Position: K-12 Advisor
Part time / 15-20 hours per week
Pay: $12/hr
Email Resumes: Hiring Committee, VFSJobs@gmail.com
Mail Resumes: VFS Hiring Committee, PO Box 12590, Portland, OR 97212
Closing Date: March 31, 2014
The Village Free school seeks a temporary, part-time advisor to work with students ages 5 through 18 for April – June 2014, and a possible return September-October, 2014.
The Village Free School is a private, independent, not-for-profit Democratic Free School serving youth ages 5 to 18, in Portland, Oregon. We operate democratically and provide an array of classes while maintaining a holistic and conflict resolution based environment for our students. Major emphasis is placed on the social / emotional development of our students.
Free school refers to a philosophy in which the students choose for themselves how to spend their day. At the Village Free School, there are no required classes or compulsory evaluations. The Village Free School offers classes and activities based on student choice that are geared towards age groups, but there is no strict age separation within the space.
Description of position:
In this position you will be working directly with students, parents, interns, and staff. This position requires that candidates be able to work collaboratively in a cooperative manner with all of these groups. Advisors provide some classes, offer support with activities, and help mediate conflicts when they arise between students. Candidates will have to communicate with all ages in a way that honors everyone's voice.
Specific expectations for position:
- Initiate your own learning and problem solving
- Work collaboratively and cooperatively with students, staff, and parents
- Prioritize multiple competing tasks
- Help identify and assist in resolving interpersonal conflicts
- Attend weekly staff meeting
- Communicate with caregivers to help increase connection and understanding of how the school operates, answer questions and share vital information
- Demonstrate courage in providing appropriate boundaries, trust and support people of all ages within a non-coercive learning environment
- Demonstrate self-care and hold gracious space for yourself and others
- Act in accordance and in support of the mission, core principles, by-laws and other resolutions adopted by the Village Free School
- Show a willingness to hear and give feedback about performance and operations of the school
- Serve as a broker, advocate, facilitator, and teacher with and for students within their own developmental needs and toward assisting them to meet their educational goals
- Locate resources for subjects of student interest
- Mentor students based on genuine relationships and a desire to support and challenge students in following their interests and getting their needs met
- Bring passions and ability to lead activities for groups small and large
- Create and support clean-up and community ownership of school space and materials
- Listen, advocate where wanted, be present
- Model and teach mediation and conflict resolution skill
- Create your own learning plan
- Participate in community decision making process
- Participate in review process
Skills needed:
- Ability to work with all ages of youth
- Appreciation for working in a non-coercive environment
- Willingness to learn to work through conflicts as they naturally arise using conflict resolution skills
- Be able to maintain in an environment that can be energetic and noisy
- Comfortable initiating activities with students
- Support and help students with self initiated activities
- Be willing to work through conflict as they might arise with staff, parents, and interns.
- Good communication and listening skills.
VFS Provides:
- A dedicated staff to mentor and coach.
- Support to develop and implement personal and professional goals.
- Room to grow, make mistakes, and thrive.
- Love, appreciation, and experience working with the wants, needs, and growth of youth and their families in a progressive non-profit community school.
*This position requires a high level of ability to keep sensitive information confidential.
