SMICID: Middle School Counselor

Counseling Duties

#Provide counseling support (both guidance and personal to individuals or groups) primarily in grades 6-8 in coordination with the staff and parents/families (but could include other SMIC grades K–12) during emergency/urgent situations.

#Establish an active and accessible presence at the middle school especially, but elsewhere in the HS as well, in the classroom, campus, and counseling office.
Regularly keep the supervisors apprised of students' counseling situations.

#Collaborate productively, under the guidance of the K-12 Counseling Director, with the MHS Counseling staff to coordinate the MS counseling workload, which includes standard testing administration and proctoring.

#Be a positive and active member of the Counseling Department team to meet K-12 Counseling needs, including taking part in required department (and other) meetings.

#Counseling students in group guidance and individual counseling sessions, including encouraging students to develop an awareness of diversity while recognizing their unique individuality and potential

#Counsel students in character building, social-emotional well-being, and specific learning support needs

#Meet with parents and teachers when necessary to develop interventions for students with academic or emotional/behavioral needs.

#Proactively cooperate with teachers and staff as a means of addressing counseling concerns about students in essential areas, including personal, social, character, educational, and interest development.

#Organize and lead support teams made up of the parents/family, staff involved with the student, and sometimes including the students themselves to assure students who face extreme challenges receive proper support in their academic, personal, social/emotional needs.

#Serve on MS Student Support Team (SST) meetings for students facing persistent ongoing social, emotional, or academic problems that standard interventions aren't adequately addressing.

#Following appropriate school confidentiality procedures concerning topics about sensitive student and personnel issues for conversations, record keeping (student files and PowerSchool, and other school reporting systems)

#Maintain and update MHS student files using PowerSchool and other school-required reporting methods.

#Work with the Child Protection Officer (CPO) and the Child Protection Team when needed for middle school students in grades 6 to 8.

#Maintaining a professional demeanor that is both caring and neutral while working with student issues and urgent situations and modeling such conduct to other staff, students, and families

Classroom Duties

#Teach weekly Life Skills for Grade 6-8 (or as assigned) Advisory.
#Actively collaborating with MS advisory teachers in grades 6 to 8.
#Update and maintain Atlas curriculum units for life skills or advisory classes for grades 6 to 8
#Closely follow the SMIC-I "Curriculum, Instruction, and Textbook Policy" as is appropriate for the Chinese context.
#Prepare effective and diverse classroom lessons to implement the school's Life Skills curriculum following the school's accepted methods.
#Design authentic subject assessments and measure their effectiveness in meeting curricular goals.
#Differentiate lesson plans to meet the needs of both struggling and advanced students.
#Teach students who have specific learning, social, or emotional/behavioral needs.
#Advise students academically, particularly those with intense academic challenges.
#Collaborate with middle school grade-level teams, offering a counseling perspective in planning, teaching, and assessing units.
#Meet with parents and teachers when necessary to develop interventions for students with academic or emotional/behavioral needs.

Additional Counselor Role Duties

#Help update the middle school profile.
#Assist with standardized test administration and other related duties as assigned (inclusive of, not limited to, SAT, ACT, PSAT, MAP, and AP testing)
#Support the work of the Counseling Department's initiatives, including supporting the Academic Recovery Program, Cross-Age Mentoring Program, etc.
#Remain available to assist with discretionary counseling duties (inclusive of testing) and emergencies as assigned by the Counseling Office Director and ES/MHS administration
#Offer professional development presentations on counseling-related topics periodically at faculty meetings

***For more information, please refer to the attached Job Description***

Number of Contract Days

199 days

Accommodation

School provides options for either SMIC Residential Compound (a.k.a. SMIC Living Quarters):

1. Substantially subsidized partially furnished apartment near school;
2. Fitness center next to school (with corporate discount);
3. Restaurants and supermarkets in the immediate neighborhood;
4. 2 large malls with just a 10-minute bus or taxi ride from school.

Or for those who do not own an apartment in Shanghai or live off-campus, the school provides a "monthly housing allowance" to full-time foreign teachers.

Flights/Transport

1. Initial flight cost(s) reimbursed upon arrival for employee, spouse, and dependent family members.
2. Monthly travel subsidy paid year-round.

Furniture

Option 1. Partially furnished accommodation if the teacher chooses to live in SMIC Residential Areas #1 and #2 (also called "Living Quarters" / 5-10 minutes walk from the school).

Option 2. Furnished accommodation if the teacher chooses to live in SMIC Residential Compound #3. (20 minutes from school by shuttle bus).

Moving Allowance

For candidates who live abroad when hired.:
1. RMB 7,000 for single employees. RMB 14,000 for married employees.
2. $100 (USD) excess baggage reimbursement per employee ($250 per married teaching couple with dependents).

For candidates who live domestically when hired.:
RMB 3,000 for single employees. RMB 6,000 for married employees.

Dependent Opportunities

For outbound employees, up to 2 dependents can receive tuition benefits covering 80% of the annual tuition fee. Uniform, transportation, food, and textbook fees are not covered.

Medical

World-wide international health insurance is provided. This benefit could be extended to the spouse and dependent children who are under 18 years old at the time of hire.

Dental

Worldwide international health insurance includes some dental coverage for preventative care. Dental Subsidy is provided by the School.

Disability

Long-term disability insurance is provided.

Other

AD&D Insurance is provided.

Retirement

None provided.

Bonus

1. Performance-based annual bonus starting after the first full year of service.
2. Teacher incentive allowance is also available.