English Teacher - Humanities Dept

Description

Teaching Position: English Teacher, Humanities Department

Reports to: Head of School ---- Start Date: August 2025

The School...

Vistamar School is an independent college preparatory day school serving grades 9-12. The founders’ vision was to tap into the diversity of Los Angeles to bring together students who could learn from each other the skills and attitudes necessary for global citizenship. The Vistamar experience is guided by its core values and its mission, which rests on three pillars: challenging academics that engage and inspire students; an intimate atmosphere that supports students with caring relationships; and a diverse community that encourages the authentic exchange of perspectives and leads students to be comfortable crossing cultural boundaries. Vistamar believes there’s a better way to do high school.

             Vistamar School serves a highly diverse population of students in grades 9-12, supported by a generous program of Moderated Tuition. Approximately 36% of our students participate in our Moderated Tuition program. Approximately 45% of faculty, staff, and students self-identify as people of color. We seek to attract a faculty and student body who bring a diversity of thought and culture to our school community, and who will be committed to ensuring that we provide an inclusive environment for the respectful exchange of multiple perspectives. Vistamar is located in the easternmost section of El Segundo.  The school is close to major freeway interchanges and is well-served by public transportation, including a commuter rail station.

Vistamar attracts and enrolls one of the most diverse student bodies in the greater Los Angeles area, with students from over 60 zip codes and more than 80 schools. We will add faculty and classrooms incrementally as we approach our target enrollment of 300.  Both tuition and salaries are competitive with other Los Angeles-area independent schools. Vistamar is fully accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and holds institutional memberships in the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Council of International Schools (CIS).

The Opportunity...

You will be joining us as a teacher in the Humanities Department specializing in English and world literature at the 9th grade level and/or 10th grade level. With a diverse faculty holding master's degrees and doctorates from institutions like Stanford, UCLA, and USC, the Humanities Department focuses on preparing students with the skills and knowledge to confront the rigors of college and beyond. We do this through courses often seen in a college Humanities program, such as literature, creative writing, history, geography, philosophy, psychology, law, economics, and more. The Vistamar Humanities faculty has an average of 18.5 years of classroom teaching experience. We are passionate about connecting with students and teaching them how to think, write, discuss, and analyze the world and realities that humans create in order to live and thrive.

A typical week would include the preparation and teaching of four courses, each meeting four times per week, serving as a student advisor, assisting with student activities, and engaged participation in faculty and team meetings. Additional responsibilities include maintaining active communication with students & families, and active participation in admissions/development events, and other important community gatherings.

Qualifications

Ideal candidates are teachers who…

• Love being in a high school setting and connecting with teenagers, especially 9th graders.
• Are vibrant classroom facilitators who fulfill our Four Attributes of Excellent Teaching. 
• Have a strong practice of cultural responsiveness in and out of the classroom by exercising self-awareness, affirming multiple perspectives, addressing conflict directly and with care, and recognizing the role of power and privilege.
• Will be excited to become part of our vibrant school community by attending events and engaging with students and colleagues outside the classroom.
• Exercise flexibility and direct communication to cultivate strong and collegial relationships with all community members while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
• Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the reflective, iterative nature of teaching by pursuing professional growth and integrating feedback. 
• Intentionally design meaningful learning experiences and performance-based assessments using a “backward planning” model that fosters a passion for learning in students.
• Have effective coping skills to manage challenge or stress.
• Meets deadlines and has effective organizational skills.
• Can demonstrate both independent and collaborative skills when designing curriculum, managing classroom culture and behavior, lesson planning, and using accurate and equitable grading practices.
• Possess a Bachelor’s degree or higher in English, literature, or equivalent, or have a strong content knowledge of English, literature, or equivalent that is appropriate for high school and college prep students.
• Have professional teacher education in English, literature, reading, etc. (e.g., B.A./Minor in Education, Master's in Education) or possess strong pedagogical knowledge of teaching English, literature, reading, and/or writing to high school students.
• Have teaching experience in English, literature, or equivalent at the high school level.
• Must be available to engage fully with our onboarding process.

Salary : $66,950 - $110,353