DREAMYARD TEACHING ARTIST: DANCE & MUSIC/MUSIC PRODUCTION

Dreamyard Project, Inc.•New York, NY

3d•$2,400 - $5,900•Onsite

About The Position

DreamYard is currently accepting applications for Dance & Music/Music Production Teaching Artists for the 2021-2022 school year. We are looking for passionate, experienced Dance & Music/Production TAs with a strong interest in social justice and racial equity art education for in-school and after-school residency opportunities at our Bronx partner schools. TAs must have demonstrated previous experience teaching Visual Art, ideally in NYC public school settings. DreamYard Project is committed to being an anti-racist organization. We lead with race because we operate in a country founded on the genocide of Indigenous people, the enslavement of African people, and the oppression of countless others. We acknowledge the role this history plays in perpetuating inequity and dominant white culture. We are intentionally building a path toward racial equity by: Challenging oppression and its intersections. Using art and education as a platform to offer a hopeful vision of the future. Identifying and uplifting the power and cultural assets that exist within our community of educators, artists, dreamers, young people and life-long learners. Encouraging the principles of justice, unity, equity, creativity, and joy. Transforming policies, procedures, practices, and programs (for example: striving for transparency and equity in pay and compensation structures regardless of race, culture, gender, ethnicity, creed, etc). Understanding our staff, community members and partners are at different levels on the anti-racist continuum and embracing that we all have a place in this work. As a DreamYard employee, we invite you to join us on this journey. Co-Executive directors Jason Duchin and Tim Lord founded DreamYard in 1994. Over the past quarter century, DreamYard has worked with more than 100 public schools and over 100,000 young people and families.DreamYard has developed a robust educational community in the Bronx – from its in-school partnerships and launch of the DreamYard Preparatory High School to its Out of School Programs at the DreamYard Art Center in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx. Our role is to nurture, resource, encourage, inspire, and sometimes simply remind our community members of the power and endless possibilities that they hold. We do so by encouraging personal stories, acknowledging and working to change oppressive conditions, and fortifying each individual’s personal power to transform. DreamYard’s Teaching Artists are a powerful force in moving our educational system towards racial equity. DreamYard Teaching Artists are highly skilled artists and educators, committed to creating equitable learning spaces through collaborative teaching practices and social justice pedagogy. They report directly to the Program Director and are supported by DreamYard Department Heads and Program Coordinators. They work closely with classroom teachers, school administrators, and teaching artists to positively impact school communities. In after school programs, Teaching Artists lead two 90-minute session per class, per week from September/October through May/June (depending on residency length and start date.) In school programs involve one 90-minute or 45 minute session per class, per week plus weekly planning sessions with the classroom teacher from September through May, to teach the fundamentals of the art form as well as integrate with other curricular areas.

Requirements

Expertise in an arts discipline exhibited through an educational degree and/or professional accomplishment (published writing, exhibited artwork, performance experience etc.).
Minimum two years full-time (or the equivalent, e.g. 4 years part time) teaching an arts discipline in a school and/or community-based setting. Teaching experience in NYC public schools preferred.
Bachelor's degree and/or Masters degree in arts discipline or related area.
Department of Education fingerprinting (PETS) will be required (cost partially covered by DreamYard).

Nice To Haves

Bronx based and Spanish-speaking applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Teach in-school and/or after schools not to exceed 18 weekly hours of direct instruction and 9 hours of weekly planning meetings with classroom teachers;
Provide instruction in the arts (development of skills in arts disciplines consistent with NYC Blueprint) and through the arts (the achievement of academic goals as outlined in a school’s curriculum) by: Teaching and planning for 2-8 in-schools per week and/or possibly as many as 4 after schools per week; Developing long term project-based unit designs in collaboration with classroom teachers; Assessing student learning based on learning goals and objectives; Organizing at least 2 sharings of student work with teaching partners and TA colleagues at the school.
Work in close collaboration with classroom teacher partners to: Plan lessons and projects during one in person 45-minute planning session per week (and via email and phone as well, when necessary); Share skills with the teacher to build capacity for arts instruction at the school; Co-teach lessons in which both TA and teacher partner have clear roles and responsibilities for generating student learning; Coordinate at least one trip to a NYC cultural institution and/or one guest artist per class with a connection to learning in the classroom.
Complete Curriculum maps and student rosters and document all project plans using DreamYard templates and planning tools;
Collecting portfolios of student work for each class through photos, videos, and class artifacts.
Participating in DreamYard’s annual Teaching Artist retreat;
Participating in a total of 40 hours of DreamYard TA professional development;
Actively pursuing individualized professional development through coaching;
Actively contributing to the professional development of the TA staff by sharing expertise and knowledge both formally and informally (e.g. leading a department meeting).
Collaborating with community, school and/or DreamYard staff on identifying and preparing student work for public events including but not limited to: school and regional arts festivals, annual DreamYard showcases (DreamFest ) and DreamYard fundraising events. TAs are expected to participate in one or more of these events a year.
Collaborate when necessary with Development and Administrative staff on gathering information necessary to communicate DreamYard’s work to funders and the larger arts and education communities