The mission of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation is “Changing lives through the transformative power

of art.” The Idyllwild Arts Academy provides pre-professional training in the arts and a

comprehensive college preparatory curriculum to a diverse student body of gifted young artists

from all over the world. The Idyllwild Arts Summer Program provides arts instruction and

experiences of the highest caliber to a diverse student population of all ages and abilities.

Idyllwild is a small town located at over 5,000 feet on the western slopes of California's San

Jacinto Mountains. Even though it seems far from the hustle and bustle of city life, the town and

campus frequently hosts music festivals, prominent speakers and artists, and community events. Los Angeles and San Diego are only two hours by car.

Job Summary: 

Idyllwild Arts Academy welcomes experienced ELL (English Language Learning) instructors to teach classes to prepare students for higher-level educational institutions in the United States and abroad. Idyllwild Arts Academy students are young artists who join our community to train for a life and career in the arts. Students are taught to be critical, creative thinkers and to make a positive impact as artists in their local communities and the world.  

Idyllwild Arts Academy offers ELL students a comprehensive language and cultural immersion program and curriculum ranging from beginning to advanced (A1-C2) levels, with students in completely mainstream classes by their 12th grade year. The ELL courses span a range of grammar, rhetoric, literature, and Social Science/History. Students at the Academy thrive in creative classroom environments with teachers who understand and embrace working with young artists. The ideal candidate will have success and experience teaching English and history courses to non-native speakers. The successful candidate will pay close attention to texts and sources of information in various types of media with a DEIB lens and historically marginalized viewpoints, while strengthening skills in while strengthening skills in vocabulary, writing, literary analysis, oral and written communication; sustained reading; historical research, evidence, and point of view; historical interpretation and analysis; and digital literacy. 

Candidates need to be able to teach a variety of ELL classes for grades 9-12. The full-time teaching load is five sections. Special consideration will be given to candidates with teaching experience and expertise in bothEnglish and Social Studies/History, as well as candidates with teaching experience and expertise in other world languages, especially Spanish.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Curriculum Development:

• Plan and develop a comprehensive and engaging ELL curriculum.
• Create lesson plans that align with educational standards and objectives.

Language Instruction:

• Teach English language skills to ELL students, including speaking, listening, reading, writing, and literary analysis.
• Teach Social Science/History courses to ELL students, at the appropriate level for their language ability.
• Utilize a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate different learning styles.

Cultural Education:

• Integrate cultural components into lessons to provide students with a broader understanding of cultures which use the target languages.

Assessment and Evaluation:

• Assess and evaluate students' language proficiency through a variety of methods, including assignments, exams, and projects.
• Provide constructive and regular feedback to students and parents regarding progress.

Classroom Management:

• Establish and maintain a positive and inclusive classroom environment.
• Effectively manage student behavior and create a conducive learning atmosphere.

Technology Integration:

• Incorporate technology and multimedia resources to enhance language learning experiences.
• Use online platforms and tools for communication and assignments.
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn school information technology systems, including the Google Education Suite, Blackbaud, and other systems as applicable.

Collaboration:

• Work as an effective team member with colleagues both inside and outside of the department.
• Collaborate with other faculty and staff to integrate language curriculum into interdisciplinary projects.
• Attend faculty, department, all-school, and employee meetings and trainings as required.

Professional Development:

• Stay current with advancements in language education, teaching methodologies, and technology.
• Attend workshops, conferences, and training sessions to enhance teaching skills.

Extracurricular Activities:

• Organize or participate in extracurricular activities related to English language and culture, such as language clubs, language roundtables at lunch, field trips, and/or cultural events.

Advisory:

• All full-time faculty serve as an Advisor to a group of 5-6 students, providing general oversight of their well-being, scholastic and artistic progress, communicating regularly with their families with how their advisees are progressing. This includes meeting weekly with advisees during assigned advisory blocks and all-school meetings, as well as additional events throughout the year. Advisors are expected to attend their advisees’ performances, shows, gallery openings, and other culminating events.

Ancillary Duties:

• Various duties related to student supervision (dances, social events, school trips) and clubs are required.

Additional duties

• Additional duties as assigned by the Head of School or Department Chair. 

Required Education, Skills and Experience:

• Position requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in English language and/or literature, Education, Applied Linguistics, TESOL, TEFL, ESOL, or ESL; Bachelor’s and/or Master’s in other fields acceptable if the incumbent has had TESOL certification or equivalent.

• Fluency in English. 

• Strong and relevant experience in ELL instruction at the high school level. College level teaching experience is also welcomed. 

• Ability to use a wide range of course material and books, both written and electronic.

• Ability to diversify activities: dialogue, role playing, group activities, formal exercises, and questions that promote critical thinking. 

• Ability to implement a holistic approach to teaching that integrates reading, writing, speaking, and listening. 

• Leads with empathy.

• Respects the guidelines and goals of the department. 

• Ability to implement a holistic approach to teaching.

• Sensitive to cultural, gender, and economic diversity.
• Demonstrated commitment to DEIB as it relates to Humanities curriculum and instruction, particularly with teaching English Language Learners. 
• Strong interest in arts education and integrating arts into the curriculum. 

• Enthusiasm for the education of adolescents and the unique challenges they experience.

• Life experiences in travel, living and/or teaching abroad.
• Additional language fluency strongly appreciated, especially Spanish, Mandarin, and/or Korean.
• Modest campus-owned housing may be available in exchange for dorm parenting, depending on school needs and availability of such position. If interested, candidates with dorm parenting and/or other relevant residential life experience will be given additional consideration. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Ability and desire to work within the Idyllwild community.
• Obtain and maintain a valid California Driver License, pass a criminal history background check as required by California Education Code Section 44237. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENTS

While performing the duties of this position, an incumbent may be required to:

• Regularly remain sedentary for long periods of time in meetings and while processing information and paper work both manually and on a computer.
• Reach with the hands and arms and use of hands to finger, type, and manipulate a computer keyboard and mouse.
• Additionally, the incumbent must be able to converse in clear English, both written and orally, over the telephone and in person.
• Be able to make public presentations.
• Occasionally, the incumbent may be required to lift up to 25 pounds, traverse uneven terrain, climb stairs while moving about campus, bend and stoop, conduct tours, and show visitors campus facilities.
• Provide their transportation for local and remote events.
• Work hours vary and may include days, nights, and weekends.

Reasonable accommodation will be considered to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

To apply

Please use the following link to submit your application, resume, and cover letter.

About Idyllwild Arts Academy

Idyllwild Arts is a co-ed boarding and day school for 275 students in grades 9-12. The Summer Program, founded in 1950, is an eight-week program that brings more than nearly 2,000 children, teens, and adults to Idyllwild each summer. The Academy was established in1986 to extend the Summer Program's commitment to the arts through the only boarding high school for the arts on the west coast. The school has developed into an exceptional high school for pre-professional training in the arts combined with high academic standards and a residential life curriculum.Idyllwild graduates attend the top colleges and universities in the United States and abroad, and the very best conservatories and art schools, such as Julliard, Curtis, New England Conservatory of Music, and the Rhode Island School of Design. Many have established celebrated careers as artists. The arts disciplines include dance, music, visual arts, theatre, moving pictures and creative writing. Students may major in any one discipline or combine their interests in an interdisciplinary arts major.

Connections working at Idyllwild Arts Academy