Big Learning

07/24/2024

Elementary After School Science Instructor (seeking up to 10 instructors)

Big Learning® Science & Engineering, formerly known as Hands on Science, is seeking responsible, energetic, and dynamic teachers to teach in our after-school Science & Engineering elementary level enrichment program. This is a part-time position ranging between 2-8 hrs. per week during the academic year. A teacher may teach between 1-4 afternoons a week depending on our mutual schedules. Teacher’s children may attend Big Learning® classes for free (one per session) or at a reduced rate (for more than one class). Big Learning® provides training, a detailed Instructor's Guide with lesson plans, and the materials needed to conduct each lesson.

This is a great position for educators, para educators, moms, dads, retired teachers and scientists, preschool teachers, and others with some experience wrangling elementary age children who are looking for part time work during the ‘after-school’ hours. Big Learning®, aka MCCPTA Educational Programs, Inc. was founded by MCCPTA in 1975 to manage its after school programs and also runs the Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES) program and the Cultural Arts Showcases.

Instructors attend a paid content training prior to the start of each session—Sessions begin in October, January, and April with paid training scheduled before the start of each session.

A typical afternoon schedule might look like:
• 3:20pm-Arrive at the school, check in, set up.
• 3:35pm-Students arrive, lesson begins
• 4:35pm-Clean up, parent pickup

Earn $38 - $40.50 per one-hour club meeting (please note the total time commitment is longer due to prep, setup, and cleanup) plus a small stipend for driving to schools more than 5 miles from home/work. TIAA retirement participation optional.

Additional Qualifications:
• Must pass a criminal background check
• Must have a reliable vehicle for transportation
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 lbs of teaching equipment
• Must be able to read Teacher’s Guide (in English) and assemble simple hands-on projects from instructions
• Must have some experience working with children and/or classroom management
• Must be organized and good natured
• Must provide proof of full vaccination for COVID19

Responsibilities:
• Manage a classroom of 10-12 children
• Use our curriculum to engage children in science exploration
• Nurture children’s Social Emotional well-being
• Responsibly store and maintain all teaching equipment and materials and return at the end of each session
• Supervise parent pickup

Big Learning is an equal opportunity employer.

Contact Jane de Winter, [email protected] to apply or learn more.

07/24/2024

Instructors Needed for Middle School after school programs (seeking 1-3 instructors)

Dates: Mid-September to Mid-December and February to May

Days per week: 1-4 afternoons per week (M-Th) depending on program assignments

Time: 3:00pm—5:30pm

Big Learning® Science® & Engineering is looking for Instructors to guide middle school students through Big Learning® S&E’s hands-on programs such as Gadget Factory, Handicrafts, and/or Lego® Robotics program. The S&E program is offered as part of Montgomery County’s Excel Beyond the Bell Middle School program and will deliver programming for up to 20 students per afternoon at one of eight county middle schools (note: 2 instructors for 20 students). EBB is designed to engage students in out of school time enrichment opportunities that are hands-on, experiential and fun and provide a safe environment for youth after school.

Responsibilities:
• Serve as Instructor for the program, which takes place from approximately 3:00pm—5:30pm (instructional time is between 1.5-2 hours per afternoon depending on site).
• Attend 2-3 days of paid training in August and other trainings and meetings during the school year as needed.
• Deliver STEM programming to up to 20 middle school youth per afternoon using best practices of STEM instruction while addressing the social-emotional needs of students.
• Develop lesson plans and document hands-on curriculum, materials, and worksheets for all program classes and/or utilize plans and resources from previous year’s programs.
• Collaborate with co-teachers; and serve as a resource for both educational and operational matters.
• Document, and report materials used with oversight from Big Learning supervisor and contribute to grant reporting requirements.

Qualifications:
• Passionate about working with middle school students.
• Background in STEM education, needlecrafts, Lego®, and/or DIY projects and nonprofit work is a plus.
• Prior experience in K-8 schools or industry preferred.
• Commitment to delivering high quality enrichment programs.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Publisher, Power Point) and Acrobat.
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 25 lbs of teaching equipment.
• Must have a reliable vehicle for transportation and be able to bring classroom supplies to and from each class.
• As a condition of employment with Big Learning, any successful job applicant will be required to pass a criminal background check and provide proof of full vaccination for COVID19.

Compensation: $24-$26 per hour depending on experience and qualifications. ($60-$65 for each afternoon session plus additional time for training and materials preparation and mileage stipend).

