Alternative School Teacher Responsibilities

The alternative school teacher responsibilities include teaching the students in a non-traditional way. The alternative school is a general name given to the institutes that provide alternative education. These institutions teach the students in a non-traditional way with their own educational established curriculum, which is considered more flexible than that of the traditional schools. Here, alternative teaching includes numerous approaches for teaching and are rooted in various philosophies which are different from the traditional education.

The responsibilities of an alternative school teacher include instructing the students in the court school instructional setting and maintain a classroom environment, which is conducive to learning. The alternative school teacher is also responsible for developing various interesting teaching methods and instructional methods that are beneficial to the students. The teacher also needs to deliver the instructions using approved curriculum and course outlines. The alternative school teacher may also suggest various changes or up-gradations in the current curriculum that is essential and beneficial to the students. Other than teaching the students, the alternative school teacher also needs to maintain accurate records, prepare reports, and assess the student performances.

The career in the field of alternative schooling is one of the most interesting career options for those who love teaching in a non-traditional way. However, to start your career in this field, you must be aware of the educational qualifications, key skills, job responsibilities, and salary earned by an alternative school teacher. The below given information about the skills, responsibilities, and salary of an alternative teacher will help you to gain proper knowledge of this field and plan your career accordingly.

Educational Qualifications

The minimum criteria for an alternative school teacher is a bachelor's degree. However, many alternative schools prefer recruiting candidates with a master's degree. The candidate must also possess a valid California teaching credential and an experience in guiding at-risk youth. The alternative school teacher is also expected to implement various behavioral modification techniques. He or she must also have an experience of teaching in intermediate or high school and knowledge about various career and vocational skills.

Key Skills

The knowledge of modern teaching methods and techniques is a key skill of an alternative school teacher. However, the teacher must also possess several other skills as mentioned below:

• Expert knowledge of modern teaching techniques
• Prioritize and manage multiple activities
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal as well as written
• Ability to express ideas, lesson materials, thoughts, and instructions clearly to the students
• Effective collaboration within inter and intra-agency levels
• Expert ability to assess individual needs
• Design and implement a perfect educational program effective for the students
• Plan and conduct a continuous evaluation system according to each student's progress
• Ability of maintaining suitable classroom control
• Effective planning and organizational skills

Job Responsibilities

Educating students is one of the basic responsibilities of an alternative school teacher. The alternative school teacher is also responsible for some of the following tasks:

• Provide essential supervision to the students in educational requirements
• Undertake small group discussions with students
• Implementing individual education service plans for the students
• Plan and follow the daily classroom instructional activities
• Administer student assessment to ascertain academic needs
• Work collaboratively with the staff, administrators, agency counselors, and parents for the efficient progress of the students
• Prepare necessary lesson plans that correlate with student needs
• Prepare and maintain the student records
• Maintain conducive classroom environment essential for learning
• Develop different teaching and instructional methods appropriate for the students
• Delivering instructions using the approved curriculum and course outlines
• Assess the student's performance
• Maintaining the attendance, student evaluation, and grade system reports of the students
• Direct the work to educational assistants
• Follow and make students follow the rules and regulations of the alternative school
• Submit all the necessary reports in a timely manner

Salary

The salary of an alternative school teacher largely depends upon the candidate's skills and experience in alternative school teaching. According to various studies, the average annual salary of an alternative school teacher is in the range of $25,000 to $51,000. However, the above mentioned salary range may differ according to the teacher's experience in the field of alternative school teaching.

The career in the field of alternative school teaching is one of the most interesting careers, which has a wide opportunity. The above mentioned alternative school teacher responsibilities will help you to plan your career in this field.