Teaching Artist (On-Call)

SFJAZZ is seeking a passionate Teaching Artists with experience and expertise in poetry and creative writing to teach within our Jazz In the Middle (JIM) School Program in San Francisco and Oakland, California public and charter middle schools.

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 its 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. 

Responsibilities

• Lead Jazz in the Middle 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 and other tasks as assigned.
• Supporting, 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 poetry, creative writing or spoken word in a classroom and/or club setting.
• Familiarity and experience teaching in San Francisco and Oakland middle schools.
• 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.
• Based in the San Francisco or Oakland, California vicinity.
• 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

The hourly rate for this role is $100 per hour. This position is not eligible for benefits. 

About SFJAZZ

SFJAZZ is one of the world’s most popular and important presenters of jazz. The SFJAZZ Center is a beautiful and perfect stage for jazz artists and the community to celebrate the living American art form of jazz. The $64 million dollar Center launched in 2013 and the 38-year-old non-profit organization now delivers distinguished programming and education services from the heart of the San Francisco arts district. The pre-pandemic budget for the organization was over $19 million; 60% derived from ticket sales.

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 send your resume and cover letter to jobs@sfjazz.org with the Teaching Artist Poet (On-Call) in the Subject line.