Big Learning is an equal opportunity employer. Contact Jane de Winter, [email protected], to apply or to learn more.

07/26/2022

A big shoutout to the MCPS Restorative Justice Instructional Specialists Anica Perez, Bethlehem Beru, and Dr. Erika Edwards-Singletary for providing an energetic and informative presentation to our Big Learning teachers! We really appreciate your dedication!

07/07/2022

Big Learning has some fabulous SSL student volunteers this summer who are helping us get our materials ready for the coming school year. Please consider sending us some materials from our wish list for our students to prepare: https://a.co/bpUCqq6.

"),e.close(),a)){var r=e.createElement("script");r&&(r.type="text/javascript",r.text=a,e.body.appendChild(r))}}catch(q){n(q,"JS exception while injecting iframe")}return d},n=function(a,c){t.ueLogError(a,{logLevel:"ERROR",attribution:"A9TQForensics", message:c})},X=function(a,c,b){a={vfrd:1===c?"8":...

05/26/2022

Every year Big Learning spends tens of thousands on materials for our after school enrichment classes in Science & Engineering and FLES Foreign Language. Many of the items are for student take home projects or materials for the teachers to use in the classroom. The science program for the coming school year is particularly expensive. We would love to have some help from our supporters to obtain some of these materials. And we know how much some of you love to shop!

Please check out our Amazon wish list and while you are at it, set Big Learning as your Amazon Smile organization. Thank you for your support!

"),e.close(),a)){var r=e.createElement("script");r&&(r.type="text/javascript",r.text=a,e.body.appendChild(r))}}catch(q){n(q,"JS exception while injecting iframe")}return d},n=function(a,c){t.ueLogError(a,{logLevel:"ERROR",attribution:"A9TQForensics", message:c})},X=function(a,c,b){a={vfrd:1===c?"8":...

03/14/2022

Happy Pi Day from Big Learning! On pi day, try one of these pie recipes with your kids. Cooking and baking are great ways to teach measurement, volume, area, and chemical reactions. https://littlesunshine.com/pies-so-easy-kids-can-help/?fbclid=IwAR0VD-zQ-ZeWW9MzAUkAURlIziuSANN2FiT8wMLnbsHd6R5GzBT1IX5aAH8

03/10/2022

It's time to register for Big Learning's spring session! We will be exploring the physics of color and light. Classes will begin right after the MCPS spring break. We will explore vision, light, colors, and more over 6-8 weeks of one hour after-school classes. Use prisms, mirrors, and lenses to learn about reflection, magnification, refraction, symmetry, and the persistence of vision. Contact us at [email protected]!

11/30/2021

Big Learning is gearing up for our popular winter chemistry classes, but the global supply change issues have made it very difficult for us to source materials and the costs are much higher. Please consider making a donation to Big Learning on this to help us obtain materials to run an enriching chemistry program for our students. https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=aIbztbXBPoPDnjxobGvfdUmQCotuU-CY3vEVNyjqvlj5MwaNqnkDI6Y01E29TecT1-UvFWsCVjqK6Vbd

11/23/2021

Big Learning has had a successful return too in person classes this fall. Parents are excited to have their children in after school activities. Due to the pandemic, scholarship requests are greater than ever, and our scholarship fund has been depleted. This , we would love to have your support so we can accommodate more students who aren't able to afford after school programming.

11/09/2021

Do you know a kid in 4th - 6th grade who has a great idea to create change? This grant might be just the thing!

38 $500 & 3 $2,000 Grants Will Be Awarded to 4th - 6th Graders Across the U.S. November 4, 2021 | Volume 28, No. 44 | Published Weekly Since 1994 New Grant Program for 4th - 6th Graders! Parents, care

11/09/2021

Congratulations to Big Learning's Excel Beyond the Bell program for being featured in the nationwide event!

Yesterday was Day and students at Roberto Clemente EBB Gadget Factory class had a celebration of their own. 💡

09/19/2021

Big Learning teacher Felisa Cogut is participating in the Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival http://www.wheatonartsparade.org/

"Hey All! I am so excited to be participating in the Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival this year! This is the 5th year anniversary and there is so much to celebrate. Please join me in supporting and celebrating the community through the Arts this Sunday, September 19th. The Parade kicks off at 10am and the Festival continues on until 5pm with 3 stages of entertainment, food and beer tents, 49 exhibitors with art and activities for the Artists and Art Lovers of ALL AGES! Attending is completely FREE! I will be at tent #34. Can't wait to see you there."