SY 26/27 Middle School PBL Research and Writing Teacher

Position Overview:

Every member of the Team & Family at KIPP KC plays a critical role in ensuring our students are on the path toward college, career, and beyond. Our educators are passionate advocates for our students and families, working tirelessly to connect them with access to opportunity for lives of power and choice. As a Middle School PBL Research and Writing Teacher, you will deliver exceptional instruction and assess student growth. You are dedicated to constant learning and proactively provide academic and cultural support to your school and team. You are deeply committed to educational equity, building relationships with students and families so they are safe, seen, heard, and loved.

Key Responsibilities:

Instructional Delivery and Assessment

• Develop or internalize year-long Missouri State standards-based (or other curriculum-based), backwards-planned unit plans and lesson plans that meet all students’ learning needs

• Use assessment data to modify short and long-term plans in order to promote all students’ academic performance

• Embrace and incorporate feedback in the spirit of constant improvement

• Maintain accurate records, grade book, and data tracking systems

Academic and Cultural Support

• Assume personal responsibility for student achievement

• Collaborate with content and grade-level teams to promote an environment of critical thinking and academic rigor

• Establish and maintain working relationships with students and families based on trust and respect

• Participate in the daily functions of the school such as morning, lunch, and afternoon supervisory duties

• Attend critical school events such as staff meetings, open houses, and student-led parent conferences

• Meet professional obligations including timeliness and consistency in meeting deadlines

• Exemplify the school cultural expectations

Project Based Learning, Research and Writing

• Develop and implement Missouri State standards-aligned writing units driven by open-ended "Driving Questions," such as "How can we create a simulation of a civilization?" or "How can we design a math escape room?"

• Lead students through the research and publication process for diverse products, including student-written newsletters, lab-style water purification reports, and engineering analysis papers for model bridge testing.

• Serve as a passionate advocate by connecting student projects to real-world contexts, such as drafting persuasive essays on sustainable energy or creating marketing plans and profit reports for student-led business ventures.

• Provide support structures including timelines, rubrics, and digital tools—to help students maintain portfolios that document their sustained inquiry, data collection, and evidence-based design improvements.

• Foster 21st-century skills by facilitating group writing tasks, peer critique, and revision cycles, ensuring students develop the communication and teamwork necessary for success in college and beyond.

• Curate opportunities for students to present their findings to authentic audiences through classroom galleries, video demonstrations, and community showcases, while building routines for daily journal reflections on the learning process.

Real World Learning

• Deliver high-quality, rigorous instruction directly connected to authentic, real-world learning experiences that promote college persistence, career exploration, and workforce readiness for all KIPPsters.

• Lead and facilitate transformative student experiences, including class-connected projects, professional mentorships, internships, and shadowing opportunities that bridge the classroom and the community.

• Teach a minimum of one to two courses explicitly aligned with KIPP KC’s Real-World Learning initiatives, consistently integrating applied learning and interdisciplinary cognitive skills into daily instruction.

• Actively collaborate with students, staff, and regional industry partners to design meaningful learning experiences that provide students with professional exposure and measurable real-world outcomes.

• Organize and lead quarterly RWL Showcases at each grade level, providing a platform for KIPPsters to demonstrate their mastery, present their projects to community partners, and celebrate applied learning growth.

• Use student performance data and feedback from industry partners to continuously refine RWL experiences, ensuring they meet KIPP KC’s standards for academic excellence and 21st-century skill development.