About BEAM
The mission of BEAM is to create pathways for students from low-income and historically marginalized communities to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists. Led by staff with these same technical backgrounds, BEAM believes that pathways to STEM careers are created through community, individual support, and access to advanced work that typically lies outside most school curricula. We work to directly support students and to transition them to other supportive enrichment programs that enable their future success.
BEAM's model provides continuous support from middle school through college graduation, including intense academic summer programs for middle school students (after 6th and 7th grade), weekend classes and mentoring, and STEM-focused support through college. Our program includes not just access to learning advanced math but also support finding and applying to other opportunities, including support with college admissions and financial aid. In addition to our academic content, bringing students into community is a key part of our mission and all of our work is designed to support that goal.
BEAM has grown from a small summer program serving 17 students in the summer of 2011 to a year-round, national program, serving 420+ students at six summer program sites and 600+ students in year-round programming in New York City and Los Angeles this school year. In addition, our BEAM National pilot program now reaches over 500 elementary-aged students in seven different states, working to create a new nationwide pathway modeled on our local work.
With our recent strategic plan, our team has committed to transforming the organization from a successful startup to a more mature and scalable organization that can drive change across the country.
About the role
Entry Points (EP) is an elementary math exploration program that fosters positive math mindsets for students through creative challenges and collaborative problem-solving. EP is part of BEAM’s new national initiative to provide access to advanced mathematics to students from low-income and historically marginalized communities nationwide. BEAM provides a curriculum of activities and pedagogical support for teachers, and gives all EP students accounts on Beast Academy (an online math platform).
The EP program is run by teachers in their classrooms or as afterschool clubs, for students in 4th and 5th grades. Teachers meet with students weekly for 40 minutes to run activities and games from the BEAM curriculum, and give students time to use Beast Academy (demo here) when possible. As the program grows in the coming years, we plan to allow interested students to continue to other BEAM programs after 5th grade.
Entry Points Coach Responsibilities
Entry Points coaches have a dual role of developing teachers’ math knowledge and pedagogy, and supporting teachers as they develop their students’ positive math identities. Coaches also serve as the main point of contact between teachers and BEAM.
This role is currently seeking a coach who can support teachers working in the Mountain and Central timezones.
Coaches will:
- Meet individually with 4-8 Entry Points teachers via a monthly video call to support their implementation of the EP curriculum by building their math content understanding and discussing pedagogy. Check-ins should support and encourage regular moments of reflection for teachers. In addition to regular monthly check-ins, coaches will:
- Support teachers in a timely manner via email, text, and/or phone calls depending on teacher preference
- Prepare for meetings by reading program-related BEAM emails, viewing previous meeting notes, checking on student activity in Beast Academy, and familiarizing themselves with upcoming curriculum activities. After each meeting, coaches will submit notes for visibility with the rest of the team.
Additional notes:
- Although coaching check-ins will be structured and revolve around a specific focus (chosen by the teacher-coach pair together), coaches will have the flexibility to adjust based on individual needs, making shifts and modifications as necessary. Some meetings will include providing logistical support, especially at the start of the program.
- Attend regular BEAM meetings (anticipated to be monthly):
- All-coach activity meetings to discuss the mathematical goals of the upcoming curriculum activities.
- All-coach meetings to resource and knowledge share.
- One-on-one meetings with the Elementary Math and Pedagogy Manager to discuss each teacher and get support with coaching.
- Follow up and maintain communication with teachers to ensure teachers do not become disconnected from the program. Coaches will proactively communicate with the BEAM team regarding teacher progress and concerns, if any.
Additional expectations include:
- Attend Entry Points teacher orientation (2-3 hrs) and four activity workshop sessions (1 hr each) to support teachers implementing the program effectively.
- Participate in school visits (in-person; up to 2x/year) to learn about the school and classroom culture and potentially demonstrate activities.
Other optional but encouraged supports coaches can provide include:
- Proactively share helpful resources or events based on teachers’ interests.
- Support at school-based virtual (or in-person, if applicable) initiatives like family nights.
- Create community connections by supporting schools with inter-school connection building or connecting schools with local mathematicians and university students.
- Attend miscellaneous BEAM-hosted events e.g. virtual family game night.
- Supporting students through online chat when they have questions about BA.
Coaches will be closely supported by the Entry Points team. Coaches’ hours are determined by the number of schools they work with and your level of engagement: we anticipate 5 hours/month for regular meetings and emails plus 3 hours/month per teacher. A coach that works with 6 teachers can expect to work 6 hours per week. Coaches with flexible schedules are preferred, as partner schools are in various time zones and teachers may ask to meet during school hours. We encourage you to spend more time supporting the school when it feels genuinely useful to your partner teacher.
Preferred Qualifications
- Alignment with BEAM's Teaching Philosophy: We want to empower students to be doers of mathematics in a joyful, collaborative setting that fosters curiosity and question-asking. Rather than prioritizing correct answers and speed, we focus on reasoning and problem solving. Our aim is to develop a positive relationship with math for our students, preparing them for future experiences in STEM.
- 2+ years math teaching experience at the elementary or middle school level, preferably in a low-income, historically-marginalized school or district.
- Experience supporting adult learning through activities such as coaching teachers, facilitating professional development (PD) sessions, or conducting training.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly and effectively in a virtual setting.
- Effective calendar management in order to maintain a calendar that involves connecting with 10+ individuals on a monthly basis.
- Possess strong listening skills, actively engaging with and responding to teacher needs, concerns, and feedback.
- Able to manage time-bound conversations, facilitate meetings effectively, and ensure productive discussions.
- Proficient in agenda building and note taking, such that team members can easily identify key points and action items.
Additional Information
For coaches who did not support Entry Points last year, we will ask you to take up to 10 paid hours to explore the online Beast Academy platform as part of your onboarding.
This position has a start date of July 29, 2024. Compensation will be hourly and starts at $35/hour as an independent contractor.
Applications will be accepted through May 20, 2024.
