Westtown School is seeking a dynamic Lower School Visual Arts Teacher beginning August 2021. Westtown School is a Quaker independent, co-educational, pre-K to 12, college preparatory day and boarding school located in suburban West Chester, PA, approximately 30 miles from Philadelphia. Situated on a beautiful 600-acre campus, Westtown offers a challenging and diverse curriculum that emphasizes action-based education, critical thinking, collaboration, service, and social action. Committed to character innovation since 1799, Westtown inspires and prepares students to become stewards and leaders of a better world. 

As Westtown strives to fulfill our commitment to being an anti-bias, anti-racist (ABAR) school, we are seeking qualified educators with a demonstrated commitment to and ongoing professional development in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice which is evidenced in their personal and professional interactions, curriculum, and pedagogy.

Position Description: 

The successful candidate will join a team of experienced arts educators as we implement a process-oriented curriculum rooted in experimentation, discovery, and play. An artist/teacher with an interest in pedagogy, an understanding of art as a tool for understanding and social change, and a commitment to creating art that asks and solicits big questions will thrive in our program. 

The Lower School Visual Arts Teacher for the 2021-2022 academic year will:

• Provide progressive instruction for lower school students in lessons and hands-on learning activities that promote problem-solving, creative thinking, collaboration, and effective communication skills while encouraging risk-taking in learning;
• Actively engage students in the classroom through individual and group work, project-based learning, exploration, questioning, discussion, and other cooperative teaching techniques;
• Integrate technology seamlessly into teaching strategies and practices;
• Contribute to building and sustaining an inclusive community and a program which reflects diverse cultures and perspectives.

• Work in close collaboration with the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Visual Arts Faculty and three-divisional Arts Department Co-chairs to ensure coherence in the arts program across all divisions.

Qualifications:

• BA or BFA degree; advanced degree in Art Education preferred
• A minimum of 3 years experience teaching lower school students
• Experience with and commitment to working with lower school students, including an understanding of their unique developmental, social, and academic needs

• Expertise and experience in managing a lower school arts classroom, including the operation and maintenance of an electric kiln, and the installation and creative presentation of student artwork 
• Willingness to examine the changing role of art education for 21st century learners and an eagerness to be part of a growing arts program
• Demonstrated growth and commitment to anti-bias anti-racist practices in art education
• Familiarity with Google products and integration of Google Classroom into teaching practice
• Experience with creative problem-solving frameworks (e.g., Design Thinking, Project Zero) and/or backwards design curriculum development is a plus 
• A collaborative spirit and the ability to connect meaningfully with colleagues and  students throughout our diverse community;
• Strong affinity for the mission of Westtown School and an educational philosophy consistent with the school’s values

Guided by the Quaker belief that there is that of God in all persons, Westtown School is a community of learners who value, and are themselves strengthened by, the rich diversity of its members. As a school, we seek to prepare students for living and leading in a diverse and complex world. As a community, we aspire to inclusivity and respect. To these ends, we welcome qualified students, faculty, staff, and trustees of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, family structure including marital or parental status, and socioeconomic status. Westtown School does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of these characteristics in any of its policies, procedures, or practices relating to admission, access to activities or programs, hiring, or other employment-related decisions.

Interested, qualified candidates should send a cover letter and resume to: Sherri Farenwald, Director of Human Resources, at http://tiny.cc/westtown_careercenter and select Show All Job Openings.