Upper School Teacher, Media and Communications

Title: Upper School Teacher, Media and Communications

Department/Location: Upper School Faculty: Media and Communications, St. Louis

Position Type: Full time, 39-weeks

Summary

Principia School is seeking a dynamic, innovative, and passionate Media & Communications Teacher to join our faculty. The ideal candidate will be committed to the value of a collaborative, experiential, character-based education and eager to inspire students to excel in their academic and creative endeavors in impactful ways. They will possess the skills and vision to provide students with a strong technical foundation and a love for new media technologies.

As a faculty member, you will teach a range of courses related to multimedia, communications and digital arts in subject-specific and collaborative classes. You will guide students in developing their skills in visual storytelling, content creation, multimedia production, and design, while preparing them for careers in communications, journalism, design, film, art, animation, and other media-related fields. The Media & Communications Teacher will emphasize critical thinking, collaboration, and ethical practices in media production, ensuring students are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-evolving media landscape.

You will teach up to 4 classes a semester, including such classes as: Digital Media, Visual Media Studies, Advanced Media Studies, Visual Journalism, and CoLab, an integrated studies course by grade level. Within an Advanced Media Studies class, you’ll teach and produce the school’s newscast, Panther News Nation (PNN). Additional duties include advising students, supervising the school’s Media Center and Broadcast Studio, video recording and editing school-wide events, purchasing and maintaining video and studio equipment, ongoing professional development, overseeing the production of the Senior Video, supporting Principia activities, and promoting Christian Science-based character education in accord with Principia’s mission as outlined in Education at The Principia.

“Principia School’s academic units strive to create a collaborative and inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging and sees each other as infinitely capable and divinely whole. Our rigorous, globally-focused curriculum and character-based approach honors diverse perspectives and develops creative problem solvers who use their academic skills to benefit their communities and the world.”

Who We Are

At our award-winning pre-K–12 school in St. Louis, Missouri, and top-ranked Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, Principia faculty and staff make up a close-knit community of educators, coaches, and professionals taking a distinct approach to education—blending academic excellence with Christian Science-based character education. Principia’s team of over 500 employees supports not only Principia School and Principia College, but also a worldwide network of Alumni & Friends.

At Principia School, our core value is LOVE. Love and its attributes underpin our foundational beliefs as well as our educational approach. We focus on developing the whole child—intellectually, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually, preparing students for the next steps in life. We foster a challenging yet supportive environment where character unfolds naturally, and talent is cultivated through boundless opportunities. Character education plays an essential role in every aspect of the student experience, and classroom work is augmented by character trips, leadership development, and real-world, hands-on, project-based learning.

Principia employees are part of an engaging academic community preparing students to be tomorrow’s leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. We strive to create a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued.

Primary Responsibilities

• Teach media specific elective Visual Arts classes with the potential to design your curriculum. Currently, those classes are:

1) Intro to Media Studies - includes creating compelling videos from script to screen, with video editing in Final Cut Pro. Adobe Premier Pro is also available.

2) Advanced Media Studies - includes advanced video creation and production of PNN (Panther News Nation) which is shared with the student body during assemblies.

3) Proposed classes are Digital Media and Video Journalism.

• Partner with faculty members in Social Studies, English, and Science to lead a 10th grade integrated studies course, called “CoLab.”
• Actively work to promote interdisciplinary thinking and initiatives, sharing and integrating elements of Art, Digital Media, and Communications with other programs/departments across the School and community;
• Is an active character educator in accordance with Principia’s mission;
• Support the mission and goals of the school and its operations;
• Video recording and editing of school-wide projects. The ability to edit in Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premier Pro is preferred;
• Oversee and manage a significant budget for the Media Center and Studio;
• Oversee and manage the Media Center and Studio, maintain equipment, schedule use of the studio, record and edit studio events;
• Assist in departmental work, including assessment, program review, and development of curriculum;
• Participate in weekly professional development;
• Serve as faculty sponsor for internships and independent studies within a range of art, design, and mass communication-related fields;
• Actively procure field trip opportunities related to Media Studies curriculum;
• Maintain relationships with career professionals and postsecondary institutions to facilitate student internships, apprenticeship opportunities, career pathways, and entry into community college and university degree programs;
• Solid understanding of basic MAC computers and related software and willingness to acquire new skills.

Additional Responsibilities

• Work closely with students to further develop their critical thinking skills, creativity, writing, research, and communication skills;
• Maintain professional activity.

Core Competencies

• Positivity: Optimistic, positive, and focused on elevating and bringing out the very best in themselves and others. Faculty and staff are invited to understand teammates’ strengths and how they can complement each other.
• Team players: Ability to collaborate and partner with peers and senior leaders is critical, with an ability to listen, give and receive feedback, and be comfortable exchanging ideas and speaking candidly in a professional and collegial manner
• Relationship Builder: Builds and sustains strong connections with a genuine interest in others
• Inclusion: Demonstrates awareness and respect for cultural differences, actively seeks to understand diverse perspectives, and supports cross-cultural interactions. Fosters an inclusive environment where individuals of all backgrounds feel valued and respected.
• Innovative: Presents a problem-solving mindset that helps our team come up with creative solutions to challenging issues, with a mentality of self-improvement and organizational excellence; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas
• Technical Skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; pursues training and development opportunities; strives to continuously build knowledge and skills
• Ethical: Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity; upholds organizational values
• Planning and Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; manages multiple projects and tasks simultaneously

Minimum Qualifications

• Student of Christian Science preferred
• Supportive of Principia’s guiding statements as articulated here https://www.principia.edu/about/mission
• Master’s Degree in Art, Journalism, Mass Communications, or a closely related field with an emphasis on digital media preferred
• Fluency with a broad range of visual art, design, communications and media modalities, contexts and manners of expression
• Willingness to be an academic generalist who can teach multiple areas within the discipline
• Demonstrated ability to work with a range of students and skill levels
• Classroom teaching experience
• Demonstrated facility and comfort with navigating and leveraging a learning management system

The statements above describe the general nature and level of work but are not a complete list of responsibilities and are subject to change at the discretion of Principia.

Compensation and Benefits

We offer a competitive salary range for this position: $53,000 - $78,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

In addition to salary, our comprehensive total rewards package includes:

• Generous Employee Tuition Discount: Enjoy a 90% discount on tuition (pro-rated for part-time staff) for your eligible children enrolled from Pre-K3 through College (infant and acorn programs excluded).
• Relocation: Principia provides a relocation imbursement of up to 12% of your annual salary, when moving from outside a radius of more than 50 miles.
• Professional Development: Access to learning opportunities, training programs, and career growth support.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Learn more about all of our benefits here, including comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans, paid time off, a 403(b) retirement plan with Principia matching, and more.

Equal Opportunity

Principia, a mission-driven institution, believes every person has the right to an equitable and respectful educational environment and workplace. Principia does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender (identity or expression), sexual orientation, family status, disability, age, or military or veteran status.

In hiring, admissions, and related decisions, Principia—as an institution with a religious mission—gives preference, where appropriate, to Christian Scientists.