Long Term Substitute: High School Physics and/or Biology (remote)

This position will be tentatively  between April 28, 2025 through the end of the school year (Friday, May 16, 2025).

The Well-Trained Mind Academy is seeking part-time science instructors to teach three live, online sections of high school physics and/or two sections of high school biology as maternity leave coverage. The classes are geared toward high school students. 

The long term substitute will cover approximately three weeks of live, online instruction to a small group of students (each section is capped at 15 students).

Our science programs use a classical approach to education. Instructors should be comfortable using socratic discussion in classes and allowing students to experiment with methods of solving problems. Our physics courses are conceptually (not calculus) based.

All sciences courses have a prescribed scope and pacing. The lectures have already been outlined, and the assessments are already written. The substitute instructor will meet the learning goals for the lectures and conduct assessments as outlined in the plans. The instructor provides timely feedback on smaller homework assignments and larger projects. 

Position Description

The long-term substitute will teach up to five live classes (three sections of physics and two of biology). All times are listed for the Eastern Time Zone: 

• Mon/Wed 11 am Physics
• Mon/Wed 3 pm Biology 
• Tue/Thurs 11 am Biology
• Tue/Thurs 12 pm Physics
• Tue/Thurs 2 pm Physics

Substitutes are provided with slides, lecture outlines, and assessments. The substitute does not need to develop their own lesson plans, lectures, or assessments; all materials are provided to the substitute.
Classes are taught live using Blackboard Collaborate. 

Substitutes are contracted on a course-by-course basis. All classes are offered during regular business hours in the Eastern Time Zone. The position requires reliable high-speed internet.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in the field or a related field
• Comfortable using Google Drive 
• Experience using conferencing software in an educational setting 
• Can comfortably work using a screen for several hours in a row 
• Ability to balance several tasks at once (delivering lessons while also managing chat, addressing student behavior in real time, ability to answer questions in real time)
• Engaging presentation style, with ability to monitor student engagement and interest 
• Comfortable stepping into a classroom where the primary teacher structured the classroom assignments and expectations

Preferred Qualifications

• High school teaching experience (in a classroom and/or a homeschool setting.)
• Experience with Blackboard, Canvas, or another LMS
• Experience teaching in a virtual setting

Compensation

Substitutes will be contracted on a weekly basis, at the rate of $130/section/week. A section meets for two or three contact hours a week; compensation covers teaching the live class plus grading.