Job Title: Lower School Art Teacher

Reports To:  Head of Lower School

FLSA Status:  Exempt

Department:  Faculty

Division:  Lower School

The Alexander Dawson School
Located in the Summerlin community of Las Vegas, Nevada, The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain is a top-ranked independent school guiding students from Early Childhood through grade eight. Our student-centered program is committed to modern learning and design-driven innovation, championing the collaboration of emerging technologies and teaching techniques. We equally prioritize a program rooted in our Core Values in support of the physical safety, mental health and wellness, and balanced living of our students as the foundation for lifelong success and happiness. At the very heart of the Dawson experience is the strong connection between the adults on campus and our students. This collaboration fosters an authentic community and caring learning environment committed to helping our young learners become compassionate, empathetic, and globally focused individuals.

 Lower School Program (Grades K-4)
Guided by the Mission of the School and driven by Alexander Dawson’s strategic plan, the Alexander Dawson Lower School is a place of joyful learning. The Lower School faculty are caring, creative, and knowledgeable teachers who are passionate about whole-child education. As a modern learning institute and a Challenge Success school, Dawson teachers create lessons and learning environments that balance the intersection of academic knowledge, competency skills, and habits of mind. Remaining current on best practices related to competency-based education and Project-based Learning is a top priority for all Dawson faculty. Lower School teachers, students, and families value the strong sense of community and the personalized learning experiences the School provides through its literacy, math, social studies, world languages, science, art, music, health & fitness, design lab, library, and SEL curriculum. The Lower School culture places emphasis on team dynamics and an ongoing commitment to learning from others. The Lower School program is proud to be accredited by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS).

 Culture & Atmosphere
The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain seeks a full-time Lower School teacher for the 2022-2023 school year. Working closely with other members of the grade-level team, this educator is responsible for designing a curriculum and creating an environment in which each student feels an integral part of the school community. This teacher is responsible for implementing programs such as Everyday Mathematics, Being a Reader, and Being a Writer. In addition to teaching, the educator will communicate regularly and proactively with students, families, and colleagues, as well as contribute positively to the overall school culture while fulfilling duties as assigned (recess and lunch supervision, etc.) and serving on school committees as requested or desired. Finally, Dawson is looking for a dynamic Lower School teacher who loves primary and intermediate age groups and can inspire our learners to think critically and creatively, question with a deep curiosity about the world, and exude joy for savoring life.

TASK Framework for a Dawson Employee: The Alexander Dawson School seeks individuals who consistently demonstrate the following professional qualities and characteristics:

Teamwork: Each of our employees has different lived experiences and identities, and as a learning institution, we are respectful, adaptable, collaborative, and willing to listen to diverse perspectives.

Adaptive: We exhibit a nimble mindset that is reactive and responsive to a changing world, changing educational landscape, and changing student needs.

Success: We demonstrate a strong work ethic and thoughtful dedication to the School and our students. We are committed to investing the time and effort required to collectively work together to get the job done.

Knowledge: We have a natural passion for learning and ongoing growth and development. We are solutions-focused and forward-thinking, and we model flexibility and cooperation for our colleagues and students.

Position Summary: 

The art teacher is responsible for implementing an innovative curriculum emphasizing exploration, experimentation, and creativity in kindergarten through fourth grade. The Lower School art program exposes students to great works of visual expression from many cultures. Working collaboratively with a team of educational professionals, the art teacher demonstrates a strong commitment to the School’s Vision of teaching our graduates to be ready to achieve their individual potential, savor life, and meet the challenges of the world.

This full-time,10-month position begins on August 1, 2025. The successful candidate is required to attend a new faculty onboarding program from July 22-24, 2025.

Essential Functions:

The essential duties and responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to:

• Contribute to the development of a comprehensive and innovative Lower School art program.
• Develop student interest and appreciation for creative expression through visual arts.
• Build confidence and joy in art in every student
• Showcase student artwork around the campus, partner with local community organizations to highlight student artwork in competitions, and connect with local organizations to exhibit final pieces of student artwork
• Prepare and execute thoughtful, relevant units of study designed to address different learning styles
• Maintain a safe and engaging learning environment where students give one another feedback in both a respectful and helpful way
• Consistently communicate with colleagues, administrators, and families about student work, classroom projects, and/or behavior concerns.
• Collaborate with colleagues on cross-curricular projects and units of study
• Use appropriate techniques to encourage active participation
• Promote problem-solving, cooperative learning, and conflict-resolution strategies
• Structure lessons that encourage risk-taking in learning and model life-long learning
• Develop and maintain long-range and daily instructional plans
• Maintain records for progress reports and behavior documentation

Role Overview & Responsibilities

Learning Environment

• Support and value social-emotional learning
• Create a student-centered, print-rich, and intentional classroom environment
• Redirect students by maintaining mutual respect and dignity
• Interact with students by making genuine connections and demonstrating warmth, care, and respect
• Convey high expectations for student achievement through visible instructional goals, learning activities, and interactions
• Maintain a safe and organized learning environment where student voice and ownership are encouraged and valued
• Establish effective classroom routines and maximize instructional times
• Involve students in the development of classroom norms
• Exhibit the philosophy that process has as much value as product
• Demonstrate an awareness and be responsive to student needs and behavior; employ a relational discipline approach

Planning and Instruction

• Use high-impact strategies rooted in Dawson’s Core Values that effectively engage students
• Ask questions that require higher-order thinking
• Communicate focus and purpose of lessons with students in written and/or oral form
• Present activities in a logical and meaningful order
• Exhibit student work in the process of development and final product
• Engage students in the development of learning outcomes
• Provide feedback and coaching to students that are timely, specific, realistic, and relevant, and encourage goal-setting
• Modify lessons based on student needs
• Utilize multiple grouping strategies such as a balance of individual, small-group, and whole-class activities in teaching and planning
• Provide opportunities for the application and transfer of students’ knowledge and skills
• Use technology to create student experiences that have transformative impacts on learning (SAMR)
• Design authentic assessments and performance tasks to measure student learning
• Use data to make informed curricular and instructional decisions

Professional Responsibilities

• Attend and actively engage in divisional and school-wide meetings
• Participate in dedicated, weekly grade-level planning and collaboration
• Critically reflect on teaching and learning and engage in the School’s professional development opportunities
• Embrace cultural competency and commit to ongoing growth in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Maintain an effective system for recording student progress where outcomes are continually monitored and assessed
• Maintain positive and caring relationships with families, communicate regularly about student progress, and is responsive to concerns
• Provide families with an ongoing window into the student experience and growth process

Qualifications:

• Four-year degree and three years of experience teaching art with an accredited school
• Nevada teaching certificate is preferred

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

About The Alexander Dawson School

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain is a coed, preschool to eighth-grade independent school located in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas, Nevada. Close to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and about twenty minutes from downtown Las Vegas, Dawson's Mission, Vision, Diversity Statement, and Core Beliefs are a reflection of the beautiful environment it calls home. A Stanford University Challenge Success School, Dawson has emerged as a beacon school where student voice is the fabric of the culture. Apply today: https://www.adsrm.org/about-dawson/employment

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