Summer History Educator

Summer Program Dates: June 22nd - July 10th

Course: CSI History: Investigating Ancient Rome

Description

Geffen Academy Educators approach teaching as an intellectual profession of the highest order, one in which knowledge is not only transmitted but created. Geffen Academy Educators possess a sophisticated and reflective understanding of their discipline and a record of achievement which demonstrates their ability to utilize and contribute to the robust connections we have with UCLA, a world-class research institution. Educators' innovation is guided by our school's mission to prioritize proven educational practices while also recognizing that teaching is a complex intellectual endeavor that defies rigid codification. We are committed to a humane working environment and also recognize that teaching goes beyond the life of the mind. Geffen Academy Educators seek to create trusting and caring relationships with their students and with their larger community.

Summary

The CSI: Ancient Rome summer course invites middle and upper school students to become investigators of the ancient world by studying material evidence left behind by people in the past. Rather than learning about Roman history only through texts, students examine artifacts, inscriptions, and archaeological evidence to uncover what everyday objects can reveal about identity, family, social status, belief, and daily life in ancient Rome.

Students learn how historians and archaeologists reconstruct the past by analyzing tombstone inscriptions currently on view at the Getty Villa, decoding common Latin formulas, and creating original commemorative dedications using historically accurate conventions. The course also explores how major historical events-such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE-preserved ordinary moments of Roman life and transformed catastrophe into a powerful source of historical knowledge.

Through guided inquiry, collaborative analysis, hands-on decoding activities, and short interpretive writing tasks, students practice thinking like historians and archaeologists: asking what evidence shows, what it cannot show, and how interpretations are shaped by context and perspective. The course is designed to be developmentally responsive for either middle school or upper school students, with texts, pacing, and analytical depth adjusted based on the enrolled grade band.

Under the direction of the Summer Program Director at Geffen Academy at UCLA, the Educator will design and deliver high-quality, in-person summer instruction. The primary teaching responsibility will be CSI: Ancient Rome; depending on program enrollment and scheduling needs, the Educator may also have the opportunity to teach additional, thematically related summer courses. Courses meet daily for up to 90 minutes over the three-week program. Final teaching assignments and instructional responsibilities will be determined based on enrollment and overall programmatic considerations. All courses are taught on Geffen Academy's campus.

Job Duties

• Design and deliver a three-week investigative history and archaeology course open for students entering grades 7-12, focused on material culture and evidence-based reasoning.
• Introduce students to core historical and archaeological methods, including artifact analysis, inscription decoding, contextual interpretation, and hypothesis testing.
• Guide students in analyzing funerary inscriptions and material artifacts to infer information about identity, family structure, social status, and belief systems in ancient Rome.
• Teach students how historians use recurring formulas, conventions, and patterns (e.g., Latin epitaph structures) to interpret incomplete or fragmentary evidence.
• Facilitate inquiry-based discussions that encourage students to distinguish evidence from inference and to evaluate competing interpretations.
• Use case studies such as Pompeii and Herculaneum to examine how catastrophic events can preserve historical evidence and reshape historical understanding.
• Design short analytical and creative tasks (e.g., interpretive writing, artifact case notes, reconstructed inscriptions) that support clear reasoning and historical imagination.
• Provide timely, constructive feedback to help students refine interpretations and communicate ideas with clarity and precision.
• Establish classroom norms that support respectful discussion, collaborative investigation, and intellectual curiosity.
• Collaborate with Summer Program leadership and fellow educators to ensure a cohesive and engaging program experience.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• This list of duties is not exhaustive.

School: https://www.geffenacademy.ucla.edu

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred in history, classics, archaeology, art history, education, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience teaching or facilitating inquiry-based, discussion-driven learning for middle and/or high school students.
• Strong understanding of historical thinking, archaeological methods, and evidence-based interpretation.
• Ability to make complex historical concepts accessible and engaging for adolescents without sacrificing intellectual rigor.
• Experience guiding students in close observation, analysis of primary or material sources, and interpretive writing.
• Ability to design curriculum for a short, intensive summer program.
• Familiarity with educational technologies and platforms such as Google Classroom and Zoom.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Professional judgment, patience, integrity, and a collaborative teaching approach.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced summer program environment.
• Commitment to Geffen Academy's mission, values, and educational philosophy.
• Demonstrated ability to scaffold inquiry and analysis appropriately for students at different developmental levels.

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

References will be checked before an offer is made.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
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  UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
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  UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment