Physical Education Head of Department/Teacher and Athletics Coach

Overview: 

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.

Role:

The Physical Education (PE) Head of Department (HOD) is a full-time assignment across the whole school within an American curricular framework that is fully integrated with IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programs. Grade level teaching and coaching assignments will be distributed across the department based on a combination of experience, preference and skill level.  The PE HOD is responsibile for supporting other PE teachers in pedagogy and assessment, helping to align curricula, as well as managing administrative duties related to the smooth running of learning in PE.  All members of the PE department are responsible for contributing to the Hiking and Camping Programs, and coaching two competitive sports (before or after school), helping with local sporting events, and traveling to external tournaments.  All members of the KIS professional community are expected to fully support residential life in a boarding environment.

About Kodaikanal International School

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.
• Ideas about how to bring these into actualisation.
• Opportunities to contribute to creating a more peaceful world.
• 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.

Safeguarding Statement

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.

Qualifications & Experiences

Required Qualifications:

A teacher of MYP and DP physical education should have:

• A BEd, license or certification for teaching physical education (or a relevant equivalent) 
• At least a Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in physical education or its pedagogy
• At least three years of full-time classroom experience teaching physical education in an accredited school
• At least three years of coaching youth in a sport.
• International Baccalaureate experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• An advanced degree - Masters, PGCE or equivalent
• IB physical education training
• Recent and relevant professional development in teaching and learning

Preferred Experiences: 

• Successful experience teaching PYP PSPE and/or MYP PHE 
• Proven commitment to participate in and establish collaborative structures
• Experience utilizing data to make informed instructional decisions
• Experience utilising technology tools to enhance student learning
• Understand the developmental characteristics, differences in learning styles and intelligences and adapt lesson planning and teaching appropriately
• Experience in leading individuals and/or teams 

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.

Reports to: Academic Vice Principal
Coordinates with: MYP/DP Coordinators, departmental , Sports and outdoor Ed Coordinator.
Time Period: : Initial 2-year contract, potential extensions after initial contract

Teaching and Learning Responsibilities

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 realizes 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 utilizes the identified scope and sequence, content standards, and the relevant MYP or DP course guides
• Utilizes 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 total instructional periods in a 6-day cycle

School Organization

• Support, promote and enforce the ethos of KIS as defined in the Mission Statement, 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 behaviour 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

• 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

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 residential life of the school by chaperoning activities, clubs, field trips, camp, long weekend field day etc., and being advisor to a group of students

 

Head of Department Responsibilities 

The Head of Department does the following: 

1.  Supports faculty in their professional growth

• Use Instructional Coaching techniques to support teachers in their development of a larger repertoire of teaching strategies aligned with IB and KIS philosophy;
• Mentor new teachers when they are hired, in the pre-arrival stage, during orientation sessions and throughout the year to ensure their understanding of the IB and KIS programs, including departmental and school procedures and expectations;
• Collaboratively develops departmental action plan goals that are aligned to the strategic plan goals and identified areas of need in the department;
• In collaboration with the IB Coordinators and Academic Vice Principal, ensure that all department members receive appropriate training and design professional learning opportunities for the department;
• Use Instructional Coaching techniques to support and evaluate departmental members according to the school’s schedule for review and appraisal;
• Ensure teachers attend in-school professional learning sessions;
• Support and advise colleagues when they have trouble with certain students or courses.

2.  Pedagogical Development

• Be alert to and disseminate new pedagogical and subject matter developments;
• Lead the department in collaboratively reviewing student data to align learning experiences to students’ needs;
• Ensure that teachers understand, promote, and follow the school’s IB Policies in respect to Assessment, Academic Integrity, Inclusion and Language.

3.Curriculum and Assessment

• Lead the subject group in the development of new and revised units, assessments, and learning experiences, including assisting and advising department members in the evaluation of existing units and assessments based on KIS and IB philosophy;
• Lead teachers in the development of professional quality curriculum documentation (unit and lesson plans), which is regularly updated, reviewed and appropriately stored. Lesson plans should be available for substitutes at any time a teacher is on leave;
• Lead regular curricular reviews to provide consistency and clarity in curriculum coordination between grade levels, levels within a grade, and across interdisciplinary lines;
• Advise teachers on the pace of instruction in consideration of the appropriate completion of the syllabus;
• Encourage the use of authentic assessments that are relevant to students’ lives;
• Support department members in giving timely and appropriate feedback to students.

    
4.  Learning Resources

• In keeping with the curriculum review cycle in collaboration with the department members and pedagogical leaders, develop selection criteria and methods, review resources, and purchase and distribute the most appropriate books and resources required.
• Review the collection of department-specific resources in the library and, in consultation with department members, purchase appropriate resources through the department’s allocation in the library budget.
• Ensure that resources are selected equitably for all subject areas and all age ranges within the department.
• Periodically clean out and dispose of old resources, including papers, tests, etc.  No books, resources, furnishings, or equipment should be disposed of, except through established channels already determined by the school.
• Establish and maintain secure files for department tests/assessments and ensure that when a teacher leaves KIS, his/her lesson plans, course outlines, and teaching resources are left in department files

5.  Responsibilities for Students

• Support the process of departmental advising to ensure students are enrolled in the correct courses.
• Coach teachers in the writing of student reports to parents (interim, quarter, and semester reports).  Read each teacher’s reports to ensure they are consistent and written professionally before submitting them to the Coordinator’s Office.
• Lead members of the subject area in practices that enable early detection and assistance programs for students with difficulties in class (including notification of advisors, counselors, residential staff, and the administration, as appropriate).

6.  Demonstrates and models professional leadership

• Encourage department members in their work, enhance morale, and develop the department as a professional team.
• Encourage professional relations and communications among all staff
• Actively contributes to school-wide initiatives outlined in the school’s strategic plan
• Organise agendas and facilitate regular collaborative meetings for the subject areas. Keep minutes of these meetings, submitting one copy of the minutes to the Vice Principal.
• Work with colleagues and administration to effect positive changes in the school program and promote those to the community

7.  Manages administrative details necessary for the smooth running of the department

• Prepare an annual budget in line with the timeline for budgeting and ordering in collaboration with departmental members
  • Control expenditures, review statements of accounts to ensure their accuracy, supervise the relevance of purchases, and ensure that budget resources are equitably shared among courses and subjects in the department.
• Provide input to the vice principal in the development of the master schedule
• Provide the Vice Principal with a projection of staff needs in the department for the next two years.
  • Recommend new positions with rationalization and demonstrated need.
  • Determine equitable teaching assignments within the department, in consultation with the Vice Principal, recognizing the abilities and desires of department colleagues, and the needs of the school.
  • Review and make recommendations to the Vice Principal concerning applications for teaching positions within the department, as needed.
  • Set demonstration lessons for an interview with persons coming for job interviews.
• Approve or deny leave for department teachers, per established procedures, and ensure that when a teacher is absent, their classes are covered.    
• Supervise non-teaching staff assigned to the subject group.
• Keep an up-to-date inventory of department resources and equipment; provide for the cleanliness, maintenance, and proper use and security of equipment.
• Supervise department offices, teaching spaces; arrange for maintenance (cleaning and repair) and facility improvements as needed; and see that departmental spaces are attractive and conducive to learning and work.
   

Other

• Support, promote and enforce the ethos of KIS as defined in the Mission Statement, 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 behaviour 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

Application Process:

1. Download Application Form >> KIS Academic Position Application Form
2. Fill-in the required information
3. Use the form below to submit your application along with your resume

Please note that applications that do not include the application form and a resume will not be considered.