Humanities Teacher

West Sound Academy is seeking an innovative and engaging Humanities teacher for the 2024-25 school year. Depending on the candidate’s needs and skills this could be a full-time or part-time position. The ideal candidate will have experience teaching middle and high school humanities, preferably in an International Baccalaureate school, and a demonstrated passion for teaching students in a program that emphasizes writing, critical thinking, and analysis.

Who we are:

West Sound Academy is an independent school for grades 6-12 built to inspire students to embark on a learning journey that ignites their curiosity and encourages them to make their own unique impact in the world. Located in the heart of Kitsap County, on a rural 20-acre campus, the school offers a hands-on and creative curriculum with small class sizes that attracts students from all around the globe to learn and grow together. 

Our curriculum at each grade level is aligned with the International Baccalaureate (IB) program which aims to provide an education that crosses disciplinary, cultural, national, and geographical boundaries and that champions critical engagement, stimulating ideas, and meaningful relationships.

Through deep engagement and inquiry, our students gain the skills and dispositions needed to make sense of the world around them and take responsible action for the future. We know that learning is a journey, not a formula to be followed. With this as one of our foundations, we strive to create educational experiences that support each student. Rather than teaching students how to recite facts and adhere to formulaic standards of academic achievement, we strive to teach students to think critically and leverage their knowledge to excel in college and anywhere else life takes them next.

Job Summary:

This position includes teaching middle and upper school Humanities with a focus on preparing students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program by scaffolding the skills necessary to become confident and caring researchers and writers and knowledgeable and courageous leaders of discussion. Ideally, students learn to recognize the many ways of knowing throughout the humanities and develop strong critical thinking and analysis skills. All students take IB Diploma courses in 11th and 12th grade. Our current curriculum offers IB English Language and Literature and IB History of Europe at the Higher Level.  

West Sound Academy faculty members are committed to employing best practices in Humanities pedagogy and are passionate about educating students and enhancing student life. We are a team of collaborative, supportive educators committed to teaching students to ignite their ability to think critically and engage with the world around them. We strive to create an academic environment that prioritizes the whole of who our students are as humans and brings community, connection, and student wellness to the forefront.

This position will join a faculty and administration of 18 and will report to the Head of School. 

Specific Responsibilities:

• Classroom instruction of the assigned subject matter(s) in a rotating block schedule, emphasizing the utilization of varied pedagogies to facilitate deep learning, instilling good student skills, and building understanding, autonomy, and inquiry as the students grow into young adults
• Working closely with the other humanities teachers, Head of School, and Curriculum Committee to further curriculum and programming
• Active collaboration with other faculty 
• Fostering and strengthening school-community connections by maintaining open communication with all of the school’s constituencies
• Serving as a co-advisor to students with once-per-week group advisory meetings
• Supporting student-led clubs which vary from year to year depending on student interest
• Development and implementation of a three-week June Term course of focused study based on the teacher’s interests and experience for multi-age groups of middle and upper school students
• Active participation in the life of the school community
• Attending department and faculty meetings and evening events as requested

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field
• Recent successful teaching experience in a Middle or Upper School environment especially in an IB environment
• Strong verbal, written, and digital communication skills
• Ability to effectively collaborate and work as a team with administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and students
• Experience creating an equitable, student-centered learning environment
• Strong organizational skills and facility with computers
• Flexible, a team player, and willing to step in as needs arise

Schedule

Classes meet on a rotating block for 90 minutes every other day. The schedule has the potential to change year over year. There is no guarantee of employment or equivalent FTE year over year.

The salary range for 1.0 FTE for this position is $48,500 to $57,000. Medical, Vision, and Dental benefits are available to 1.0 FTE employees. West Sound Academy is an equal opportunity employer. To apply, please send a letter of interest, résumé, and three references to hr@westsoundacademy.org.

West Sound Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual preference, gender identity, or any other protected classification under State, Federal, or Local Law in the administration of its hiring practices, educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship, loan programs, and athletic or any other school-administered program.