I-Lab Design Thinking/Computer Science Teacher (Middle School)

The Nueva School

I-Lab Design Thinking/Computer Science Teacher (Middle School)

The Position:

At Nueva, design thinking is not simply a process to follow, but rather a mindset we want all our students (and teachers!) to embrace. Design thinking to us means approaching the world with optimism, working with and learning from others with compassion and humility, and courageously believing in everyone’s creative abilities – including your own. 

In the I-Lab, we ground ourselves firmly in design thinking while expanding the realm of what’s possible when design thinking is combined with skills in computer science, engineering, fabrication, and lab spaces with state-of-the-art equipment. We are looking for someone to join our team and help us mentor and guide students in bringing their many incredible ideas to life. 

We seek a candidate with experience in design thinking, computer science, making/engineering, and a demonstrated interest in working with young people in a rich, cross-disciplinary, project­-based learning environment. While the ideal candidate will have prior experience teaching at the K-12 and/or postsecondary level, we are also open to considering candidates without experience in formal K-12 education and can provide some teacher training support through our Innovative Teachers Program. This is a unique opportunity for a visionary educator to join our team of design engineers and computer scientists as we continue to develop and refine an innovative and world-class PK­-12 Computer Science and Design Engineering program, based out of the I-Lab. We are a diverse group of educators with a mix of experiences in both industry and education, and we are excited to add someone to our team who can complement and broaden our team’s collective skill set.

In our Middle School, I-Lab classes are required for all students each year. As such, we are committed to designing inclusive curricula that welcomes all students into design thinking, computer science, and engineering/making, while at the same time, provides a limitless “ceiling” for students who want to go deeper. To give you a sense of what that looks like, especially in our CS classes, we may have a student who has never written a line of code before sitting next to a student who is exploring machine learning algorithms. We want to support both on their respective journeys and provide mentoring to push each to take their learning one step further. Our aim is for students to use the tools we expose them to - design process, software, hardware, etc - as means by which to effect change in the world. The ideal candidate will have interest and experience in a variety of modes of teaching and be highly skilled at differentiating instruction to meet the needs of a variety of students.

As with all classes in our I-Lab program, our MS classes are built upon the pedagogical foundation of experiential learning. As such, you must be highly flexible, agile, and excited by the possibility of leveraging student interests, picking up new technologies, and learning alongside students to create authentic and meaningful learning experiences. Recent elective offerings, in addition to our required courses, in the Middle School have included “Kinetic Art”, “Creative Coding”, “Rube Goldberg Machines”, “Lights, Action, Arduino!”. 

This position aligns with the Nueva academic calendar (mid-August to mid-June), and is a full-time position with competitive salary and full benefits. 

The General Responsibilities for this position are to:

• Develop and teach required and elective courses in our Middle School expertly in a differentiated and student-centered classroom. This role would involve approximately 75% teaching Computer Science and 25% teaching Design Engineering.
• Actively create an inclusive culture in our courses that honor all students wherever they are on their learning journey
• Collaborate with colleagues to design engaging curricula that emphasizes critical thinking and real-world problem-solving, engages students in hands-on, project-based learning experiences, and aligns with the overall philosophy of the I-Lab program 
• Convey enthusiasm for intellectual inquiry and model lifelong learning
• Partner with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to promote learning in all students
• Participate actively as an I-Lab team member, including creating a welcoming and inclusive culture in the I-Lab, ensuring students are being supervised in the shops, and guiding students in safe and responsible use of technology (including software)
• Model flexibility in implementing school-wide practices such as standards-based grading 
• Provide timely feedback to students and parents in the forms of assessments, quarterly written narrative feedback, and student-parent-teacher conferences
• Support the social and emotional well-being of all students by partnering with grade-level deans, administrators, and parents 
• Serve as a grade-level advisor to students, lead student activities, serve as club advisor, and contribute beyond the classroom to support school programs and activities
• Participate actively in other aspects of the student experience such as chaperoning trips and events, serving on committees, and developing new programs at the school
• Lead by example in your commitment to Nueva’s mission: “Our school community inspires passion for lifelong learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, and develops the student’s imaginative mind.”
• Other duties as assigned

