Counselor Job Opportunity at International School of Tanganyika (IST) | Deadline: 14th October, 2018
NAFASI ZA KAZI / AJIRA TANZANIA
Title: CounselorCategory (cf Policy 5.101): Teacher
Reports to: Principal
Department: Secondary School
Start date: 1 August 2019 IST Foundational Documents
IST Mission
Challenging, inspiring and supporting all our students to fulfil their potential and improve the world
IST Vision
IST will be a global leader a global leader in the education of internationally-mobile young people.
All students, regardless of their starting point, will think critically, achieve academically and develop the wisdom to make good choices. They will show curiosity and creativity in addressing authentic problems, local and global.
They will pursue their varied passions with enthusiasm, developing resilience, perseverance, and confidence.
Understanding the diversity of people and cultures, they will act kindly, fairly, and responsibly.
All members of the IST community will work together to fulfil this vision.
Statement of Values
All members of the IST community are:
- Responsible – We act responsibly, positively and constructively towards ourselves and other people. We learn from our mistakes and accept the consequences of our actions.
- Inquiring – We show curiosity, perseverance and open-mindedness in seeking to understand and solve problems. We persevere in the face of difficulties and we embrace the learning that comes through failure as well as the joy of success.
- Compassionate – We empathise with others and act with care, kindness and courage. In our interactions, we behave with patience, generosity and integrity.
- Balanced – We believe in a broad education for our students, seeing the value of participation in a varied curriculum.
- Diverse – We treasure the diversity within the IST community, using the rich opportunities for deeper understanding that come from our differences.
IST Strategic Plan
Our Strategic Plan is in place to help our community align efforts to better reach our school’s mission, vision and values. This plan is focused on three aims.
Personalized Learning:
- Ensure alignment between the written, taught and assessed curriculum
- Implement a strong, multi-tiered system of support to students, consistent with IST’s common understanding of inclusion
- Improve our ability to offer a balanced program with opportunities for excellence in academics, the arts and athletics
- Provide exemplary transition programs between campuses and other institutions of learning
- Ensure reporting models support effective partnerships with parents and their child’s learning
- Develop a strong internal professional learning community to embed successful professional learning experiences
- Ensure IST students’ appropriate use of technology supports their learning
Engaged Community:
- Improve IST’s local, global and international reputation
- Provide opportunities for IST students and faculty to connect with local and global experts
- Develop partnerships within the local community to improve student experiences
- Improve processes and systems to improve communication within the IST community
- Build reciprocal structures to connect alumni with current student
- Establish sustainable and supportive relationships with government ministries
- Promote positive school spirit within and across campuses
Ensured Sustainability:
- Review the master site plan to ensure school facilities support learning experiences
- Maintain fiscal discipline and transparency within IST community
- Develop the school’s capacity to recruit/retain excellent employees
- Lessen IST’s environmental footprint
- Align governing models with best practice
The counsellor reports to the Secondary School Principal and must collaborate with Counsellors, the Leader of Learning for the department, Team Leaders, and the teachers. The successful candidate will
have the ability to work with students in grades 9 – 12 on academic, personal/social, career and global perspective. IST’s graduates attend universities in the US UK, Canada, the Netherlands, and other countries in Europe, as well as Asia and South Africa. The counsellor works closely with students and parents on the college admissions process.
Preferred Qualifications and Experience
(a) Master’s degree in counselling preferred
(b) A minimum of two years’ experience as an international school counsellor preferred
(c) Both personal counselling and college counselling experience preferred
(d) Experience working with students and parents during the admissions process in the US, UK,
Canada and general experience in Europe and Asia preferred
(e) Certification as a school counsellor
Professional Competencies:
(a) Excellent communication skills in spoken and written form
(b) Student advocate and outstanding teacher
(c) Sound decision making, solutions focused, knowledge of child protection and health and safety
(d) Experience in curriculum development and facilitating personal and social education classes
(e) Highly effective relationship developer with a variety of stakeholders
(f) Expert knowledge of the college admissions process for a variety of countries and universities
Personal Attributes:
(a) Collaborative team player, empathetic listener
(b) Integrity and confidentiality
(c) Ability to identify strengths for each student and/or colleague
(d) Assumes positive intent
(e) Internationally minded, emotional intelligence
(f) Intercultural awareness, creative, persuasive
(g) Flexible and capable of coping even in difficult situations
Responsibilities
The Counsellor is responsible to:
(a) Provide counselling services- academic counselling, social-emotional counselling, career counselling, and college/university advising;
(b) Participate in regular counselor meetings;
(c) Collaborate with counselors, teachers, and team leaders to manage a counselling referral
process;
(d) Assist with New Student/Family Orientation Program at start of year;
(e) Assist with student transitions in and out of IST throughout the year;
(f) Facilitate academic advising discussions with students and parents and then schedule create their
schedule;
(g) Assist with the development and implementation of the Personal Social Education (PSE)
curriculum;
(h) Participate in student support team meetings;
(i) Deliver the Personal Social and Emotional (PSE) curriculum to students in grades 9-12;
(j) Communicate with community professionals who are supporting IST students;
(k) Develop and implement ongoing college/university advising program
(l) Write letters of recommendation for grade 12 students;
(m) Cultivate relationships with university admissions representatives;
(n) Promote and educate students on the use of the school’s tool for university research;
(o) Attend conferences and/or fairs for university admissions;
(p) Understand the university admissions process for schools around the world;
(q) Liaise with the Leader of Learning on matters such as budget, meeting schedule/agendas, professional development, student concerns;
(r) Organize and deliver counselling events such as presentations, workshops, parent and teacher sessions;
(s) Ensure regular communication with families is maintained and enhanced through letters home, Spotlight articles, website, etc;
(t) Disseminate information on school-wide/grade-specific initiatives;
(u) Acquire feedback from students, parents, and colleagues about IST Counselling Services;
(v) Familiarize staff, students and parents with counselling procedures (i.e. referrals, preventative counselling through PSE lessons, etc.);
Perform any other duties as designated by the Principal
