UPPER ELEMENTARY CHINESE HOMEROOM TEACHER (2024-2025) (San Francisco)
Full-time, exempt position. Native-level Mandarin
OPPORTUNITY
This position offers a unique opportunity for passionate Lower School educators to foster a joyful learning community that strikes a develop mentally appropriate balance between deepening students’ academic skills and nurturing the curiosity and creativity of our learners. Consistent with its Strategic Vision 2020-2025, CAIS is committed to reimagining immersion to achieve greater student engagement and proficiency in Chinese and cultivate the cognitive, character and intercultural competencies that are the “CAIS Immersion Bonus.” We are seeking an Upper ElementaryChinese Homeroom Teacher who is eager to collaborate with our experienced faculty to continue implementing the best Chinese immersion pedagogy in the 2024-2025 school year.
OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate finds resonance with CAIS’s mission to Embrace Chinese, Become Our Best Selves, and
Contribute to a Better World. As CAIS aims to empower inquisitive, creative, and inspired learners, we look
for a candidate adept at student-centered pedagogy such as differentiation, inquiry-driven learning, use of
assessment to inform teaching, and a dynamic application of best practices in Chinese language and literacy
instruction. This candidate can foster a joyful learning community that strikes a developmentally appropriate balance between deepening students’ academic skills and nurturing the curiosity and creativity of our learners. Our new team member will collaborate with cross grade level Chinese/grade level Chinese and English partner teachers and enjoy a wealth of professional development opportunities. Within the framework of a strong curricular vision supported by Chinese and English program directors, the candidate will enjoy considerable autonomy in developing the classroom curriculum. CAIS offers a dynamic dual culture setting in which faculty are immersed in a culture of language learners. We look for a candidate who will embrace CAIS’s work to create an equitable, inclusive environment where all faculty, students, and families are supported in their individual identities. We welcome all applicants who aim to actively support and participate in our diverse and inclusive community.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Position responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
● Develop a positive intellectual, emotional, and social environment within the classroom
and a class community in which all children feel valued and a sense of belonging.
● Demonstrate teaching excellence, a growth mindset, professionalism, and integrity.
● Support the educational program by challenging, supporting, and engaging students.
● Encompass a positive discipline approach in guiding student behavior.
● Developing engaging instructional strategies that are employed in the target language foreach student
● Actively support and collaborate on school initiatives, such as events and committee work.
● Work with English partner teacher to develop and deliver integrated Social Studies andDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion units.
● Work collaboratively and maintain standards of respect, courtesy, and mutual consideration with the school community, including students, staff, and parents.
● Communicate effectively, promptly, and proactively with families.
● Prepare assessments, grades, and progress reports according to school procedures.
● Attending Teacher Collaboration Time(TCT) meetings to plan and discuss pedagogies in all aspects with the ChineseProgram Director and division meetings during the term of employment.
● Engage in school-wide cultural events and collaborate with cross division grade level teams
● Progress toward and eventual certification to administer and rate the ACTFL OPI andWPT assessment
● Working collaboratively with ChineseLanguage Support (CLS) teachers to monitor how students progress in Chinese and set individual academic goals
● Supervision on student field trips and occasionally chaperoning global programs to either China or Taiwan
● Other duties and responsibilities as determined by the Head of Lower School and the Chinese Program Director
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
● Native or near native proficiency in Mandarin
● Experience teaching upper elementaryMandarin in an immersion program
● Minimum of bachelor’s degree
● Ability to work with colleagues from different backgrounds and cultures
● Strong communications skills in English and Mandarin
● Desire to ability to work collaboratively
● Motivation to seek and implement innovative teaching practices
● Commitment to the school’s mission, core values, vision, and annual strategic objectives
● Commitment to the school’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
● Excellent work ethic
● Flexibility, patience, resilience, and good humor
● Technical/Computer skills as required for job performance
ABOUT CAIS
As the nation’s first Mandarin immersion Preschool through 8th grade school, CAIS embodies our mission by
working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education, whether through our
signature Global Programs for 5th, 7th, and8th graders, our creation of the annual Early
Childhood Chinese Immersion Forum, or our long-standing history of presentations and
panel participation at the National ChineseLanguage Conference. In addition to our full time, dedicated Chinese Program Director, our faculty includes educators who have pioneered the field of Chinese language
support and an impressive cadre of OPI andWPT assessors. We are known as an ambitious school, and are implementing our multi-year vision to reimagine immersion, reimagine our culture of learning, reimagine our community connectedness, and reimagine our learning spaces.In 2021 we purchased a 5.4 acre, 120,000 sq ft
campus with top tier theater, dance, arts, athletic, science, and tech facilities plus extensive outdoor
space on 19th Avenue in San Francisco. This will more than double our program space and allow all divisions to be together on one spectacular campus beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. For more information, visit our 19th Avenue Campus homepage.
COMPENSATION
CAIS has an established salary scale that recognizes experience and other qualifications including (but not
limited to) education and training, leadership, and bilinguality. The salary range for this position is: $78,800
– $126,800.
TO APPLY
CAIS’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is central to our mission. People of color and LGBTQIA
candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Email cover letter, resume, and list of references to lower_school_jobs@cais.org. In the subject line please
indicate “Upper Elementary Chinese Homeroom Teacher.” In your cover letter, please reference how you
learned of this opening. Please no calls.
Upper Elementary Chinese Homeroom Teacher Page 4 required
