to your apprentice including:
  • Regular informal, growth-focused conversations with your apprentice that has both praise/encouragement and constructive feedback on opportunities for improvement
  • Regular formal feedback to be shared with school and program leadership, including evaluations using the Christel House teacher evaluation rubric
  • Formal feedback on the IndyTeach rubric during 3 program benchmarks
• Co-plan weekly to model effective lesson preparation and ensure high-quality instructional practice
• Guide your apprentice through restorative justice practices and help them develop an equitable learning environment for students
• Create a comfortable climate for both students and apprentices to take risks and work through challenges
• Facilitate opportunities for your apprentice to engage with families in a meaningful way (e.g., interacting with parents at events and participating in student-led conferences).
• Orient apprentices to routines and procedures in the classroom, school-building facilities and resources, school personnel (e.g. special education teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, school secretaries, etc.), and school policies
• Attend professional development specifically designed to support mentor teachers
• Appreciate the apprentice as a professional who brings fresh perspectives and new techniques to the classroom that you are also willing to be a thought partner for, try, and implement

Heads Up

A complete application requires the following:

• Current resume (please include an email address)
• Contact information for at least three (3) professional references (References should include your supervisor in your current position or most recent prior position)
• Applicants should disclose any criminal arrests or convictions in the application process.  A successful applicant will be required to submit to a national background check