Career Center

Hawken School seeks teachers comfortable taking risks and embracing a growth mindset. Our faculty members are constantly looking for new ways to inspire student curiosity while remaining dedicated to nurturing compassion and kindness in our students. We are committed to using time differently and want faculty members to expand their definition of a classroom. This means designing learning experiences for students that deepen their learning, engaging their emotions as well as their intellects. 

We desire culturally competent candidates who clearly appreciate a community of teachers and learners from diverse backgrounds and perspectives and are committed to equity and social justice. If you are a teacher who is committed to the ideals of progressive education and inspired by this description of our community, we encourage you to read on to learn more about this position and our school.  

THE POSITION 

Hawken School is seeking a full time Spanish teacher for the 2023-2024 school year. At Hawken, we teach 6 levels of Spanish (including advanced cultural and literature courses).  The school also offers 3-week Intensive courses twice a year in which students engage hands-on, deep dives into topics both in Northeast Ohio and abroad, including sites in Nicaragua, Chile, Spain, and Cuba.  The ideal candidate will be comfortable teaching in an immersive,  proficiency-oriented classroom and excited to co-design interdisciplinary learning opportunities with students and colleagues.

The essential duties/responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Teach 4-5 sections of Spanish, ranging from level 1 – level 5, with the option to teach an advanced literature course.
• Actively participate in re-envisioning curricula along with other members of the Modern and Classical Languages Department.
• Plan, organize and lead student groups on educational exchange or service-learning trips in the Spanish-speaking parts of the world (candidate must be able and willing to travel every 2-3 years).
• Assist with planning for exchange groups from Spanish-speaking countries.
• Be available on a regular basis for offering extra help in subject areas of expertise
• Engage meaningfully in extracurricular activities in and out of the department.
• Advise a group of 8-10 students, overseeing their academic and social growth
• Utilize feedback-based assessment
• Perform other non-teaching duties as assigned by the Upper School director or head of school

Because Hawken believes in supporting teachers’ passions, in deepening their expertise, and in fueling their spirit of innovation, we provide substantive professional development opportunities that lead to the kinds of excellence that are a hallmark of our community.

QUALIFICATIONS

• An undergraduate degree in Spanish or similar degree. An advanced degree with at least three years of experience are preferred.
• Native or near-native fluency in Spanish is required.
• Joyful enthusiasm, flexibility, good humor, and a team spirit necessary for curricular collaboration and innovation
• A deep understanding of adolescence and a passion for working with teenagers as they engage the complex issues of today’s world
• Familiarity with diverse ways of engaging students over a range of learning styles enhanced by a desire to try new approaches
• A passion for creatively designing unique programing within our department and across disciplines to support curriculum that encompasses interdisciplinary approaches, multicultural perspectives, and experiential opportunities in and out of the classroom
• A continuous commitment to improve teaching proficiency, particularly with technology as applied to best practices in education

THE SCHOOL

Founded on the ideal that “the better self shall prevail and each generation introduce its successor to a higher plane of life,” Hawken School is a coeducational independent day school with 1,550 students from toddler through grade 12. Our four campuses are located within 25 minutes of downtown Cleveland, with  two campuses in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, a campus on Cleveland’s west side, and a campus in University Circle, home to the Mastery School of Hawken and also our school-wide center for experiential and service learning . A nationally recognized leader in innovative programming, Hawken prepares students to meet the challenges of tomorrow's world.

This position is for our Upper School, located in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland and situated on over 300 acres featuring sprawling lawns, wooded trails, and both modern and historic buildings. To execute the school’s forward-focused missions, Stirn Hall - Hawken’s state-of-the-art academic building - offers expansive classroom space and common spaces, fabrication and media labs, a science wing, a learning commons, a writing center, and more. The adjacent building known as the White House serves as the primary dining facility at Hawken’s Gates Mills campus and is a stunning reminder of Hawken’s historic charm.

The Gates Mills campus also features an expansive athletic complex that includes two gymnasiums, one of the best competitive swimming pools in Ohio, a weight room, and a wrestling room. Surrounding grounds include eight tennis courts, a stadium, a track, artificial turf fields, and a high and low ropes course with 15 separate challenges.

To learn more about us, visit www.hawken.edu.

INTERESTED

Please send a resume, references, and a cover letter to:  upperschoolemployment@hawken.edu

Hawken School is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to promoting all forms of diversity in the workplace and in our student body. We strongly urge all qualified individuals to apply.

About Hawken School

Hawken School is committed to doing school differently and better. This means developing an inclusive and accepting community where adults feel empowered to design educational experiences for students that deepen their learning, engaging their emotions as well as their intellects. Hawken School seeks culturally competent teachers who are committed to equity and social justice, comfortable taking risks, and who embrace a growth mindset. Our faculty members are constantly looking for new ways to inspire student curiosity while remaining dedicated to nurturing compassion and kindness in our students. Successful candidates for any role at Hawken School must demonstrate skill and commitment in all the following key areas: Mission, Culture, and Philosophy Alignment: Candidates must show they can thrive at Hawken and are highly motivated by the school’s mission. Fair Play /Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice: Candidates must indicate a commitment to and have experience with serving students and communities equitably. Relationship Building and Cultivation: Candidates must show they can build relationships throughout the Hawken community. Content Knowledge: Candidates must ...demonstrate that they can lead and guide colleagues and/students to depth in their work. Humility and Growth Mindset: Candidates must be eager to learn new approaches and methods and be able to team effectively with others. Approach to Work: Candidates must show initiative and agency with a commitment toward feedback and flexible problem solving.

Show more

Show less

Connections working at Hawken School