This position is anticipated for the 2025/2026 school year and is subject to the North Adams Teachers Association Contract.
Location: Drury High School
Job Goal: To develop and implement effective lessons, foster a supportive learning environment, communicate with families, and fulfill all professional responsibilities.
Supervision: Reports to the Building Principal
Description:
Drury High School is seeking a passionate and innovative educator to teach Comprehensive Health to 8th-grade students. The ideal candidate will bring energy, creativity, and a deep understanding of health education to deliver instruction aligned with the 2023 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Frameworks. This role places a strong emphasis on Healthy Relationships, Personal Safety, Substance Abuse Prevention, Nutrition, and Mental/Emotional Health.
We are especially interested in a candidate who believes in student-centered, project-based learning and is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and trauma-informed classroom environment that promotes health literacy, social-emotional development, and lifelong wellness.
Key Responsibilities:
• Design and implement a comprehensive health curriculum for grade 8 students, aligned with the 2023 Massachusetts Health Standards, particularly focusing on Practices 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7:
• Use project-based learning (PBL) methods to support student exploration, creativity, collaboration, and application of health practices.
• Integrate social-emotional learning (SEL) and culturally responsive teaching practices into daily instruction.
• Foster a supportive classroom culture that reflects trauma-sensitive and developmentally appropriate approaches.
• Assess student progress using authentic, performance-based assessments and provide timely, constructive feedback.
• Collaborate with school counselors, nurses, and families to support student well-being and connect students to relevant resources.
• Utilize a variety of instructional tools and technologies to support diverse learning needs and styles.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and contribute to the school community.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Health Education or related field required; Master’s preferred.
• Massachusetts DESE licensure in Health/Family and Consumer Sciences (grades 5–12) or eligibility for licensure.
• Experience teaching middle school students is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of the 2023 MA Comprehensive Health Framework and a commitment to implementing its standards.
• Demonstrated experience with project-based learning and student-centered instruction.
• Strong classroom management, communication, and organizational skills.
• Passion for promoting student wellness, equity, and inclusion.
Preferred Skills & Attributes:
• Training in trauma-informed practices, SEL, and mental health awareness.
• Comfort facilitating discussions around sensitive health topics in age-appropriate and culturally competent ways.
• Ability to build meaningful relationships with students and act as a positive role model.
• Collaborative team member with a growth mindset and reflective teaching practice.
Performance Responsibilities:
Promotes the learning and growth of all students by providing high quality and coherent instruction, designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments, analyzing student performance and growth data, using this data to improve instruction, providing students with constructive feedback on an ongoing basis, and continuously refining learning objectives.
Develops lesson plans and instructional materials and provides individualized and small group instruction in order to adapt the curriculum to the needs of each pupil.
Evaluates pupils’ academic and social growth, keeps appropriate records, and prepares progress reports.
Promotes the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, and demonstrate cultural proficiency.
Identifies pupil needs and cooperates with other professional staff members in assessing students and providing appropriate academic, social-emotional, and behavioral interventions.
Promotes the learning and growth of all students through effective partnerships with families, caregivers, community members, and organizations.
Communicates with families through conferences and other means to discuss student progress and helps families understand the school policies, procedures, and expectations.
Promotes the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice.
Maintains professional competence through in-service education activities, faculty meeting time, and collaborative time provided by the school and self-selected professional growth activities.
Collaborates with school and district leaders to advise on the selection of instructional resources and maintains an inventory of instructional materials provided.
Assists in the administration of standardized tests and cross-district assessments in accordance with the state and district assessment system.
Uses technology to fulfill professional responsibilities, including but not limited to the use of online learning platforms, student management systems, email, collaborative documents, spreadsheets, and other instructional tools.
Any other duties as may be assigned by the Building Principal.
