School Programs Lead Teaching Artist
Reports to: School Programs Manager
Hours per week: 30 (with full benefits package)
SUMMARY
SFJAZZ is hiring a Lead Teaching Artist to facilitate and contribute to the development of our School Programs. SFJAZZ School Programs include School Day Concerts, Jazz in the Middle, and Jazz in Session. The Lead Teaching Artist contributes to curriculum development, the cultivation of school site partnerships, and facilitates residency and concert programs.
About School Day Concerts
These free performances are tailored to students in grades K-12 with leading jazz artists and educators at the SFJAZZ Center's beautiful Miner Auditorium, as well as direct to public and charter middle schools across San Francisco and Oakland. Students experience jazz in all its forms, explore how the African Diaspora shaped our musical landscape, participate in a highly interactive environment, and learn how jazz is alive, relevant and continuing to grow today.
About Jazz in the Middle
SFJAZZ teaching artists work with classroom teachers over the course of two-week or semester-long residencies, leading activities and discussions around the following themes:
- Blues & Poetry: This residency links the history of blues and poetry to language arts curriculum. Students explore the foundations and history of American jazz, blues, poetry, and spoken word by creating their own performance to present on their final day, backed by a live jazz trio.
- Freedom & Jazz: Students explore the foundations of American jazz and roots music to discover how these forms reflect our common heritage, also connecting to the music’s social and cultural movements. Students observe and play a variety of rhythms as they create a collective song of resistance.
- Jazz & the American Spirit: Students explore the resilience of the American spirit through the evolution of jazz. Through a series of musical and improvisational exercises, students create stories linked to the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Great Depression, WWII, and the Civil Rights Era.
About Jazz in Session
Jazz in Session collaborates with schools in strengthening existing music instruction programs by making jazz education accessible to the Bay Area public school community through Band Director professional development workshops, free concert tickets, in-school performances, and tailored support by leading Bay Area clinicians.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Collaborate with SFJAZZ staff to develop standards-based curriculum across all School Programs.
- Teach diverse groups of students, demonstrating positive classroom management methods.
- Adapt to changing requests from program sites.
- Maintain timely communication with SFJAZZ Education staff and program sites via email, phone, and in person.
- Attend school site meetings throughout school year, and mandatory professional development sessions and department meetings as scheduled by SFJAZZ Education staff.
- Participate in evaluation of program.
- Responsible for continuous training and mentorship of Teaching Artists.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience teaching creative content (ideally jazz instrumentation) to middle school students from a variety of backgrounds.
- Knowledge of age-appropriate teaching methods and best practices in an arts education context.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Reliability, punctuality, flexibility.
- Artistic excellence and dedication to education.
- Must pass fingerprinting and TB test prior to hire.
- Proven skills in working with diverse communities.
- Extensive knowledge and understanding of African Diaspora and jazz history.
- Experience developing unit plans and lesson plans.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Familiarity with reporting to a manager remotely.
- Bilingual in Spanish.
- Programming experience and collaboration with classroom teachers a plus.
COMPENSATION
Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Benefits package included.
TO APPLY, PLEASE SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING TO jobs@sfjazz.org
- Resumé.
- Cover letter detailing your interest in the work, and any additional teaching with other programs you may already be doing.
- Your availability during the school year (August – May)
- Videos (YouTube links) demonstrating your musicianship (and teaching skills) a plus.