UPPER SCHOOL HUMANITIES TEACHER

 
Hawken School is committed to doing school differently and better. We seek to create an inclusive and accepting community where adults are empowered to design educational experiences for students that are deep and learner-centered. Hawken School seeks culturally competent teachers, administrators, and staff members who are committed to equity and social justice, who are comfortable taking risks, and who embrace a growth mindset. We are constantly looking for new ways to inspire student curiosity and agency while remaining dedicated to nurturing compassion and kindness in our students.
THE POSITION:  

Hawken School is seeking an enthusiastic educator to join our team as a full-time Humanities teacher for the 2025-2026 school year. The Hawken Humanities curriculum explores a wide array of subjects, including (but not limited to) world cultures and civilizations, influential literature, U.S. history, and challenges and opportunities facing modern society. The department emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives, encourages inquiry, and prioritizes the development of high-quality research, storytelling, analysis, argument, and communication.

The ideal candidate will be adept at facilitating inquiry- and discussion-based learning as well as project-based learning in the Humanities classroom. This teacher will be committed to fostering a caring and inclusive community in their classroom, and will be passionate about creating engaging and relevant learning opportunities that center the student experience. An ideal candidate will be enthusiastic about teaching all grade levels, and will be equally confident teaching core courses in the Humanities, U.S. history, and English-Language Arts. Additionally, this teacher will be eager to collaborate with students and colleagues to co-create diverse interdisciplinary learning experiences within and beyond the Humanities in our Intensive program. 

Candidates should be eager to work in a collaborative team-based environment with thoughtful individuals committed to doing school differently–moving away from factory model schooling towards learning without walls/limits; centering student voice/choice over standardization; and centering real learning for a real purpose rather than content coverage. The ideal candidate is passionate about the Humanities, about developing their craft, and about all aspects of collaborating with high school students and colleagues. We are seeking teachers who bring with them a healthy combination of flexibility, energy, teamwork, humility, and creativity. 
THE ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:  
  • Teach multiple sections of Humanities, History, and/or English seminars according to school needs, including our core ninth-grade Humanities courses.
  • Create Humanities Intensives – All-day, 3-week classes in December and/or May focused on one topic or challenge. (e.g., Podcast This!, Mock Trial, What is Truth?, Haunted Cleveland, Urban Studies, Walt Disney Imagineering, National Parks, etc. )
  • Collaborate with colleagues to design and refine curricula to make learning more purposeful, project-based, connected to students’ interests and aspirations, and connected to the world beyond the classroom. 
  • Coach or lead a co-curricular activity within Hawken Upper School, particular skills desired but not essential: speech and debate coaching, athletics coaching, and yearbook advising. 
  • Serve as an advisor to a group of 9-12 students within our advisory system.
  • Perform other non-teaching duties as assigned by the Upper School Director.
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 a humanities-related field with experience teaching courses. An advanced degree and three years teaching experience is preferred.
  • Familiarity with diverse ways of engaging students over a range of learning styles, enhanced by a desire to try new approaches. Enthusiasm for instruction at all high school grade levels. 
  • A passion for creative/collaborative design of unique programming within our department and across disciplines leading to curriculum invoking interdisciplinary approaches, diverse/inclusive perspectives, and experiential opportunities in and out of the classroom.
  • A continuous commitment to improve teaching proficiency, particularly with technology (including AI) as applied to best practices in education.
  • A deep understanding of adolescence and a passion for working with teenagers as they engage the complex issues of today’s world. 
HAWKEN CANDIDATE COMPETENCIES: 
 
Mission, Culture, and Philosophy Alignment: Successful candidates show they can thrive at Hawken and are highly motivated by the school’s mission.
Fair Play: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice: Successful candidates indicate a commitment to and have experience with serving students and communities equitably.
Relationship Building and Cultivation: Successful candidates show they can build relationships throughout the Hawken community.
Content Knowledge: Successful candidates demonstrate depth in content area knowledge as well as an ability to inspire students to a high level of excellence and challenge and take a student-centered approach to all aspects of their work.
Humility and Growth Mindset: Successful candidates are eager to learn new approaches and methods and be able to team effectively with others.
Approach to Work: Successful candidates show initiative and agency with a commitment toward feedback and flexible problem-solving.
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 1,600 students in toddler through grade 12. Our four campuses are located within 25 minutes of downtown Cleveland, and an urban extension center in the city’s museum district provides a demanding and integrated course of study in a diverse and dynamic environment.
 
To learn more about us, visit www.hawken.edu.
 
HOW TO APPLY:  Please send a resume, references, and a cover letter to Matt Simon, at 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.
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An independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school, toddler through grade 12

Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135 
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106

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