Learning Support

Location

UWC ISAK Japan Campus, Karuizawa

Compensation

Start Date

01/08/2025

Application Deadline

Job Description

Overview

The Learning Support Teacher plays a critical role in fostering an inclusive learning environment by identifying and addressing diverse student needs through targeted interventions and Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs). Collaborating closely with teachers, parents, and external professionals, this role ensures accommodations align with the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework while supporting students’ academic and personal growth. The teacher provides direct support, implements strategies to enhance executive functioning and study skills, and advocates for student well-being.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Student Support and Intervention

  • Help identify specific learning support needs of students and provide targeted interventions within a multi-tiered system of supports.
  • Offer specialized assistance inside and outside the classroom, including support for developing effective study strategies and executive functioning skills.
  • Create, implement, and maintain Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) for students requiring additional support.
  • Assist students in accessing and utilizing various resources, including IT tools and study aids.

Collaboration with Classroom Teachers

  • Partner with subject teachers to implement interventions and support strategies for students with diverse learning needs, co-teaching when needed.
  • Ensure accommodations and modifications align with the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework and enhance classroom inclusion.

Communication and Advocacy

  • Act as a liaison between parents, teachers, and external professionals to ensure comprehensive student support.
  • Regularly update stakeholders on student progress, challenges, and the effectiveness of implemented strategies.
  • Advocate for the academic and mental well-being of students to promote a supportive and inclusive school culture.

Professional Development and Resource Management

  • Stay informed about current research, best practices, and technological tools for supporting students with learning needs.
  • Contribute to staff training sessions to foster inclusive teaching practices.
  • Utilize and manage learning support resources to provide tailored interventions for students.

Student Well-Being

  • Help identify specific learning support needs of students and provide targeted interventions within a multi-tiered system of supports.
  • Offer specialized assistance inside and outside the classroom, including support for developing effective study

Student Support and Intervention

  • Provide general care for students’ academic and mental well-being, integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) principles into support strategies.
  • Assist students in building resilience, self-advocacy, and effective communication skills to navigate academic and personal challenges.

Assessment and Monitoring

  • Conduct assessments to identify learning strengths, areas of need, and progress toward goals.
  • Monitor and document the effectiveness of interventions, updating strategies and plans as needed.
  • Ensure that accommodations for standardized testing and coursework are implemented effectively.

 

Mentoring and Advising

Commitment to residential life is a must, whether or not this is formalized in an additional House or Duty Mentor position. In addition to teaching responsibilities, all teachers are assigned some or all of the following mentoring and residential responsibilities:

  • Serving as student advisory group leader
  • Coaching or supervising extracurricular sports, clubs, and activities
  • Leading or participating in Japanese cultural activities
  • Participating in outdoor education opportunities
  • Facilitating local service projects or leadership projects.
    *Official or formalized residential leading is an additional contractual offer.

 

Key Attributes

  • Highly organized and detail-oriented.
  • Resourceful in utilizing and adapting tools and strategies for diverse learners.
  • Collaborative and able to foster strong partnerships with teachers, parents, and external professionals.
  • A proactive and self-sufficient problem solver with a strong ability to manage multiple tasks effectively.
  • Highly resourceful, organized, and capable of working independently.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively within a team-oriented school environment.
  • Confidence in addressing challenges and implementing solutions as a self-sufficient problem solver.

 

Personal Characteristics

All employees are expected to:

  • Resonate with the UWC ISAK leadership model and be willing to be an active participant in it
  • Be curious about and open to exploring mindfulness and design thinking in personal and professional life
  • Be positive and enthusiastic about creating and contributing to a school that is evolving
  • Be pragmatic and resourceful, able to identify needs and willing to address them
  • Be patient and flexible, comfortable working in a school that is growing and evolving
  • Be self-aware and motivated, engaged in continuous reflection and improvement
  • Be able to work independently and complete tasks without supervision while respecting existing roles and structures within the school
  • Be able to work in a team, enjoy collaborative teaching among different fields, and be inspired to work in an interdisciplinary fashion
  • Enjoy a residential lifestyle, understanding the demands and flexibility required of adults in a residential environment, including needs that come up unexpectedly.

 

Preferred Qualifications

  • Teacher with a valid teaching qualification (required), including qualifications in learning support.
  • Proven experience in learning or academic support, ideally as a Learning Support Teacher.
  • Relevant courses, certifications, or credentials in supporting students with learning needs (e.g., SENIA certification or equivalent).
  • Experience and expertise in supporting second language learners in an academic environment.
  • Familiarity with the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework and understanding of its various programs and courses.
  • Knowledge and use of resources, including technology and study-related tools, to enhance learning support.
  • Experience in social-emotional learning (SEL) or related fields is highly desirable.

 

Safeguarding

All employees must adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy at all times. If, in the course of carrying out their duties, a teacher becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the School, they must report those concerns to the DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) or DDSL (Deputy Designated safeguarding Lead) immediately.

 

Other Duties

Other duties may be assigned from time to time by the Head of School or by the Deputy Heads.

 

How To Apply

Please submit the following documents to [email protected]:

  • Cover Letter
  • CV (including any experience teaching IBDP, listing the subject and years taught)
  • Copy of teaching credentials
  • If you are selected for an interview, we will ask you to submit the following: diploma related to the subject to be taught (with relevant transcript), diploma from highest degree earned (with relevant transcript).
  • Note: Successful candidates will need to complete a criminal background check (arranged and paid for by the school) before the final employment contract is issued.

