Middle School Learning Coach - remote

Who we are

The next generation deserves a better kind of school - so we built it from the ground up. We believe education should have two purposes: to instill a lifelong love of learning, and provide kids the skills to thrive in the future. When we built Prisma, we asked: if we started from scratch focused on those two goals, what might school look like? Today, Prisma looks like the best ideas in innovative education, crossed with the joy and flexibility of homeschooling. Prisma looks like harnessing technology, not only to personalize the curriculum, but to connect kids with the best educators worldwide. Prisma looks like a global community of families doing school differently.

Our ethos is ‘hard fun’: interesting problems to solve, creative projects to tackle, and an environment where learning is dynamic and exciting. We believe that learning should have purpose in the real world, learning isn’t one-size-fits all, learning happens in community and kids should learn how to think, not what to think. If you believe this too and you dream of a job where you can truly have an impact on the world, read on!

What the role is

We are turning the typical middle school experience on its head, so this is not your average teacher role! In fact, in our model kids are led by 'Learning coaches,' not teachers and they learn via live video and interactive experiences, not classrooms and textbooks. As a Learning coach, you will be a mentor and trusted adviser to a group of ~20 middle schoolers. You will also be responsible for facilitating engaging live discussions, small group activities and team challenges via live video.

What you will do

• Serve as the learning coach, mentor, and advisor to a cohort of ~23 learners in 6th-8th grade
• Lead one-hour “standups” Monday-Thursday devoted to team building, developing community, and SEL and one-hour live workshops Monday-Thursday in which you’ll facilitate fun learning experiences including games, interactive explorations, peer feedback on projects and writing, simulations, and debates
• Lead a 30-minute enrichment once per week on a topic or skill that you are passionate about
• Provide detailed and thoughtful feedback on projects and writing to each of your mentor learners multiple times per week
• Meet with each of your mentor learners in regular 1-on-1s to build relationships, provide feedback, and customize their learning experience
• Meet regularly with the coach and curriculum teams to share best practices, problem solve, action plan, and review learner projects and writing
• Communicate regularly with families on learner progress

Who the ideal candidate is

You are a/an:

• Engaging facilitator who knows what it takes to make learning exciting and fun for kids and is smart, intellectually curious, and quick on your feet
• Relationship builder who is amazing at forming positive and motivating relationships and great at providing advice, inspiration and mentorship (experience with 6th-8th graders is a plus)
• Strong communicator who is comfortable with a high level of parent interaction both synchronously and asynchronously
• Passionate educator who is versed in alternative models of education, believes in choice and personalization, and is a creative, open-minded thinker who questions the status quo
• Organized & efficient multitasker who is reliable, hard working, adaptable, eager to learn, open to candid feedback and comfortable with the rapid pace and constant change of a startup
• Virtual collaborator who is excited about working in a fully distributed team and desires a job with a high level of personal agency

Beyond possessing these skills, if you also exude these traits, we want to talk with you!

• Gutsy: Unafraid to speak up, take risks and think differently
• Humble: Quick to give credit and slow to pass blame
• Can-do: Optimistic, bring solutions, not problems, and always find a way
• Team player: Care about, respect, help, and speak candidly with others
• Driven: Go above and beyond to achieve our mission

How we compensate

• Starting coaches at Prisma’s annual salaries match what they would make in their local public school district, usually dependent on education, years of experience, and location and generally range from USD $55K-$75K per year. You can often access your local district’s teacher salary schedule online.
• Health insurance and 401(k) with access to optional benefits such as Dental, Vision, Life insurance, HSA/FSA, etc.
• Flexible work schedule (compatible with US-based working hours)