Study Skills Specialist Job Description
The Study Skills Specialist reports to the Director of Studies. The Specialist works with individual students, the Academic Office, teachers, parents, advisors, the medical staff, and the Office of Admission.
The majority of the Specialist’s time is allocated towards advising individual students on how to use their learning styles and strengths to achieve the best outcomes. Due to the school’s rigorous curriculum and full six day week, the Specialist primarily assists a wide variety of students in the development of time management and organizational skills. Many new students need to learn how best to approach subjects or assignments that may be unfamiliar to them. Although the Specialist is not a tutor, the Specialist uses basic knowledge of literature, math, science, writing, and the Bible to help students.
More direct tutoring of students occurs through the School’s Peer Tutor program, overseen by the Specialist. As the Director of the Peer Tutor program, the Specialist recruits tutors at the start of the school year and interviews students requesting a tutor to help them with their approach to a subject as needs develop over the course of the year. The Specialist works to match appropriate tutors to students based on age, interest, time, and course experience. While students are encouraged to continue to use their teachers as a first resource, peer tutors can offer additional individual help with a student’s needs in a particular course.
The Specialist works closely with the Academic Office. The Director of Studies and the Specialist meet regularly to plan appointments, to discuss educational evaluations, to select students for supervised study hall, and to consider underperforming students who may benefit from individual meetings with the Director of Studies. The Specialist ensures that the Director of Studies is kept up to date on student progress and parent requests for accommodations for their child. If needed, the Specialist and the Director of Studies meet as a group with a student’s teachers, advisor, and houseparent to develop a plan for the student’s academic progress.
Within the Academic Office, The Director of Testing and the Specialist share educational evaluations and discuss what accommodations should be requested from the College Board and the ACT. At times, the Specialist will write letters promoting accommodations for standardized testing that the Director of Testing includes in the student’s application.
The Specialist also creates the extra time list for term exams which is based on submitted evaluations and Abbey policy.Educational evaluations often include confidential mental health information. The Specialist works in conjunction with the infirmary to share information with the classroom teachers and houseparents while honoring confidentiality.
In certain circumstances, a student is assigned Library Study overseen by the Specialist in place of one class to promote success in the Abbey’s curriculum. The Director of Studies and the Headmaster determine which students would benefit from Library Study. These students meet in the Study Skills office, or if there are several in the same block, they sit at carrels outside of the office. The Specialist aids them with planning and answers questions when possible. Other students meet the Specialist in a less regimented schedule to aid them with various topics such as exam study planning, test-taking, and time management. An appointment for these students requires flexibility as the Specialist cannot interfere with the student’s class time.
The Specialist works with the Office of Admission when requested which may include reading a file or an educational evaluation and providing their opinion on the likely success of the prospective student. Additionally, prospective parents may wish to meet the Specialist during the admission process to understand the accommodations the Abbey would provide their son or daughter.
Finally, the Specialist reads all the files of newly enrolled students over the summer. Individual notes are made for quick references for the Specialist’s use in the coming school year. The Specialist often advises the Dean of Residential Life when a particular advisor is needed for an incoming student. When the folders are complete, the Specialist creates lists of students for distribution to teachers noting which have difficulty in math or English or would benefit from sitting in the front of the class. Further, the Specialist will send information to the teachers of new and returning students who have learning difficulties.
The ideal candidate will hold a bachelor’s degree and possess some experience in academic support. He or she will also exhibit excellent organizational abilities and oral and written communication skills. Other duties may include one or more of the following: teaching, coaching,serving as a House affiliate, chaperoning an event every third weekend, and attending other school obligations.