Kodaikanal International School is a 120-year-old dynamic international school with a rich history of holistic education, offering the IB continuum of the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP) to our learners. Our beautiful school and community are nestled in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu, South India.
At KIS, we empower our students to navigate through life’s challenges to achieve their true potential. We follow an inquiry-based approach that promotes critical thinking, learner agency and a dedication to serving others. We recognize the importance of a meaningful, relevant and engaging curriculum that connects students to real-world contexts for their learning. We are keenly aware of the need to adapt our teaching and learning model to respond to the needs of our students in a world of fast-paced change.
This position is a full-time role consisting of a teaching assignment in Grade 11 and 12 classes in Business Management, with the possible addition of Economics, or Theory of Knowledge, depending on the skillset of the candidate and the needs of the school. In addition, the teacher will be responsible for a student group in our Homeroom advisory programme. All members of the KIS professional community are expected to fully support residential life in a boarding environment.
KIS Vision Statement: We strive to be a school the world needs: Our graduates will be transformative leaders, caring humans and thoughtful ambassadors for a just, sustainable and peaceful world.
KIS Mission Statement: Kodaikanal International School (KIS) is committed to empowering young people from diverse backgrounds with vision, knowledge, compassion and cross-cultural understanding. We are a community that welcomes everyone and seeks our purpose in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
KIS Values: Accountability, Appreciation, Concern for Others, Consistency, Context, Cooperation, Integrity, Openness, Performance, and Reverence.
We are seeking colleagues who are driven by:
- A strong belief in KIS’s guiding principles;
- The IB philosophy;
- Service and action;
- A focus on trust, relationships and community.
Our learning environment is characterized as:
- Inquiry-based learning;
- Fostering agency in our learners;
- Transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary;
- Service-oriented;
- Diverse, safe and inclusive.
KIS is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people in our care. We support the rights of the child and will act without hesitation to ensure a child-safe environment. We also support the rights and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers and encourage their active participation in building and maintaining a secure environment for all participants. Teachers at KIS must follow the guidelines of the school’s protective behavior policies and protocols, including reporting any situation that might constitute a health and/or safety hazard to students or school employees.
Required Qualifications:
A teacher of Business Management should have:
- A Bachelor's of Education, Secondary license, certification for teaching Business Management or a relevant equivalent
- At least a Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in Business Management, its pedagogy, or a related field
- At least three years of full-time classroom experience teaching IB DP Business Management in an accredited school
Preferred Qualifications:
- An advanced degree - Masters, PGCE or equivalent
- Ability to teach one or more of the additional subjects: MYP Individuals and Society, DP Economics, and DP Theory of Knowledge.
- IBDP Business Management training
- Recent and relevant professional development in teaching and learning.
Preferred Experiences:
- Successful experience teaching multiple subjects from: MYP Individuals and Society, DP Economics, DP Business Management, and/or Theory of Knowledge;
- Establishing and participating in collaborative structures;
- Utilising data to make informed instructional decisions;
- Utilizing technology tools to enhance student learning;
- Understanding developmental characteristics, differences in learning styles and intelligences and adapting lesson planning and teaching appropriately.
Preferred Skills and Dispositions:
- Deep understanding of inquiry-based learning;
- Ability to provide differentiated instruction for students with varying levels of ability;
- Proven ability to work successfully in a diverse and inclusive environment;
- Ability to communicate effectively with students, parents, teachers and others;
- Understanding and awareness of the challenges faced by learners in a multicultural environment;
- Dedication to student learning;
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills;
- Strong organizational skills;
- Team player with ability to delegate and coordinate work;
- Willing to work creatively with available materials/ resources;
- Able to create and teach interdisciplinary lessons;
Capacity to support the goals and mission of KIS through his/her personal philosophy.
