High School Visual Arts Teacher (2024-2025)

About the School

Georgetown Day School opened its doors in 1945 as the first integrated school in a segregated city. Governed by a Board of Trustees elected by the parent body and administered by an appointed Head of School, it was founded by seven families who wanted to create a school committed not only to academic excellence and educational innovation but also to a value system emphasizing appreciation and respect for others. Believing that diversity was the ground out of which all deep and rich learning occurs, they established a school where all children would be welcome, celebrated, and challenged to be their best selves.

Today, the School's philosophy, programs, and position in the national educational landscape strongly reflect its roots. Having grown from 12 children in 1945 to 1075 students in PK-12 today, GDS is recognized as one of Washington, D.C.’s and the nation’s most dynamic educational institutions.

Since the school’s founding, GDS has called eight different locations home. In the fall of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools were all joined on one extraordinary campus.

About the Position

GDS is seeking a dynamic Upper School Art teacher to teach painting and drawing courses from foundation to upper-level courses. This individual should be fully versed in the elements of art, including line, shape, texture, form, space, color and value, mark making, and experienced in using various materials. This candidate should be well-versed in traditional and non-traditional painting and drawing methods, including observational art, conceptual art, and 2D design. Knowledge or experience in digital painting and drawing is a plus but not essential. The ability to work in different media is also important. This individual should have a strong knowledge of multicultural art history and the ability to incorporate it into the curriculum. A strong work ethic that includes meeting deadlines, the ability to inspire students, time management, organization skills, and classroom management is essential.

Location: On Campus

Start Date: August 19, 2024

Type of Opportunity: Full-time, salaried, exempt with benefits.

Primary Responsibilities

• Maintaining an instructional environment that balances providing formal instruction and giving students opportunities for free, creative expression

• Introducing High School students to a broad assortment of media and techniques

• Collaborate on curricular revision and development within the Drawing & Painting area to develop progressive and innovative content.

• Ability to teach fine art High School painting & drawing from foundation to upper level courses.

• Ability to teach fine art observation/analog skills in drawing and painting

• Digital drawing and painting skills are also a plus

• Maintain and supervise the operation of the painting and drawing studio

• Participate and supervise student artwork for exhibitions; including two major exhibitions: The Identity Show and The Spring Art Show. In addition, ongoing exhibits of student work occur throughout the year.

• Engage in inquiry-based pedagogy, including project-based learning and other experiential approaches

• Must be able to differentiate classroom instruction to address varied learning profiles

• Develop healthy, supportive relationships with students and their families

• Be comfortable with making decisions in the moment

• Include multicultural art history lessons embedded in the curriculum

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Advisory

• Participation on committees

• Attend faculty and department meetings

• Accomplishes all tasks as appropriate. Other duties outside this description may be assigned as necessary.

• Supervise and help manage 2 major art shows per year

Qualifications

Skills and Abilities

• Experience and knowledge in various painting and drawing materials, methods and genres.

• Personal practice in painting and drawing

• Ability to develop a strong sequential painting and drawing curriculum

• Knowledge of art studio maintenance and organization of materials.

• Authentic willingness to collaborate with colleagues

• Demonstrated commitment to teaching through equity and inclusion

• Confident in their teaching experience

• Able to meet students where they are

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Portfolio submission of applicant’s work and student artwork. Ten samples of the applicant’s artwork and ten of the student's artwork

Education and Experience

• Bachelor of Arts or Science degree in studio art or a related field is required

• An MFA or MA in painting and drawing is preferred, or a master's equivalent or significant professional experience in a related field.

• Prior teaching experience at the high school level or college is preferred

• Minimum of three years of experience teaching High School fine art painting and drawing courses, including observational skills and the proper use of materials and instruction in specific techniques, ensuring that all students gain a common frame of reference.
  
  

Americans with Disability Specifications

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and list of three references using our online application system through ADP/Workforce Now: http://www.gds.org/Recruiting. To find out more about the school, candidates should visit our website at www.gds.org.

As an inclusive school devoted to preparing our students to live, work, and lead in an increasingly globalized and multicultural society, GDS is particularly interested in professionals with demonstrated interest and experience in working in such a school setting and is driven by the core charge of working to enhance and bring joy to every student’s individual learning experience in equitable and meaningful ways.