Kindergarten Teacher (K-8) - Northwestern Academy of Visual and Performing Arts

Great things are happening at Battle Creek Public Schools!

Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) is located in Calhoun County, Michigan (between Chicago and Detroit), serving the City of Battle Creek as well as parts of Emmett, Pennfield and Bedford townships, and the City of Springfield. With a bold goal of achieving 100% success for every Bearcat, we offer a broad range of educational experiences to meet the individual needs of students at all levels, including experiential learning, individualized instruction, advanced and accelerated curricula, and outdoor education.

In 2017, BCPS received an historic investment from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and we are continuing our transformation plan, advancing bold, top-to-bottom changes to provide a world-class career, college, and community-ready education for every student, in every grade, at every school. In May of 2023, we were thrilled to announce an average teacher pay increase of more than $10,000, positioning us as one of the best-paying districts for teachers in Southwest Michigan.

We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits (including up to $20k in home purchase assistance), and opportunities for professional development. Apply now and join the Bearcat family!



Position Summary:
The Northwestern Academy of Visual and Performing Arts seeks a passionate and creative Kindergarten Teacher to join our innovative educational community. Our curriculum prioritizes the academic with the arts to nurture essential character skills critical for personal and professional success. Arts integration is embedded across all subjects, fostering critical thinking, promoting student engagement, and supporting equity and empowerment, while cultivating empathy, cultural competency, and other vital personality traits.

Our transformative K-8 arts-integrated curriculum engages students from kindergarten through eighth grade, with early grades (K-2) emphasizing exploration and creativity as a foundation for deeper learning in later years. The ideal candidate will deliver a dynamic, arts-integrated curriculum that combines language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and technology with creative expression and exploration through theatre, music, movement, visual art, and digital tools. This role requires a commitment to fostering a nurturing, inclusive, and engaging learning environment where students build holistic academic and social-emotional skills, critical thinking abilities, creative self-expression, cultural awareness, and collaborative skills.


*Please note: This position is for the 2025-2026 school year.*


Position Responsibilities:

Instructional Delivery

• Arts-Integrated Instruction: Plan and implement engaging, arts-integrated lessons that connect academic concepts from language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and technology with theatre, music, visual arts, movement, and digital tools to develop student engagement and learning.
• Student-Centered Learning: Create a flexible, student-centered classroom environment that supports exploration, individual learning styles, curiosity, collaboration, and inquiry.
• Differentiated Instruction: Tailor lessons to meet diverse student needs, ensuring that all students have meaningful, accessible, and challenging experiences in academics and arts.
• Foundational Skill Development: Support early literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional growth through interactive arts activities, including storytelling, character exploration, and cultural studies to encourage students to make connections between academic concepts, artistic expression, problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills.
• Cultural Awareness and Global Connections: Promote global awareness and empathy by exploring theatre, music, dance, and art from various cultures, encouraging respect for diversity.
• Technological Integration: Introduce basic digital tools to students as a medium for creative expression and storytelling, supporting their development of digital literacy.
• Portfolio Development: Guide students in creating portfolios showcasing personal growth, goal setting, and social responsibility through arts integration, reflective journaling, and project documentation.
• Assessment and Reflection: Develop assessments that evaluate students’ understanding of academic and artistic concepts. Guide students in analyzing their projects through self-reflection and peer critiques.

Student Outcomes and Focus Using the Arts

• Language Arts: Develop early literacy skills through storytelling, vocabulary building, and creative expression.
• Mathematics: Introduce foundational math concepts like counting, shapes, and patterns.
• Social Studies: Cultivate cultural awareness by exploring global traditions.
• Science: Introduce basic scientific principles through artistic exploration.
• Technology: Engage students with digital tools to document and share their creative work.

Classroom Culture and Environment

• Classroom Management: Establish a supportive, inclusive, and well-organized studio-like classroom where students feel safe to express themselves and actively engage in hands-on learning experiences.
• Safe and Inclusive Space: Create and provide an inclusive and safe space where students feel empowered to take ownership of their creative process, building empathy, adaptability, and social responsibility. Encourage self-expression, respect, and collaboration, supporting artistic growth and personal development through exploration and experiential learning.

Collaboration and Professional Development

• Professional Growth: Engage in continuous learning to refine arts-integrated instruction, DEI principles, student-centered learning, and climate management practices.
• Professional Learning: Participate in ongoing professional development to stay current on best practices in teaching pedagogy and arts-integrated instruction.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Partner with faculty across arts and academic departments to design integrated curricula that link classroom content with artistic practices.
• Collaborate with Colleagues and Community Partners: Work with other educators and community organizations to provide integrated educational experiences connecting arts and culture with broader learning goals that support authentic, multidisciplinary learning experiences, experiential learning opportunities, and community sustainability.
• Parental Communication and Engagement: Maintain regular communication with parents on student progress and development, while fostering an actively supportive and informed school community.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, or a related field. Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field preferred.
• Valid Michigan Teaching Certificate with an Elementary (ZE, ZG) or Lower Elementary (ZO) endorsement, or ability to obtain
• Familiarity with Michigan Early Childhood Education Standards and Arts Standards
• Experience with interdisciplinary or arts-integrated teaching
• Experience in early childhood education, preferably in an elementary urban setting
• Enthusiasm for using arts and technology as a tool for student learning and creative expression
• Prior experience in culturally responsive teaching, social-emotional learning (SEL), and trauma-informed practices
• A practicing artist with a passion for arts education and student-centered learning

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Comfort with performing arts-based instruction across theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and media.
• Knowledge of or willingness to adopt the Studio Habits of Mind framework and CASEL’s social-emotional learning competencies.
• Demonstrated ability to engage the interest of school-age children.
• Ability to engage in hands-on activities and experiments with students.
• Demonstrate commitment to all students' well-being and success, including adaptability in lesson planning and teaching to support students with diverse needs and skill levels.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development, eagerness to learn, and effectively collaborate with colleagues, arts partners, and community members.
• Excellent verbal/written communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Patience, flexibility, and a willingness to take risks.

Core Values and Professional Standards:

• Commitment to School Vision: Align instruction and culture-building efforts with the school’s mission to nurture adaptable, compassionate global citizens, fostering growth in creative, intellectual, and social-emotional domains.
• Student-Centered Teaching and Learning: Provide opportunities for students to take ownership of their education through active participation, personalized instruction, and collaborative reflection.
• Arts-Integrated Education: Actively use creative expression to foster social responsibility and holistic student development, integrating arts practices across disciplines to deepen understanding and enhance learning.
• Collaborative Leadership: Engage with colleagues, families, and community partners to create a supportive, inclusive, and dynamic learning environment that reflects shared values and promotes collective success.
• Excellence in Teaching: Commit to developing students into creative, intellectual, and responsible global citizens through high-quality instruction, effective climate management, and arts-integrated practices.
• Commitment to Fairness and Opportunity: Advocate for fairness and the equal treatment of all students, ensuring opportunities for success in the arts and beyond while fostering a supportive and welcoming environment.

Salary: $50,000 -$82,010 (Potential for additional stipends)
Additional signing bonus of up to $1,500 for New Hire teachers, payable upon commencement of employment

Contract: 188 Days (10 months)


SCHOOL SAFETY CLEARANCE: The successful candidate will be subject to a fingerprint and background check as a condition of employment. All fees required for this check (estimated $73.00) will be the responsibility of the successful applicant.


The Battle Creek Public School District is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, handicap, sex, age, religion, national origin, weight, height, or marital status in its employment practices.