Title: College Admissions Writing Instructor
FLSA: Part-time, Seasonal
Department: SF Scholars
Reports To: Manager of Teaching & Learning
Compensation: $50 (Hourly)
Location: Hybrid (Remote on weekdays, in-person on Saturdays at UC Law campus in San Francisco OR Berkeley City College in Berkeley)

POSITION OVERVIEW

Instructors will join SEO’s community of passionate educators to implement a rigorous college prep curriculum for driven high school students.  Using our original curriculum and a student-centered, anti-oppressive approach, instructors support Scholars’ journeys to a competitive college and beyond. Instructors promote depth of understanding and skill acquisition by serving as a coach and facilitator of learning. SEO’s writing team supports 11th & 12th graders through the college admissions writing process, developing personal statements, supplemental essays, scholarship essays, and special program essays.

DATES, SCHEDULE, & WEEKLY HOURS

• Instructor Orientation:
  • [Date TBD in December]: More details regarding orientation logistics will be provided when onboarded.
• Spring Saturday Academy: Typically 3 Saturdays a month. Due to our staffing needs and only seeing Scholars once a week, we cannot support more than 2 absences a semester. 11th Grade Saturday Academy Programming is held on campus from 9:15 AM to 4:00 PM (PT) on the following Saturdays:
  • 11 Saturdays: 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 4/12, 4/19, 5/10
• Schedule:
  • A typical week may include the following tasks:
    • PD: Collaborate with the College Admissions Writing Team.
  • Weekday Feedback: Review scholar drafts and provide feedback.
  • Communication: Respond to scholars’ messages and provide encouragement and support.
  • 1:1 Meetings: Meet with students 1:1, in-person or on Zoom, to check in about writing progress, problem-solve, and provide feedback. Meet with each scholar 3-4 times over the semester.
  • Saturday Academy: Co-teach two 100-minute College Admissions Writing workshops.
    
    
  • Weekly Hours:
    • Writing Instructors are allotted 10-12 maximum hours per week during their seasonal employment, made up of Standard and Flex Hours. Please note that due to workloads surrounding application deadlines, some weeks may offer additional working hours in order to support all students.
      • Standard Hours: working on site with staff or students instructing a class or engaging with an instructional prep or support period:
        • Saturdays, 9:15am-4:00pm (with a 50-minute lunch) = 6 Hours/week
      • Flex Hours: preparing for workshops, writing Scholar feedback, communicating with staff and Scholars, and meeting with Scholars during the week. These are hours put in outside of the required schedule and can be completed asynchronously throughout the week = up to 6 Flex Hours/weekly

INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT:

• Writing for Your Quest to College:
  • Identifying core values and how they show up in college-admissions essays
  • Experimenting with different writing structures to respond to different prompts
  • Bringing vulnerability and insight to personal writing through detail
  • Using craft moves to bring creativity and personality to personal writing
  • Refining writing with micro-editing techniques
  • Collaborating with others to build supportive and productive creative spaces!

SITE LOCATIONS:

11th Grade Saturday Academy Programming will take place at one of our partner sites:

• UC Law campus: 200 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102; off the Civic Center BART stop OR
• Berkeley City College: 2050 Center St, Berkeley, CA 94704; off the Downtown Berkeley BART stop

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

The College Admissions Writing Instructor will support a cohort of 55 11th graders in completing the Questbridge College Prep Scholars Application, which includes a Personal Statement and Short Answers.

• Planning / Teaching: Plan and co-facilitate college admissions writing workshops to two sections, with 25-30 students in each class, leveraging effective instructional strategies to increase student access, engagement, and voice.
• Coaching: Provide small-group and 1:1 advising to help students brainstorm essay topics, develop their thinking, and make progress on their drafts.
• Providing Feedback: Read and submit constructive feedback on students’ drafts, focusing on questions, suggestions, and observations that help students develop their writing.
• Refining: Support students in finalizing their writing prior to submission by providing thoughtful comments, grammatical corrections, and content edits.
• Collaboration with SEO Staff and Other Instructors – Plan and work alongside fellow instructors to build optimal experiences for Scholar learning. Collaborate with Scholars’ Program Managers to communicate Scholar celebrations and/or concerns to ensure we are supporting the whole student. Attend all scheduled meetings, professional development trainings, check-ins, and debriefs and respond to all messages in a timely manner.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Required:
  • Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree; preferably in English, History, or a writing-intensive field
  • Depth of knowledge and experience as a writer, particularly the genres of personal statement and narrative writing
  • Comfortable with and skilled at working with and navigating technological learning systems
  • Experience working with high school students and engaging them in the writing process (including pre-writing/brainstorming, drafting, revision, publication, and reflection)
  • Strong familiarity with or willingness to learn about the college and scholarship application processes
  • Proficiency with technology, particularly Zoom and Google Drive (including Track Changes and Comment functions)

*Teaching certification is not required

COMPENSATION

This position is benefits ineligible in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations.

The compensation listed in this posting reflects what SEO believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and SEO reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time.

EEOC Policy

At SEO we are committed to cultivating a team that embodies the backgrounds and experiences of the constituencies we serve and the communities we live in, and a workplace that reflects the impact we make in the world. Candidates from all communities – including people of color, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ Community, veterans, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity is not just the law, it is our commitment.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer – M/F/D/V. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other legally protected status.

If you need accommodation while applying for a role with SEO, due to a disability, please email SEO Talent.