Orchard House Middle School

 Art Teacher

(Revised June 16, 2025)

General Information:

• Starts August 15, 2025 (part-time, 3-4 hours per week)
• Teaching a well-rounded, four-year, middle school Art curriculum
• Teaching one grade level (approximately 20 students) per quarter
• A ten-month, part-time salaried employee with all applicable benefits
• Other duties determined by the Head of School as needed

Mission and Values:

Orchard House School educates and inspires middle school girls in a responsive, academically engaging community that fosters each girl’s intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, emotional integrity, and physical well being.

Diversity, equity, social justice, and inclusion are central to Orchard House’s mission. As part of our broader effort to ensure that our hiring process and our community reflect that mission, we are actively seeking candidates to help us build a team with diverse backgrounds. All applicants should be enthusiastic about these principles and eager to carry them forward in their curricular and relational work.

Reports to: Head of School

FLSA Status: Exempt

Responsibilities: 

Ability to envision, design in detail, develop, and execute a four-year, well-rounded, middle school (grades 5-8) Visual Arts program. The Visual Arts curriculum promotes and instills creative and innovative thinking; exploration of materials and technique; the value of self-expression within each student; ability to participate in class critique; studio setting interactions with peers; critical thinking skills; risk-taking in work and theory; and appreciation for the arts with society and common culture. Lessons and projects nurture individual growth; allow for experimentation and exploration of materials and concepts; peak intellectual curiosity; and foster a life-long interest in the arts.

Job Description:

The Art teacher is responsible for the following essential duties:

(1)        Teaching one grade level (approximately 20 students) per quarter;

(2)        Using teaching techniques (explanation and demonstration) that support the mission and philosophy of the school which include discovery and constructivist approaches to learning;

(3)        Establishing a learning environment that inspires learning;

(4)        Attending faculty and departmental meetings;

(5)        Communicating with parents through conferences and other means;

(6)        Completing student reports and evaluations in a timely and mission-consistent manner;

(7)        Following personnel policies as described in the Employee Handbook and supporting student behaviors as described in the Family Handbook;

(8)        Participating fully in the life of the school in terms of academics (providing high quality instruction to students); professionalism (continually focusing on professional growth and renewal); culture (engaging in collegial activities and supporting all members of the school community);

(9)        Assisting with other art-related projects in school, such as CORE-related art projects.

Essential Skills:

(1)        Bachelor’s Degree (required) with Art as a major; Master’s Degree (preferred); Endorsement in Art is optional;

(2)        A minimum of two years experience teaching preferred;

(3)        Experience in a school environment;

(4)        Knowledge of middle school girls’ education;

(5)        Strong communication and organizational skills;

(6)        Strong instructional planning and preparation skills; ability to evaluate all students’ progress consistently and effectively;

(7)        Ability to teach in a manner that supports different learning styles;

(8)        Ability to hold students to high but not necessarily uniform standards;

(9)        Completes all reports and communicates with parents, faculty, and the administration in a timely manner;

(10)      Willingness and ability to assess student work in multiple ways and in a timely manner;

(11)      Ability to incorporate technology in the classroom;

(12)      Ability and willingness to incorporate interdisciplinary learning;

(13)      Flexibility; commitment to refining familiar teaching strategies and to exploring and developing new teaching strategies;

(14)      Commitment to active learning and hands-on experiences that maximizes student engagement and group work;

(15)      Strong orientation towards personal/professional growth and success;

(16)      Strong orientation towards teamwork, institutional success, and community success;

(17)      Passion for teaching and for working with middle school students.

Work Environment:

            Classroom (in-person)

            Other (field trips)

(1)        Bachelor’s Degree (required) with Art as a major; Master’s Degree (preferred); Endorsement in Art is optional;

(2)        A minimum of two years experience teaching preferred;

(3)        Experience in a school environment;

(4)        Knowledge of middle school girls’ education.