Discovery School... An International School with A Unique Learning Environment

At the current time we do not have any openings for teachers at Discovery School.

For the next school year 2010-2011 we anticipate the following possible openings:

Elementary Teacher

If you are interested in applying for a position at Discovery School, the Head of School will be attending the following recruiting fairs:

Association of American Schools in South America recruiting fair in Atlanta, Georgia, in December 2009

University of Northern Iowa Overseas Recruiting Fair in Waterloo, Iowa in February 2010.

In addition, Skype interviews may be utilized during the hiring process.

Prior to the recruiting fairs, interested applicants should submit the following as an email attachment to dsdirector@discoveryschool.edu.hn, and debgilespk@yahoo.com or as faxed documents to +504-221-7791. (If documents are faxed, an email should also be sent alerting us to watch for the arrival of the fax.)

Letter of Interest, stating why the applicant is interested in Discovery School and indicating what positions s/he would like to be considered for
C.V. or Resume, including recent photo, education and years of completion, and relevant job history with dates
Letters of Reference from at least the two latest direct supervisors
Teaching Credentials (certification or licensure)
University Transcripts

If you want to work in an environment where students are the focus, where hands-on and experiential learning constitute the heart of our lessons, where students and teachers love to come to school, and where small class sizes are a part of our philosophy--then Discovery School may be the place for you. Our Mission and Philosophy provide the strong guidance that keeps us balanced and focused. Collaboration between teachers and the development of inter-disciplinary units keeps teaching and learning at Discovery vital, alive, and exciting. Check out the rest of the web page, and if you are interested in joining us at Discovery, where every day truly is an adventure, email the Head of School, Debra D. Giles, at dsdirector@mundo123.hn , dsdirector@discoveryschool.edu.hn , and debgilespk@yahoo.com . We look forward to hearing from you!

The teachers who are attracted to our school and to Honduras in general are those individuals who enjoy living in a city that is cosmopolitan, yet small enough to travel around easily; a country that offers beautiful beaches, ancient Mayan ruins, and mountains with cool, crisp air; close proximity and easy access to Central America, South America, the Bay Islands, the United States, the Caribbean Islands; and the best scuba diving in the world!

But mostly, our teachers are attracted to the philosophy of Discovery School and the opportunity to work with other outstanding teaching professionals who regard the needs of the students as the primary reason they are here; who value the diversity and international nature of our student body and the chance to learn about other cultures, languages, foods, religions, and values; who assume the task of teaching students from multiple school backgrounds with commitment and energy, and with the understanding that they, the teachers, are the pivotal factor in deciding how well the students perform and whether the educational experiences for their students will be positive or negative, uplifting or frustrating, affirming or discouraging. Our teachers enjoy interacting with each other on developing lessons, and they also enjoy getting together outside of school. Ours is a supportive community that understands what it means for some of us to be away from 'home'-in a foreign country without family nearby--so we all take care of each other.

We are proud of our teachers at Discovery School and we witness every day the growth and love of learning that take place when students, teachers, and parents all value the importance of a top-notch education.

At Discovery School, we believe that a well-designed lesson is a well-executed lesson. Therefore, all teachers are required to turn in lesson plans on Friday for the following week. This is not merely an exercise in paperwork, but it provides the framework and guidance for the lessons. Although the teacher may choose the format for the lesson plan, the 3 things that are essential are:

Objective (What do you want the student to learn?)
Assessment (How will you know the student learned it?)
Activities (What will you do with the students to get them there?)

Besides helping the teachers plan and execute their lessons, the lesson plans also give vital information to the administration that comes in handy when parents have questions about what goes on in the classroom-whether that question comes in the form of a complaint or a casual comment at a cocktail party. The better informed we all are, the easier it is to explain what we are doing with the students, and why.

Any teacher who has been practicing his or her craft very long knows that it is easier to be in school than it is to be absent-to arrange plans for a substitute, notify the administration, and catch up when returning to school. However, there are times when absences are unavoidable. For that reason, at the beginning of the school year we require all teachers to provide the Administration with three days of Emergency Lesson Plans. These are lessons that can be easily picked up by a substitute and presented to the students so that the time in class is not wasted when the teacher has to be absent.

At Discovery School, we value the opportunity to collaborate, work with other professionals, and learn from each other-whether that is in the classroom or elsewhere. For that reason, we are members of the following professional organizations:

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA)
Association of Bilingual Schools in Honduras (ABSH)
Association of American Schools in Central America (AASCA)
Tri-Association
Academy for Internatinal School Heads (AISH)
University of Northern Iowa
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

Discovery School is committed to promoting the personal growth and development of our teachers, and we also offer opportunities for advancement of the staff. At the beginning of the school year, each teacher is asked to select a teaching partner to work with throughout the school year-setting goals together, observing each other's classes, and offering feedback and support. In addition, teachers are sponsored to attend relevant conferences and sessions that are offered by the Association of American Schools in Central America (AASCA), Association of American Schools in South American (AASSA), the United States Department of State Office of Overseas Schools (O/OS), and the Association of Bilingual Schools in Honduras (ABSH). We also work closely with the U.S. State Department's Education Officer for our area to host consultants to come to our school and provide in-service training to our teachers on current educational topics and trends, such as curriculum development, differentiation of lessons, and university placement

For the past eight years, Discovery School has been the leading force in educating and developing teaching professionals throughout Honduras. In November, we organize and host a "Teachers' Workshop" that is attended by over 350 participants each year. Our teachers share their knowledge by making presentations, and we solicit participation from other schools in the area. All of the presenters are asked to make their sessions interactive and 'hands-on', and to provide lessons that are so complete and well designed that those who attend can use it with their students the very next day. The result is a community of learners who, for two days, meet and teach and learn and communicate about topics that are relevant to all of them-how to improve teaching and learning for our students. For the November 2008 session, we arranged with a nearby university in the United States to form a partnership with Discovery whereby they will train our teachers to act as supervising mentors for the university students who are completing their coursework in education and venturing out for their practicum, or student teaching, or internship (as it is currently called). We at Discovery see this as a unique opportunity for our teachers to learn from the university and give back to the education world by mentoring new teachers-some of whom we hope will decide to remain in Tegucigalpa.

For the non-teaching staff, Discovery School has committed funds to help them in learning the English language, as well as taking courses that are locally offered and of interest to them-such as carpentry, electrical work, welding, etc. As an educational institution, we know that there is no better way to model a love of learning than by showing the students that we, as the adults on campus, are also dedicated to the on-going process of learning something new every day. In the end, we are all made richer when any one of us has had the opportunity to grow.