Teacher Teaching Artist
Job Description
Position Summary:
Girl Be Heard seeks Teaching Artists for its after-school girl empowerment theater programs in New York City’s public middle and high schools. Each Teaching Artist will work with a co-TA to create a safe space and bring together a strong ensemble of students using Girl Be Heard’s listening model. Teaching Artists will give participants a foundation in writing and performance-based storytelling, and cultivate an understanding of social justice and issues affecting women and girls around the world. They will also lead participants through the creative process of writing and performing an original show, which will be performed by the students in a professional theater at the end of the year.
Ideal candidates will have a strong background in planning and leading theatre-based education, and must be passionate about developing girls’/gender non-conforming voices. We particularly seek strong writers and editors. All Teaching Artists will be trained throughout the year.
Teaching Artists will be hired for the length of the school year (September-June) to work at one or more of our partnering campuses. Programs meet weekly for 2 hours each. In addition to the weekly workshops with students, teaching artists will be expected to attend Teaching Artist Training in September, mid-year training in January and all regularly scheduled TA meetings.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a positive, engaging role model for a diverse group of young people as they explore personal identity and global issues through theater.
- Create a safe space for youth to share and grow.
- Learn the Girl Be Heard curricula and plan lessons to serve the group(s) you are working with that meet the goals of the curricula.
- Utilize your background (performing arts, visual arts, writing) to create adaptable lesson plans and special projects/activities for students.
- Complete all required paperwork in a timely manner to support programming, administration, and monitoring and evaluation, including weekly session reports.
- Maintain communication with school officials and foster a deeper relationship with the school community as a whole.
- Support the organization at fundraisers, cultivation events, and other outreach opportunities.
- Attend all required trainings.
- Participate in all TA meetings.
Qualifications:
- Experience in creating lesson plans and/or curriculum writing, facilitating a variety of hands-on, interactive workshops with diverse populations, i.e., students with disabilities, English Language Learners, different socioeconomic backgrounds, etc.
- A demonstrated artistic practice in theatre and/or writing for performance.
- Availability for all scheduled sessions, training, and meetings.
- An understanding of dismantling racism and trauma-informed care is essential.
- Strong organization and administrative skills. Applicants must have ability to work with minimal supervision, be highly detail-oriented, diligent, able to adapt easily to change, and able to work in a high-paced environment.
- Ability to reach all students based on an understanding of diverse developmental levels.
- Proven experience with effective classroom management strategies.
- Ability to plan with others and articulate goals and objectives.
- Ability to communicate and work collaboratively with site contacts.
- 4 years of equivalent relevant work experience preferred, in the areas of Education and/or the Arts or Bachelor’s degree.
- Demonstrated commitment to an understanding of issues of social justice and girls’ empowerment.
- Willingness to engage with participants above and beyond time spent in workshops.
- Strong knowledge of, or experience with, the NYC public school system.
- Experience with playwriting, devising, editing, and/or dramaturgical work preferred.
Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, but priority will be given to those received by July 15st.
Compensation: Part‐time, commensurate with experience.
About Us:
Girl Be Heard’s mission is to develop, amplify, and celebrate the voices of young women through socially conscious theatre-making. We bring global issues affecting girls center stage by creating cutting-edge, cause-related theatre – inspired, written and performed by youth (12-21) — that is thought-provoking and actionable. Our shows give voice to issues that girls care about most (such as bullying, body image, and self harm). Our company also takes on global issues affecting girls worldwide such as sex trafficking, forced child marriage, and gender-based violence; and regularly performs our acclaimed shows at the United Nations, TED conferences, and The White House.
Girl Be Heard’s education curriculum encourages young people to think critically about social justice, challenge stereotypes, foster friendships, and build tools for bringing about positive change in their communities. Our programs are housed in 12 sites in NYC (10 Title schools and two community-based programs). We also launched the first after-school program abroad in Trinidad and Tobago in 2017.
Work Environment:
Girl Be Heard is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender identity or expression, color, national origin, ability, ethnicity, sex, ancestry, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief. Girl Be Heard seeks a broad spectrum of employees and is strongly committed to a diverse and equitable work environment. People of all backgrounds, abilities, gender expressions, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, religions, and nationalities are strongly encouraged to apply. Girl Be Heard’s main office is located in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn. Our offices are air-conditioned and located in wheelchair accessible buildings.
