Job Description: Instructor for Summer Studies Programs

General Information About Duke TIP Summer Studies

The DukeTIP campus-based Summer Studies Program offers academically gifted students in grades 7-10 the opportunity to learn highly challenging material at a rate commensurate with their advanced abilities. Students enroll in a single DukeTIP-designed course for three weeks of in-depth study and attend nearly 40 hours of class each week between Monday morning and Saturday afternoon. The Summer Studies Program is offered on several college campuses. The program provides young scholars the unique opportunity to experience college classroom instruction and residence hall life. Highly qualified Instructor/Teaching Assistant teams teach classes of approximately 18 students. Outside the classroom, a carefully selected staff of Residential Counselors supervises students during meals, free time, and planned social and recreational activities.

The Instructor Position

Instructors for the Duke TIP Summer Studies Program are responsible for designing and teaching challenging courses, planning and supervising the activities of a Teaching Assistant, and evaluating each student in the class. Instructors are required to lead class on weekdays from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and to be available to students and staff from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Additionally, Instructors lead class on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Instructors are required to attend all staff orientation sessions and the parent orientation meeting held on student arrival day. Instructors are also required to conduct conferences with parents on student departure day. On some campuses, Instructors may be asked to allow the Duke TIP Research Division to administer research studies during regular class hours. Detailed responsibilities include, but are not limited to, items listed in Specific Duties.

Qualifications

The Instructor position requires atleast a year of graduate coursework and/or teaching experience with specific emphasis in the course-related subject area. Experience with middle school and/or high school students is very helpful, as is experience with programs and/or curricula for academically gifted students. Applicants must be able to demonstrate depth of knowledge in course-specific subject matter and a level of preparedness sufficient to create syllabi and teach challenging material. Applicants must possess a genuine interest in the academic, social, and emotional growth of adolescents and a willingness to work cooperatively with others. Duke TIP Instructors must exhibit a positive attitude, serve as a role model for students and other staff members, and support the administrative staff at the site. There is a driving requirement for certain positions at Duke TIP. Eligible drivers must possess a valid driver’s license, be at least 21 years old, have an approved driving record on file, and be willing to drive students in Duke TIP vehicles (cars, minivans, and 8-passenger SUVs).

Specific Duties

Academic Support

  • Train, monitor, and evaluate the Teaching Assistant. Assign duties as needed.
  • Perform all duties necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the course and the program.
  • Be present and engage students in instruction during all scheduled class times. The Instructor is not required to attend evening study sessions but should ensure that there are appropriate and reasonable assignments to be completed during this time.
  • Attend all instructional staff meetings.
  • Use only your assigned classroom. Do not add or remove furniture or equipment from your classroom without making arrangements through the Academic Coordinator. Leave classroom in its original condition.

Student Supervision

  • Communicate with each student about class performance and progress at least once a week.
  • Review completed student evaluations privately with each student on the last full day of class.
  • Assist with student supervision during lunch. At some sites, occasional lunch duty assignments may be required.
  • Address student behavior problems immediately as directed during training and document with an Action Report.

Team Membership

  • Keep all necessary staff informed of potential academic problems. Confer with the Academic Coordinator and On-Site Director regularly.
  • Notify the On-Site office whenever you will not be in your assigned classroom, and leave a note on the door that indicates where you are.

Team Membership

  • Attend all required orientation sessions during the week prior to student arrival.
  • Attend the parent meeting on student arrival day.
  • Check mailbox at on-site office regularly.
  • Conduct parent telephone conferences as needed during the term to discuss academic difficulties. The Academic Coordinator or On-Site Director must be present for these conferences.
  • Conduct final conferences (in person or by telephone) with the parent of every student in your class during the final week of the program. You must make at least three attempts to call the parents who cannot meet with you in person. Before you leave the program, notify the Academic Coordinator if there are any parents whom you have been unable to reach for a final conference.
  • Prior to beginning the program, prepare the following items and return them to the TIP office within the time frame indicated in your contract and hiring materials:
    • Book, supply, and equipment orders
    • A detailed one-page course description and a day-by-day syllabus
    • A film form listing all movies to be shown and an R-rated movie permission letter to parents, if applicable
    • A list of supplemental materials to be distributed to students in your class before their arrival
    • A field trip request form to be approved by the Academic Coordinator (Arrangements for field trips are the Instructor’s responsibility, but in certain cases the Duke TIP administrative staff may assist)
  • Prior to departing the program, the following materials must be returned to the Academic Coordinator or the On-Site Director before you leave campus:
    • A revised syllabus (if necessary) and relevant instructional materials for Duke TIP permanent files
    • Detailed written evaluations of the program, the course you taught, the administrative staff, and your Teaching Assistant
    • Student evaluation rubrics
    • Extra textbooks and Duke TIP-purchased course supplies
    • All classroom, residence hall room, and audio-visual keys
    • Documentation of final parent conferences
    • Phone card used for parent conferences

General Expectations

  • Arrive on your contracted start date at the specified time and location.
  • Perform all contractual duties at the assigned times.
  • Support the Duke TIP Mission and all administrative decisions.
  • Abide by all Duke TIP policies and procedures.
  • Attend all designated orientation sessions and all scheduled meetings during the term.
  • Residential Program Assistants, Residential Counselors, Residence Hall Leaders, Residence Life Coordinators, and On-Site Directors are required to live in program-sponsored housing, return to the residence hall by 2:00am, and sleep in assigned rooms each night. (On off-duty nights, residential staff may sleep off-campus or in assigned rooms.)
  • Academic Program Assistants, Teaching Assistants, Instructors, Academic Coordinators, Psychological Counselors, Operations Coordinators, and Office Assistants may choose to live either in program-sponsored housing or off campus; those living on campus are not required to spend every night on campus. However, on each night spent on campus, staff members must return to their residence hall by 2:00am and sleep in assigned rooms.
  • Obey all traffic laws, including speed limits and seatbelt regulations, when transporting students or driving Duke TIP vehicles for other business purposes. Duke TIP vehicles may not be used for personal errands.
  • Refrain from the following strictly prohibited activities:
    • Consuming alcoholic beverages in the presence of students or at any time at the program site (including, but not limited to, housing facilities, classrooms, parking lots, athletic fields, etc.) regardless of the distance from Duke TIP's designated area.
    • Returning to campus in an inebriated condition.
    • Possessing, selling, distributing, or using illegal drugs.
    • Inviting guests to visit the residence halls or to stay overnight in residence hall rooms.
    • Using tobacco products in the residence hall or in the presence of students.
    • Using inappropriate language, including profanity, discriminatory statements, and sexual innuendoes.
  • Maintain professional relationships with all staff members. Relationships and/or conflicts among staff members should never interfere with the proper performance of duties.
  • Maintain professional relationships with students at all times.
  • Enforce all student rules fairly and consistently according to the policies outlined in training.
  • Abide by all policies set forth by the host institution.
  • This position requires a full time commitment. Holding other jobs or taking classes during the contracted time period is prohibited.