General Information

A Shared UWC Mission

UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.

Our Distinct Identity

At UWC ISAK Japan, we empower each other to be transformational leaders who explore new frontiers and make a positive impact today and in the future.

We believe not only in the power of education, but also in the power of young people to become catalysts for positive change. We aim to create an environment where students learn to understand and appreciate different perspectives, challenge themselves academically and emotionally, and develop their innate potential as change-makers who can identify what is most important and needed, take action in the face of discomfort, use diversity as a strength, and support others in this practice.

Our Motto

Our school motto reflects our hopes for and dedication to all UWC ISAK Japan students as they journey through one of the most important and exciting times of their lives.

One Life. Realize Your Potential. Be a Catalyst for Positive Change.

One Life
Realize Your Potential
Be a Catalyst for Positive Change

Leadership Education at UWC ISAK Japan

At UWC ISAK Japan, we empower each other to be transformational leaders who explore new frontiers and make a positive impact today and in the future.

We believe not only in the power of education, but also in the power of young people to become catalysts for positive change. We aim to create an environment where students learn to understand and appreciate different perspectives, challenge themselves academically and emotionally, and develop their innate potential as change-makers who can identify what is most important and needed, take action in the face of discomfort, use diversity as a strength, and support others in this practice.

We believe in transformational leadership.

Who is a transformational leader?

A transformational leader is someone who consistently identifies what is most important and what is needed, takes action in the face of discomfort, uses diversity as a strength, and supports others in this practice. With continuous practice, a transformational leader creates positive change within self and the community at large.

A transformational leader consistently applies these foundational skills of leadership:

  • Awareness: Deeply observes oneself and the environment, and understands what is important for self and the greater good.
  • Connection: Empathizes with members of a community, understands their diverse potentials and values, and supports them towards a common goal.
  • Action Taking: Steps out of one’s comfort zone to courageously bring ideas to life.
  • Self-Discipline: Responds positively to challenges with measured reflection, growth mindset, resilience and optimism.
  • Creativity: Generates innovative ideas and questions and builds upon those of others

 

Leadership is a practice.

Leadership is not a position or status that a selective group of people earn, whether by the virtue of their economic or social position in society or their innate demeanor or personality. At UWC ISAK Japan, we believe that leadership is a practice. This practice is integrated into our curriculum​, and we believe that with practice, individuals can grow and integrate the essential skills of leadership.

About UWC

Founded in 1962, UWC (United World Colleges) is a global education movement that makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. UWC is comprised of schools and colleges in 18 countries, with national committees and selection contacts in more than 155 countries. UWC fosters a lifelong commitment to social responsibility, and to date has inspired a network of 60,000 alumni who believe it is possible to work for positive change.

The majority of students attending UWCs are selected by UWC national committees. In support of the belief that education should be independent of a student’s ability to pay, 70% of national committee selected IB Diploma students receive full scholarships. The UWC movement places a high value on experiential learning, outdoor education, service and other cultural understanding, alongside the academically challenging International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).

About UWC ISAK Japan

UWC ISAK Japan is Japan’s only full-boarding international high school and the newest member of the United World Colleges movement. Following the Japanese school system, UWC ISAK is a three-year high school, with all students in grades 11 and 12 following the IB Diploma Programme curriculum. The school is accredited by the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) and all graduates receive a Japanese high school diploma. Currently approximately 200 students from nearly 80 countries attend UWC ISAK Japan, with 70% of students receiving full or partial need-based scholarship support. 30% of enrolled students are Japanese, with the remaining 70% coming from homes outside of Japan.

Location

Karuizawa is located in Nagano Prefecture, home to the 1998 Winter Olympics and fondly referred to as the “Roof of Japan.” Karuizawa has been attracting an international mix of visitors since the late nineteenth century. The mountainous climate keeps Kaurizawa cool and comfortable during Japan’s summer months, making it a popular escape from Tokyo’s heat and humidity. Karuizawa experiences four seasons with regular snow in the winter which generally lasts from early December through February. Monthly temperatures average between 21 and -5 throughout the year.

While the full-time population of Karuizawa is around 20,000, the population of the town increases dramatically during the summer tourist season. From Tokyo, it takes approximately 70 minutes to reach Karuizawa station on the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train).

Karuizawa is a favorite destination for outdoor enthusiasts and offers year-round recreation including hiking, cycling, tennis, golf and skiing. In addition, a vibrant arts & crafts scene includes art galleries and museums, a performing arts center, a symphony hall, and a community symphony. There are also many good restaurants with wide ranging cuisines, a large upscale outlet mall with designer shops, a variety of onsen hot springs and a local volcano, Mt. Asama.

UWC ISAK Japan is located on the outskirts of Karuizawa, in a quiet residential community and the school is not within easy walking distance to a train station or a large supermarket. Schooling options for faculty children are limited to the local public schools where all instruction and communication is in Japanese. We are not able to guarantee admission to UWC ISAK for faculty children in grades 10-12 or to guarantee scholarships if faculty children are admitted.

For more information about the town of Karuizawa, please go to the following website:
http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/karuizawa-guide