You would enjoy this role if you have:

• Strong interest in PK-12 education, especially in CS/design/engineering, and in helping students see the many ways in which design thinking can be applicable in their lives, and providing students with diverse entry points to computer science and engineering
• Interest in working with young people to guide them in taking their ideas from initial prototypes to completion, while leaving the locus of control in students’ hands, all in the service of broadening their skills and confidence
• Enthusiasm for learning new technologies quickly and designing curriculum accordingly in order to respond to emergent student interests
• Desire to immerse yourself in the many facets of our I-Lab program, including core classes, electives, supporting student projects from other classes, mentoring robotics teams, etc.
• Desire to learn by doing and to learn with/from others, including students and adults
• Flexibility and creativity in working in a dynamic team environment where new ideas, mistakes, and iteration are embraced
• Profound openness to feedback and improvement, modeling lifelong learning of practice as well as subject area.

We are looking for someone with some subset of the following:

• Familiarity with design thinking as a set of techniques and tools to help with navigating complex problems
• Demonstrated fluency in at least one modern and educationally-relevant programming language (e.g. JavaScript, Python, Java) and/or related platforms such as Processing, P5.js, Arduino, etc.
• Familiarity with some special topics, whether in the design, engineering, or CS space, with particular interest in candidates whose areas of specialization complement those of existing I-Lab faculty
• Familiarity with some of the tools available in our I-Lab, such as laser cutting, 3D printing, textiles, woodworking, robotics, electronics, physical computing (such as Arduinos), etc.  
• Steadfast commitment to shop safety, respectful behavior, and inclusive attitudes
• Ability to explain things in varied ways to reach both less-experienced and more-experienced students and to connect technical concepts and skills to student interests
• Ability to guide students through projects while allowing students to do as much of the work as is practical and safe  
• Experience working with young people, especially in the middle school age range, in a teaching, coaching, or other educational capacity
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a variety of audiences, including students, parents, and colleagues, both in person and in writing
• Deep interest and willingness to learn and grow in any of the above areas, especially those that are not currently familiar to you
• Bachelor's degree, or higher, in engineering, computer science, design, or a related field and/or relevant industry experience

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter, résumé, and the contact information and job title for at least three professional references at https://nuevaschool.applytojob.com/apply. If you have questions about this position, please contact I-Lab Director Angi Chau ([email protected]). 

The Nueva School is an Equal Opportunity Employer – we do not discriminate against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability or sex. We welcome applications from people of color and those with experience outside the education field. 

About The Nueva School

The Nueva School, an internationally recognized, nonprofit, independent day school, has served gifted learners since 1967. Today, Nueva serves nearly 950 students PreK–12. Nueva is located in the neighboring towns of Hillsborough and San Mateo, equidistant between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, serving six counties throughout the Bay Area of Northern California.

A constructivist school, Nueva is known for its distinctive inquiry-based interdisciplinary studies, project-based learning, and pioneering work in social-emotional learning and design thinking. The Nueva community instills a passion for lifelong learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, and develops the imaginative mind. Our school has received the US Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Award and the American Institute of Architects Award for School Design and Sustainability, has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished Program and appointed an Ashoka Changemaker School, co-founded the Common Ground Speaker Series, hosts the biennial Innovative Learning Conference, and was highlighted by the Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times best-selling author Thomas Friedman in his book That Used to Be Us in the chapter “Average Is Over.”

About the Innovation Lab (I-Lab):

Nueva’s I-Lab program was built on the foundation that while we may not be able to predict what the world will look like when our current students enter the work force, we are confident that the ability to solve complex problems will never go out of style. In the I-Lab, students learn to embrace design thinking as a nonlinear process that provides mindsets and techniques to guide them as they tackle open-ended problems that do not have immediate, easy solutions. Through working with real problems and users, students develop their empathetic, curious, and creative mindsets while learning how to brainstorm, prototype, and iterate solutions. Students in the I-Lab engage daily in the process of design, prototyping, making, and engineering, whether this comes in the form of developing a mobile app, writing code for a wearable device, or 3D-printing a prosthetic.