Job Title: Art Teacher(s)

Program: High School

Reports to: High School Director

FLSA:Part-time

Date: November 2023

School Year: 2023-2024

The Opportunity:

Shining Mountain Waldorf High School (SMWHS) is at an exciting point in its 40-year history. We have recently broken ground on a new state-of-the-art high school campus, which is adjacent to the existing lower school campus. As such, our school has been deeply engaged in a revisioning process to launch a unique, contemporary identity that includes several innovative program opportunities.

• We are seeking a dynamic, student-centered, part-time Art Teacher to teach both hands-on art studio classes and an art history course. This could be one position or two, depending on the candidate. Art studio classes are black and white drawing, color theory, still life and portraiture.  
• The Art Studio classes are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30-10:05 beginning January 5th and continuing through the end of school, the last week of May.  
• We are also looking for a modern art history class teacher.  This four-week course examines the artistic legacy of humans during the Modern Art  Movement from 1863-1970. It will look at how the Art Movements that emerged during this time were influenced by Industrialism, Colonialism, Capitalism, WWI, WWII and the aftermath of these wars.  It will explore art as “truth to nature”, “art for art's sake”, and as political commentary. 
• This is a Monday through Friday class from 10:20-11:50 each day for four weeks, beginning December 4th.  It will be taught during the weeks of December 4, December 11, December 18 and January 8th, with two weeks off for our Winter Break.  Class size is ten students.

Shining Mountain Waldorf School, founded in 1983, is an accredited Pre-K-12 nonprofit independent school located in Boulder, Colorado on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. We are recognized for our academic depth, experiential learning, artistic integration, wilderness experiences, and strong athletic program. Our school is about an hour’s drive to Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park. We are close to world-class hiking, skiing, and outdoor recreation. A college town, Boulder is home to the University of Colorado and Naropa University, as well as numerous local organizations that provide a rich variety of arts, lectures, and workshops. Boulder is known for its natural beauty, environmental initiatives, sustainable agriculture, farm-to-table dining, and more than 300 days of sunshine each year.

Position Summary

The High School Art Teacher will be in charge of preparing for class, teaching hands-on art studio classes, and keeping an organized art studio. Educators who bring a record of success in the classroom in their given discipline and an interest in sharing their passions with adolescents are encouraged to apply. 

Art Studio Classes: 

January 15th-May 31 -Weekly, with week-long breaks in February and March.

• Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 8:30 am -10:05 am

Art History Class:

December 4-22 and January 8-12 - 

• Monday-Friday 10:20 am-11:50 am 

Essential Responsibilities

• Teach skills in art, including drawing, painting, and art history,  
• Provide instruction by which students develop aesthetic concepts and appreciations and the ability to make qualitative distinctions about art  
• Demonstrate techniques in drawing and painting  
• Understand the versatility of acrylic paints: dry brushing, staining, layering, underpainting, monoprinting 
• Understand a variety of “masters” techniques  
• Instruct students in proper care and use of tools and equipment  
• Organize storage areas and care for materials, equipment and tools 
• Evaluate each student’s performance and growth in knowledge and aesthetic understandings, and prepare reports  
• Plan and present art displays and exhibitions designed to exhibit students’ work for the school and the community

Education and Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts
• A minimum of four years of teaching experience is preferred
• Waldorf teaching and and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
• A love of adolescents
• Demonstrated ability to work well with students and colleagues, and an interest in active community engagement
• A strong commitment to equity and inclusion
• Demonstrated teaching capacity in experiential and project-based learning
• A commitment to continued learning, i.e., Waldorf and general educational trends, research-based learning models, educational technology, curriculum development, learning standards, multicultural education, and current best practices
• Organizational and computer skills

Work Setting

• High School classroom environment

Salary, Hours, and Benefits

• The studio position will be a part time hourly position during the school year (January - June)
• The art history block teaching position will be paid with a weekly salary for four weeks (December/January.)
• Art Studio Classes - paid at hourly rate: $45 to $75 per hour 
• Art History Class - paid at Block teaching rate: $900 per week
• Colorado Paid Sick Leave - 1 hour for each 30 hours worked - up to 48 hours per year 
• This is a part time position - no additional benefits are offered at this time

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the Essential Duties and Responsibilities of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to perform:
• Sitting and standing for class presentations
• Lift 25 pounds, bending, stretching
• Mobility to move about the classroom and walking to buildings throughout our 12 acre campus 
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Shining Mountain Waldorf School is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to theirrace, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, familial status, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin,citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited by state or local law.  We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, where employees are treated with respect and dignity.  

Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and intent, resume, brief biography, and three references including current employer to hrmgr@smwaldorf.org