Wolf Trap Teaching Artist

Position Summary:

This position will serve as a Teaching Artist for Omaha Wolf Trap, an early childhood initiative developed by Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, a program of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, in affiliation with Omaha Performing Arts (O-pa). Teaching Artists will facilitate arts-integration residencies in early childhood classrooms, participate in required training and professional development, and assist the Lead Teaching Artist with the execution of family involvement workshops and Artsplay™ classes with parents/caregivers and children ages 3-6.

The duties of an Omaha Wolf Trap Teaching Artist include, but are not limited to the following:

Classroom Residencies:

• Facilitate a minimum of two 16-session classroom residencies in Omaha Public Schools preschool classrooms during the 2024-2025 school year.
• Prepare residency sessions that include: orientation and planning meetings, participatory classroom sessions led by the Teaching Artist in partnership with the classroom teacher, and follow-up discussions between the Teaching Artist and the classroom teacher.
• Work with teachers to integrate the arts into preschool content areas with the goal of providing active learning experiences in the classroom that promote social emotional learning, early literacy and other key developmental skills.
• Devise a clear residency schedule in collaboration with participating classroom teachers.
• Create customized lesson plans for each residency, using a template provided by Omaha Wolf Trap.

Family Involvement Workshops:

• Observe a minimum of one 60-minute family involvement workshops during the 2024-2025 school year.
• Assist the Lead Teaching Artist as needed during workshop observation with the goal of providing participants (children ages 3-6 and their families/caregivers) with interactive arts-integrated activities that can be used at home.

Artsplay™ Family Class Series:

• Observe a minimum of one 45-min. Artsplay™ family class in Spring of 2025.
• Oversee participant check-in.
• Assist the Lead Teaching Artist as needed during class observation with the goal of providing participants (children ages 3-6 and their families/caregivers) with interactive arts experiences that enhance learning through music, movement and drama.

Training & Professional Development:

• Attend mandatory training led by Wolf Trap Institute Master Teaching Artists, scheduled all day on Monday, September 30, 2024 – Friday, October 4, 2024 (dates subject to change) at the Holland Center.
• Participate in a minimum of two professional development sessions during the 2024-2025 school year focusing on best practices in early childhood classrooms, teaching artistry and/or arts integration (sessions may be virtual or in-person).

General:

• Show respect for all students, teachers, and administrators participating in the Omaha Wolf Trap program, and offer a superior level of professionalism, customer service, and positivity.
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of the elements, forms, processes and skills of specified art discipline(s).
• Maintain regular communication with O-pa staff and Omaha Wolf Trap Lead Teaching Artist as needed.
• Understand that any/all scheduled Omaha Wolf Trap activities are subject to change, and that O-pa will make best efforts to schedule activities at mutually agreeable dates/times/locations.
• Maintain safe environment for participants’ physical and emotional well-being.
• This teaching artist will work during school hours with occasional evenings and weekends.

Experience, Education and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a performing arts related field or equivalent experience.
• Experience as a professional artist and/or teaching artist in a performing arts discipline such as dance, music, drama, puppetry, and/or storytelling.
• Experience working in an educational setting with early childhood students, teachers and families is a plus.
• Ability to articulate the creative process in or through specified art discipline(s).
• Desire and ability to reflect on and assess methods of artistic practice.
• Demonstration of cultural competence and respect for individuals of all cultures, backgrounds, and belief systems.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Excellent collaborative skills; ability to foster teamwork.
• Be employed according to the standards and procedures set forth in the program agreement (including satisfying all requisite background checks, etc.).
• Punctual, highly organized, and detail-oriented self-starter with excellent time-management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Proficient in MS Office Products (Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet) and digital communication (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, etc.).
• Must be able to travel to school sites; ability to travel within a 100-mile radius of Omaha, NE a plus.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions:

• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds.
• Required to sit, stand, and move about for extended periods of time.
• Ability to withstand moderate to loud noise level at public events.