Tabor Academy Fellowship Program

Introduction

The Tabor Academy Fellowship Program offers a unique and transformative opportunity for recent college graduates to begin their professional careers in independent boarding school education. This program is designed to provide Fellows with immersive experiences in teaching, coaching, residential life, and advising within a vibrant and supportive school community. With structured mentorship and guided professional development, the Fellowship Program nurtures the next generation of educators and leaders in independent schools.

Program Goals

• Professional Growth: To equip Fellows with the foundational skills and experiences necessary to thrive in the multifaceted role of an independent school educator or administrator.
• Mentorship and Support: To provide Fellows with direct mentorship from experienced faculty members who offer career advice, classroom guidance, and support in navigating responsibilities of school life.
• Community Engagement: To integrate Fellows into the life of Tabor Academy, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual contribution to our community.
• Career Preparation: To guide Fellows in understanding the diverse career pathways in education and developing the confidence to pursue them.

Pathways for Fellows

The Tabor Academy Fellowship Program offers two distinct pathways to cater to Fellows' interests and career aspirations:

• Administrative Faculty Pathway: Fellows pursuing this path will gain hands-on experience in administrative roles such as communications, advancement, and admissions. This pathway is ideal for individuals interested in the operational and strategic aspects of independent school life.
• Teaching Faculty Pathway: Fellows on this path will focus on classroom teaching and engage deeply with academic instruction. They will gain valuable teaching experience, working closely with mentors to develop their pedagogical skills.

Both pathways will include coaching and residential life responsibilities, providing numerous opportunities for Fellows to connect and make meaningful, fulfilling relationships with Tabor students - which is the heart of our experience here at school.

Opportunities for Fellows

• Teaching Experience (Teaching Pathway): Fellows will work as faculty members, teaching a reduced course load in their subject area while receiving regular feedback and support from their mentors and other senior educators.
• Administrative Experience (Administrative Pathway): Fellows will collaborate with administrative teams, contributing to key projects and gaining insights into the inner workings of school leadership and operations.
• Coaching and Extracurricular Involvement: Fellows will engage in the school’s athletic or extracurricular programs as assistant coaches or activity leaders, helping to build relationships with students outside the classroom.
• Residential Life: As active members of Tabor Academy’s residential community, Fellows will contribute to the well-being and growth of students by serving as dormitory associates and participating in evening and weekend supervision.
• Advising: Fellows will be paired with mentors to observe and interact within their student advisories. They will gain insights into student advising, supporting the mentor in providing guidance and support to a small group of students in their academic and personal growth.

Professional Development: The program will include workshops, seminars, and opportunities to observe experienced educators and administrators, fostering a reflective and deliberate approach to professional growth. Fellows will also benefit from partnerships, which will provide access to online professional development courses, in coordination with Tabor leadership, on pedagogical and administrative topics. The Fellows will then work with program leaders to incorporate the coursework into their actual daily work in school life.

Program Structure

• Initial Size of Program: 4-6 Fellows total (year 1 + year 2)
• Initial Appointment: Fellows will join Tabor Academy for a one-year term, with an option for reappointment for a second year based on performance and mutual agreement.
• Mentorship: Each Fellow will be paired with a mentor who provides regular check-ins, guidance, and feedback tailored to the Fellow’s needs and aspirations. Additionally, Fellows will meet as a group and in one-on-one sessions with various experienced leaders and faculty members to engage on a variety of relevant topics.
• Leadership and Coordination: The program will be led in collaboration with the Chief Employee Engagement Officer (CEEO) and an appointed Fellowship Program Coordinator, ensuring robust oversight and personalized support.
• Evaluation and Growth: Regular feedback and goal-setting sessions will help Fellows track their progress and identify areas for growth and development.

Tabor

Tabor Academy is a coeducational, college preparatory boarding and day school located in Marion, Massachusetts. Tabor enrolls students demonstrating academic ability, strong motivation, sound character, emotional stability, and a willingness to participate fully in the school community. Tabor is founded on the belief that a healthy school community finds common ground while embracing differences and, therefore, accepts a racially, ethnically, religiously, economically, and internationally diverse student body. Tabor students are expected to respect one another and to care for their school.

Tabor's academic, artistic, athletic, and community programs provide distinctive opportunities for students to achieve genuine understanding and significant skills and to identify and pursue personal goals. As the "School by the Sea," Tabor sustains a unique maritime heritage that embodies, in all its programs, the qualities a seagoing life requires: thoughtful preparation for and awareness of the wider world, perseverance, courage, good humor, a sense of direction, and humility.

Tabor's faculty commit themselves to balancing high demands with genuine affection for their students and to fostering relationships founded on the compassion, personal integrity, and trust that anchor Tabor's community. We invite all interested in learning about the school and our strategic vision to visit the school’s website.

The Tabor Academy Fellowship Program seeks to attract energetic and motivated individuals who are passionate about education and eager to make a meaningful impact in the lives of students. This program serves as a gateway to a fulfilling career in independent school education or administration, offering Fellows a rare combination of mentorship, experience, and community.

Tabor Academy is committed to fostering an inclusive community where diversity, equity, and belonging are essential to our mission. Grounded in our values of care, collaboration, curiosity, and courage, we recognize that building a vibrant and supportive environment for students and faculty requires intentional efforts to welcome individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. As such, we seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates who bring varied perspectives, including those who have been historically underrepresented in independent and boarding school settings, to apply.

Tabor Academy does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of age, gender, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, disability, or national or ancestral origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other Academy-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices.

Our Benefits package includes:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Group Life
• Long-Term Disability
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with match
• Meals in the dining hall
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care expenses
• Housing may be provided
• Weekly Yoga
• Access to small watercraft for sailing/kayaking
• Proximity to cultural hubs of New Bedford, Providence, Boston

How to Apply

Ideal faculty candidates for boarding school jobs will have excellent communication skills; have enthusiasm, creativity and passion for the subject they teach or area they work within; model the high standards of professionalism they expect their students to develop; and care for, challenge, and support the students with whom they work. A willingness to enthusiastically engage in all aspects of boarding school life (teaching, residential work, extracurricular activities, advising) and a desire to work in multicultural community are essential characteristics of qualified candidates.

While teacher certification is not required for employment at Tabor Academy, all candidates must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in the subject field or a related field. Because Tabor has both day and boarding students, faculty members either live on or near campus and help supervise in the dorms. Interested candidates should send an interest letter and resume to employment@taboracademy.org.

Letters of interest should include:

• A brief personal introduction
• Indication of desired pathway (administrative or teaching and academic subject)
• Comments on your experience with athletics (as a coach and/or athlete)
• Comments on your experience in a residential school setting (as a student and/or employee)
• Explain your interest in being a part of independent boarding school community
• Describe how your personal and professional values align with care, collaboration, curiosity and courage