New York, New York
Seattle, Washington
Posted: 02-Feb-26
Location: Houston, Texas
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Preferred Education:
The Lower School Performing Arts Teacher is guided by Kinkaid’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) principle that “Kinkaid Arts provides comprehensive arts experiences and instruction through a student-centered curriculum that fosters collaboration, creativity, and problem solving.” The Lower School Performing Arts Teacher will create meaningful and engaging learning experiences in grades 1-4 that will help young artists discover more about themselves and others through performance.
The Kinkaid School seeks a dynamic, collaborative, and student-centered Lower School Performing Arts Teacher to join its Lower School faculty and specialist team starting in August 2026. This teacher must embrace and help advance the principles set out in Kinkaid’s mission and core values, Lower School Educational Philosophy, and Portrait of a Teacher. The Kinkaid School is a co-educational non-sectarian day school enrolling 1,500 students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Located on a sixty-five-acre campus in the heart of Houston, Texas, the school offers a thriving intellectual community in the midst of a vibrant, urban, diverse culture.
With an enrollment just above 400 students, the Lower School fosters a learning environment centered on innovation, creativity, and personal attention. Teachers in each grade work as a close-knit team to support each other and collaborate on curriculum development. Teachers are assisted by learning specialists in arts, sciences, reading, music and physical education and have access to generous resources including material and supplies, state of the art technology and regular professional development seminars, which occur both on and off campus.
Lower School Performing Arts instruction introduces foundational skills in theatre vocabulary, storytelling, movement, and stage design while cultivating imagination, confidence, and empathy. Students explore both verbal and nonverbal expression, developing communication, teamwork, and artistic awareness. The teacher collaborates across disciplines—integrating music, drama, and technology into history, language, art, and science—to deepen understanding and inspire creative problem solving. Through energy, focus, and professional artistry, the teacher models lifelong engagement in the arts and fosters a joyful, inclusive learning environment.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide daily instruction to a classroom of up to 16-18 students
- Develop confident, compassionate communicators who can think out loud, perform with presence, and work effectively in teams through drama, movement, and music elements
- Design an integrated performing arts program that builds oral communication, active listening, and collaborative problem-solving
- Provide opportunities for students to create, rehearse, and share short performances that blend voice, movement, and basic stagecraft
- Explicitly teach speaking skills and collaboration norms specifically for individual grade levels
- Introduce students to diverse theatrical and cultural traditions, encouraging empathy and appreciation for multiple perspectives
- Curate opportunities for informal performances such as Reader’s Theater, Poetry in Motion, Pantomime, or Movement Stories, designed to build ensemble and audience awareness
- Integrate music, rhythm, and technology tools (e.g., Promethean Boards, iPads, audiovisual aids) to support student expression and engagement
- Assess student progress through observation, reflection, and performance rubrics; communicate feedback effectively to students, families, and administrators
- Collaborate with homeroom and specialist teachers to connect performing arts with classroom themes and interdisciplinary projects
- Demonstrate interest in and commitment to being a full member of the community
- Participate actively in faculty meetings, committees, and school-wide events
- Fulfill before- and after-school duties as assigned and contribute to community traditions and celebrations
Competencies
- Strong experience in drama, theatre arts, movement, and/or dance education
- Proven success engaging children ages 6–10 through storytelling, movement, and improvisation
- Skilled at classroom management, fostering joy, and structure simultaneously
- Familiarity with developmental stages of elementary learners and differentiated instruction
- A passion for and experience with integrating technology into the curriculum to serve the needs of all learners
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplines and contribute to a cohesive school culture
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Passion for continuous professional growth and reflective practice
- Collegial, energetic, and compassionate
- Bachelor’s degree in education, Theatre Arts, Dance Education, Performing Arts, or related field. Master’s degree preferred
- Experience teaching or directing performances at the elementary level
- A minimum of four years of experience teaching elementary school, preferably at an independent school
The Kinkaid School provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law, The Kinkaid School complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
Submit all correspondence including your cover letter, resume, and application through The Kinkaid School application portal. Please no emails or phone calls to submit your candidacy or show interest.