Teaching Artist (On-Call)
Summary
SFJAZZ is hiring Teaching Artists with experience and expertise in poetry to teach within our Jazz In the Middle (JIM) program.
About SFJAZZ School Programs
SFJAZZ brings world-class jazz artists out of the concert hall and into the community, connecting youth and adults, students and professionals, musicians and non-musicians with a diverse array of interactive programs and events. From field trips to our unique SFJAZZ Center Auditorium, to hands-on learning in their very own classrooms with artists, our School Programs give students access to jazz’s critical history.
Jazz in the Middle
Established in 2001, Jazz In the Middle (JIM) sends experienced jazz musicians and professional poets into middle school humanities classrooms to share the history of jazz music from a social, historical, and creative perspective. Offered free to public middle schools, JIM explores the history of Black Americans, chattel slavery and African traditions, using the history of jazz music and it’s global influences from across the African Diaspora as a framework. Students are exposed to modern and historical examples of resistance from Black people all over the world and develop an understanding of the theory and practice behind the music that was born as a result of this resistance.
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
- Lead Jazz in the Middle and/or Jazz in Session residencies across San Francisco and Oakland public and charter middle schools demonstrating positive classroom management techniques.
- Uphold rules of conduct at program sites.
- Work with diverse school and site partners in adapting to individual classroom needs and culture.
- Maintain timely communication with SFJAZZ Education staff and program sites via email, phone, and in person.
- Attend weekly meetings and training and professional development sessions throughout the school year.
- Facilitate generative writing workshops and support students in conceptualizing, writing and performing (at least) one poem at the end of each residency.
- Participate in evaluation of the program.
- Assist with special events, fundraising campaigns and other tasks as assigned.
- Recruiting, organizing and coaching middle school students.
- Develop process-based, sequential curricula that reflect SFJAZZ’s pedagogy, mission and values.
- Identify, coach and prepare a small group of students to participate in SFJAZZ’s annual poetry festival.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience teaching creative content to middle school students in Black and Brown, low income and otherwise marginalized neighborhoods.
- Experience teaching jazz, poetry, creative writing or spoken word in a classroom and/or club setting.
- Demonstrated experience in social justice and youth empowerment.
- Extensive knowledge and understanding of African Diaspora as well as jazz history.
- Willingness, desire and ability to interact with children and adults from varying racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
- Ability to design and facilitate curricula, lesson plans and workshops about Black history for middle school students using a variety of mediums.
- Knowledge of age-appropriate teaching methods and best practices for collaborating with classroom teachers.
- Openness to receiving detailed feedback on teaching and classroom practices as they relate to SFJAZZ’s methodology.
- Ability to teach in at least two sites at a time (at least four residencies in either one full day, two mornings, two afternoons or some combination thereof).
- Excellent verbal, written and oral communication skills.
- Reliability, punctuality, flexibility.
- Artistic excellence and dedication to education.
- Experience developing unit plans and lesson plans.
- Familiarity with reporting to a manager remotely.
- Must pass background check, fingerprinting, and TB test prior to hire.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bilingual in English and Spanish
- At least 1-2 years demonstrated experience teaching.
- Experience working with unique student populations such as English language-learners, students with disabilities, learning differences, etc.
- Programming experience and collaboration with classroom teachers is a plus.
COMPENSATION
$100 per hour.
SFJAZZ IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY OF STAFF. We particularly welcome those who bring the gifts of diversity to our organization. People of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
TO APPLY, PLEASE SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING TO jobs@sfjazz.org. Mention “Teaching Artist (on-call)” in the subject line. Resumes will be accepted until the positions have been filled.
- 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 (September 2022-May 2023).
- Videos demonstrating your teaching skills a plus.
INTERVIEW PROCESS
As part of our interview process, we will have you prepare and present a 15-20 minute long creative lesson designed for middle school students. This teaching demonstration will take place via Zoom or in-person on a date TBD.
Job Title: Teaching Artist (on-call)
Department: Education, School Programs
Reports To: School Programs Manager
Prepared Date: August 2022