Art Teacher – Clay Specialist

An exciting teaching opportunity is available at Peninsula School, a leader in N-8 progressive education with a focus on fostering intellectual curiosity, social and emotional learning and social justice in a manner that is interactive and responsive to student interests. Peninsula School is rich in history and fortunate to have a wooded, 6-acre campus. Enrollment is strong, the school has no debt, owns its land and buildings and has a long record of excellent financial management including healthy endowments. The school is in an exciting time as it approaches its centennial in 2025. Peninsula School actively promotes the principles and practices of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the school community. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage people of under-represented groups to apply. We offer competitive compensation and a progressive community dedicated to learning and engaged citizenship.

JOB TITLE: Art Teacher – Clay Specialist (part-time with benefits)

Summary: This is an open position for a 50% part time Clay Specialist. This position teaches students in K-8th Grade, partners with classroom teachers to integrate clay into student projects, and hosts daily Activities/Open Studios for children of all ages. This position reports to the Associate Head of School. The Clay Specialist is responsible for developing, planning, and implementing the clay program.

Specifically:

● Ensure the clay studio (and/or outdoor clay space) is ready for use, including proper care and maintenance of kilns, wheels, and other equipment.

● Schedule K-8 classes in partnership with Head Teachers. The program should support relevance and cohesiveness of lessons as children progress through the school.

● Provide Activities/Open Studio time 4 days per week (M-Th) from 12-3: 12:30-2:30 for contact with children, and a half hour prep/clean up time on each end. During Activities/ Open Studio time, the Clay Specialist facilitates mixed age groups of children, answers questions, assists with skills, and encourages students to develop their ideas.

● Collaborate and work closely with classroom Head Teachers.

● Embrace play as an essential part of learning.

● Teach children in a way that fosters creativity, curiosity, self-esteem, and self-expression.

● Attend all staff meetings and in-service days.

● Other duties as assigned. .

Qualifications:

● BA required

● Passion for working with children of all ages and at diverse levels of experience with clay

● Interest in progressive education and commitment to the Peninsula School mission

● Experience with hands-on art lessons, and clay production specifically

● Knowledge of current clay techniques, tools, and materials – including production, firing/kiln operations, hand building and wheel work

● Attention to safety protocols and practices in the clay studio

● Highly organized

● Initiative and an ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of learners and educators

● Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues

● Ability to follow written and oral instructions

● Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing

● Art credential and/or early education art teaching experience preferred

● Raku firing techniques and experience preferred

Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

● Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and an ability to work with and support a diverse population of students and families. An ability to remain sensitive to the experiences of students, parents and faculty in all situations and integrate feedback into practice.

● Ability to Learn and Teach – Recognizes the importance of learning and motivates others by own enthusiasm. Stays abreast of best practices in schools.

● Relational Skills – Ability to relate well to a wide range of people, including building rapport with students, parents, faculty, staff, and administrators. Willingness to work to understand the culture of the school. Knowledge of each child’s challenges and strengths. Skill with conflict resolution, consensus building and decision-making.

● Emotional Intelligence and Maturity – Ability to interact with individuals in heightened emotional states and navigate complex and emotionally challenging situations involving children and adults. A high degree of emotional stability, ability to separate one’s own emotions from a situation, and ability to maintain perspective in the midst of emotional situations is essential.

● Communications Skills – Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of constituents. Maintains open communications channels with teaching staff, parents and administrators. Able to present information formally and informally in an effective manner both through oral presentations or conversation and through written means. Has a strong understanding of the power of word choice and the need for a high level of tact and professional, accurate communication.

● Time Management Skills – Ability to manage many tasks and projects simultaneously and to prioritize them appropriately.

● Organizational Skills – Ability to balance many tasks and processes, including keeping track of progress on longer term projects or goals, managing details accurately, and following through in a timely fashion.

● Problem Solving Skills – Ability to recognize immediate issues and take decisive action when appropriate. Ability to consider a broad range of internal and external factors when solving problems. Grasps complexities and perceives relationships among different problems or issues. Uses various problem-solving strategies appropriate to the situation, including enlisting others when appropriate.

● Strategic Thinking Skills – Ability to work with others to gather, synthesize, and analyze quantitative and qualitative information and to develop plans for meeting short and long-range goals which support the vision and further the broader strategic direction of the organization.

● Knowledge and understanding of the Mission Statement and purpose of the school

● Proven competency in the classroom, including innovative teaching and recognition of an appropriate response to various learning profiles.

● All prospective employees must be able to clear a background check and TB screening. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to adjust focus, and sound hearing. The ability to speak clearly and coherently is required. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, use hands, talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. On occasion, the employee is required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, or crouch. Employee is required to operate a computer and office productivity machinery, communicate across a variety of media, and work in close proximity to children. The role may also require the employee to work in inclement weather during special activities and trips. TO APPLY Peninsula School is an equal opportunity employer and we actively promote the principles and practices of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the school community. We actively support equal opportunity for all people and encourage members of BIPOC communities and LGBTQ+ candidates to apply. Our school is strongly committed to learning about and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all interactions and programs. We offer competitive compensation and a progressive community dedicated to learning and engaged citizenship. (http://www.peninsulaschool.org/equity-and-inclusion/) We encourage people of under-represented groups to apply. Please fill out an employment application and send it with a cover letter and resumé to HR@peninsulaschool.org.

Tagged as: K-6, Middle School