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Reports To: Social Studies Head of Department
Coordinates with: Coordinators, departmental leader and colleagues, secondary teachers
Time Period: Initial 2-year contract, potential extensions after initial contract
Instruction
A KIS teacher is expected to provide quality instruction for the students at KIS in accordance with the school’s established curriculum, school policies and expectations. A KIS teacher:
- Actively realises the full potential of each student and promotes ideals of excellence in their learning
- Establishes a well-managed, psychologically safe learning environment where active, individual learning and progress for all students is the norm
- Collaboratively develops unit plans by employing a backwards planning model that utilises the identified scope and sequence, content standards, and the relevant MYP or DP course guides
- Utilises data from varied sources (diagnostic, formative, summative, standardised, etc) to inform instruction and develop learning opportunities that meet students’ needs as described in the KIS Inclusion Policy.
- Provides timely feedback to students that is actionable and relevant to their learning as described in the KIS Assessment Policy.
- Effectively embeds intentional learning experiences focused on developing a student’s approach to their learning and offers ongoing reflective opportunities for our students
- Nurtures a learning environment steeped in integrity as described in our Academic Integrity Policy.
- Engages with colleagues collaboratively in co-planning, co-assessing, collaborative meetings, reflecting on student data and reflecting on one’s own teaching practices
- Monitors, advises and assists in the pastoral care of students
- Develops professional practice by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies
- Upholds the school and IB philosophy as described in the KIS mission, vision, policies, and the staff handbook.
- Teach up to 75% out of the total instructional periods in a 6-day cycle.
School Organization
A KIS teacher is expected to work in a positive, professional, supportive manner and develop a collaborative and team approach to enable the school to achieve its stated mission, vision, values, and strategic goals.
The teacher:
- Maintains accurate records for unit planning, assessment and attendance;
- Is familiar with all school and department procedures as appropriate;
- Actively participates in faculty and departmental meetings;
- Participates in professional development opportunities, departmental meetings, planning, in-service training activities and invigilation duties as required by the Head of Department or Coordinators;
- Engages in professional goal setting that is aligned to the school’s strategic direction;
- Reads all staff bulletins for the whole school and their own department, as well as other memoranda from administration; checks and responds to emails within 24 hours;
- At all times, conducts school business in a professional and ethical manner;
- Is familiar with the school’s teaching resources, safeguards the loss/damage of the school equipment and materials, and hands over all relevant material to the Head of Department, Coordinator upon departure from KIS;
- Prepares, marks, writes reports and performs all other administrative tasks related to the teaching of the subject(s).
- Is available to support students outside of regularly scheduled class times.
- Promptly passes information to advisors, residential Parents and Coordinators when students’ attendance, academic performance or behavior is praiseworthy or causes concern;
- Assists the administration and subject colleagues in covering classes and duties as needed.
School Community
A KIS teacher is expected to support the holistic development of the child. The teacher:
- Understands and supports the diversity of the school community and students’ backgrounds;
- Works in a positive, cooperative and supportive way with students, parents, co-workers and other stakeholders;
- Communicates regularly with students, residential parents and students’ parents on matters of school business;
- Engages in and supports activities that help promote school spirit and sense of community;
- Promotes opportunities for developing community involvement throughout the wider community;
- Recognizes the importance of service learning to our community and promotes this with students and the wider community;
- Support the residential life of the school by chaperoning activities, clubs, field trips, camp, long weekend field day and other activities and serves as an advisor to a group of students.
Other
- Supports, promotes and enforces the ethos of KIS as defined in the mission and vision statements, guiding principles and strategic plans;
- Promotes a positive attitude about the school with all members of the school community;
- Implement decisions made in department- and school-committee meetings, as relevant to the department;
- Follow the guidelines of the school’s protective behavior policies and protocols and personal data protection policies and procedures, including reporting any situation that might constitute a health and/or safety hazard to students or school employees, and reporting any personal data breach.
- To respect the confidential nature of discussions at staff meetings and other contexts in which sensitive information is likely to be communicated, particularly in terms of interaction with students;
- The teacher is expected to perform other appropriate duties as assigned by the subject chair, coordinator, Vice Principal, or Principal.
