Job Title: Performing Arts Teacher (Orchestra & Music Technology)

Reports To: Head of Middle School

FLSA Status: Exempt

Department: Middle School

Schedule: Ten months

Alexander Dawson School Overview:
Located in the Summerlin community of Las Vegas, Nevada, since 2000, The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain is a top-ranked independent school serving approximately 575 students from Early Childhood through grade eight. As the state's first Stanford University Challenge Success partner school, Dawson embraces a modern learning philosophy and student-centered educational program that emphasizes academics, creativity, student safety and wellbeing, and a healthy school-life balance. Our graduates are prepared to achieve their individual potential, savor life, and meet the challenges of the world. 

Alexander Dawson Middle School
Guided by the Mission of the School and driven by Alexander Dawson’s strategic plan, grades 5-8 of the Middle School are a time for inquiry and self-discovery. This experience allows for risk-taking and the pursuit of deeper intellectual challenges, and Dawson students are prepared to take on such challenges with the support of master teachers who provide individual attention, promote the freedom to be curious, and empower every student to find their passions and voice. Learning and growth take place in every corner of the Middle School, from the accessibility of conversations with advisors, teachers, administrators, and coaches to the strength of a community that fully believes and invests in each child. Teachers create lessons and learning environments that balance the intersection of academic knowledge, competency skills, and habits of mind. 

Shared Values & Competencies of Dawson Employees

Alexander Dawson educators are engaged and innovative academic leaders committed to modern learning. Those who see opportunities before problems, lead with questions, assume positive intentions, are professional and respectful in their relationships, and collaborate effectively with colleagues of varied backgrounds find success in this working environment. Additionally, this position seeks individuals who:

• Commit to shaping a just, inclusive community and understand how centering equity impacts all aspects of the job
• Adapt a nimble mindset when dealing with frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events
• Act with intentionality, transparency, humility, and honesty
• Develop solutions when faced with problems, challenges, or dysfunctions and make decisions with resolve and empathy
• Communicate with care and clarity with multiple stakeholder groups
• Build trusting relationships and demonstrate teamwork through attentive listening and a commitment to collaboration
• Believe they can learn from others and lead with questions to gain perspective
• Act ethically, morally, and legally to maintain compliance with organizational policies 
• In addition to resourcefulness and adaptability, effective problem-solving fundamentals include a respect for differences and a willingness to brainstorm with others to reach creative solutions
  
  

Position Summary:

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain seeks a well-rounded, full-time performing arts teacher for the 2025-2026 school year. This is an exciting opportunity for a dedicated music professional to become part of our vibrant school community. Dawson has a long history and tradition of nurturing students’ musical talents and love for the visual and performing arts as an integral part of a well-rounded educational experience. Working closely with other members of the Fine Arts Department, this educator is responsible for designing a curriculum and instructing courses such as orchestra and music technology for students in grades 4-8. This position also comes with the agency to explore the creation of new performing arts pathways and elective options. Specifically, the performing arts teacher is responsible for the overall implementation of an inclusive middle school orchestra program that serves as a center of excellence for student engagement. This includes the daily organization and management of classes and preparation for events and performances. The teacher will need to be experienced in meeting the differentiated needs of both novice and experienced orchestra students. In addition to teaching, the educator will communicate regularly and proactively with students, families, and colleagues; contribute positively to the overall school culture by fulfilling duties as assigned (recess, snack, lunch, and carpool supervision, etc.); and serve on school committees as requested or desired. Finally, Dawson is looking for a dynamic and experienced performing arts teacher who loves middle school age groups and can inspire our learners to take risks, think creatively, persevere with the productive struggle accompanying learning a new instrument, and exude a joy for savoring life.

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

Essential Functions:

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

Planning and Instruction

• Instruction: Teach Lower School (Grade 4) Introduction to Strings Lessons, direct Middle School Orchestra ensembles (Grade 5 Orchestra, Grade 6 Orchestra, and Grade 7 & 8 Advanced Orchestra), and Music Technology electives (Intro and Advanced)
• Advising: Act as an advisor to a small group of middle school students to oversee and support their academic, social, and emotional development
• Curriculum Facilitation: Utilize an appropriate curriculum to guide and develop strings curriculum implementation tailored to students’ strengths and needs
• Extracurricular Activities: Preparing and chaperoning students to local and state music festivals, including some evenings and weekends, and leading students in seasonal evening performances on campus
• Community Engagement: Collaborate with students, families, and colleagues to promote and sustain a robust strings and orchestral program
• Contribute to the ongoing development of a comprehensive and innovative middle school music program
• Develop student interest and an appreciation for creative expression through the performing arts
• Discover and develop the individual talents of students in the field of music education
• Use a continuum to help assess student progress and inform lesson planning 
• Promote problem-solving, cooperative learning, and conflict-resolution strategies
• Structure lessons that encourage risk-taking in learning and model lifelong learning
• Develop and maintain long-range and daily instructional plans.
• Maintain records for progress reports, a portfolio of student growth, and behavior documentation

Learning Environment

• Support and value social-emotional learning
• Create a dynamic and engaging 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 instructional goals and activities, interactions, and the classroom environment
• Maintain a learning environment where student voice is encouraged and valued
• Establish effective classroom routines and maximize instructional time
• Involve students in the development of classroom norms
• Create a safe, well-organized classroom environment that reflects student ownership
• Exhibit the philosophy that the process has as much value as the product
• Demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to student needs and behavior through a relational discipline approach 

Professional Responsibilities

• Attend and actively engage in divisional and school-wide meetings
• Critically reflect on teaching and learning
• 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 remain responsive to concerns
• Provide families with an ongoing window into the student experience and growth process
• Collaborate with colleagues on cross-curricular projects, units of study, and exhibitions of learning
• Embrace cultural competency and commit to ongoing growth in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• Maintain instrument inventory and an organizational system 
• Responsible for participating in divisional and school-wide exhibitions of student learning annually; this includes all-school performances, concerts, and family showcases
• Develop additional connections with students by serving as an advisor, leading an insights course, or facilitating a Student Voice Group or Club with a proven record of successful orchestra instruction.
• Accompany students on occasional off-campus and sometimes multi-day trips related to the School’s educational mission

Qualifications, Education & Experience:

• Minimum of three years of teaching experience as a lead teacher with a proven record of successful orchestra instruction
• An actively practicing musician with significant conducting experience, effective rehearsal skills, and proven competency to teach violin, viola, cello, and bass 
• Ability to select and arrange age-appropriate and globally competent repertoire tailored to match each ensemble’s unique skill set
• Candidates must have experience and enjoy working with middle-grade learners and value collaboration with section coaches and department colleagues
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Bachelor’s degree in music education or a related field required; master’s degree preferred
• Technology skills related to Google Suite applications, student information systems, and learning management systems (Canvas)

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 the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk; use hands to handle or feel items; 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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