About this role
Waltham Public School District High School Theater Educator Job Details Title: High School Theater Educator Description: High School Theater Eductaor with Advanced Dance Instruction Position Type: Full-Time Location: Waltham High School Position Overview Waltham Public Schools is seeking a dynamic, creative, and student-centered High School Theater Educator to join the Fine and Performing Arts Department at Waltham High School. The successful candidate will provide standards-based theater instruction that centers student voice, storytelling, collaboration, cultural expression, artistic risk-taking, and personal growth. The position also includes teaching some advanced-level dance courses. This position is designed for an educator who understands theater as a powerful form of communication, identity, creative expression, and community-building. The ideal candidate will support students in using performance, movement, writing, design, and production to explore stories about themselves, their communities, their experiences, and the world around them. The theater program values the full creative process—not only the final performance. Students should develop foundational and advanced skills in acting, improvisation, directing, playwriting, ensemble-building, technical theater, theatrical design, analysis, reflection, and production. The heart of the program is helping students create, interpret, revise, perform, and communicate meaning through theater. The successful candidate will also teach advanced dance classes and should be prepared to support experienced dance students in developing technique, performance quality, choreography, movement composition, artistic voice, and reflective practice. The ideal candidate is an enthusiastic, collaborative, and equity-oriented educator who is excited to work with a diverse high school student population, including students with disabilities and English Learners. The teacher will help create welcoming theater and dance classrooms where students of varied backgrounds and experience levels can participate fully, take creative risks, develop confidence, and see their identities and stories reflected in the work. Responsibilities
• Plan and deliver engaging, standards-based theater instruction for high school students.
• Teach acting, improvisation, ensemble-building, character development, voice and movement, directing, playwriting, script analysis, theatrical design, technical theater, production, and reflection.
• Teach advanced-level dance courses that develop movement technique, performance quality, choreography, improvisation, composition, body awareness, and artistic interpretation.
• Support students in using theater, performance, and movement to explore personal stories, cultural experiences, identity, community, and social themes.
• Create positive, inclusive, and well-managed classroom environments where students feel physically and emotionally safe taking creative risks.
• Design learning experiences that prioritize student voice, choice, collaboration, original work, and artistic decision-making.
• Differentiate instruction for students with a wide range of theater and dance experience, learning needs, language backgrounds, identities, and comfort levels with performance.
• Teach theater traditions, dramatic literature, performance practices, dance forms, and movement styles from a range of cultures and perspectives.
• Select scripts, scenes, movement material, and other instructional resources that reflect diverse cultures, identities, voices, and lived experiences.
• Guide students through the creative process, including brainstorming, research, exploration, rehearsal, revision, performance, feedback, and reflection.
• Support students in creating original scenes, monologues, plays, devised theater pieces, choreography, and interdisciplinary performance work.
• Develop students' confidence, creativity, collaboration, communication, physical awareness, empathy, and artistic independence.
• Provide clear, constructive feedback that supports technical development, creative growth, revision, and reflection.
• Assess student progress using performance-based, process-based, project-based, and reflective measures.
• Create opportunities for students to connect theater and dance with other art forms, academic content areas, personal narratives, and community experiences.
• Collaborate with colleagues in the Fine and Performing Arts Department and throughout Waltham High School.
• Support school performances, showcases, theatrical productions, dance presentations, interdisciplinary projects, and community arts opportunities, as appropriate.
• Collaborate with production staff, artistic staff, and colleagues to support safe, inclusive, and educational performance experiences.
• Maintain instructional materials, scripts, technical theater resources, costumes, props, equipment, performance spaces, and classroom expectations that support safe and respectful learning environments.
• Establish and reinforce safe practices for movement, performance, technical theater, rehearsal, and production work.
• Align instruction with the Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework and Fine and Performing Arts Department expectations.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with students, families, colleagues, administrators, and community partners.
Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Theater Education, Theatre, Drama, Performing Arts, Dance, Arts Education, or a related field.
• Valid Massachusetts teaching license in Theater, All Levels, or appropriate related licensure.
• SEI Endorsement, or the ability to obtain the endorsement.
• Demonstrated knowledge of standards-based theater instruction and the artistic creative process.
• Experience teaching or directing acting, improvisation, ensemble work, theatrical production, or related theater content.
• Knowledge and experience sufficient to teach advanced-level dance courses.
• Understanding of choreography, movement composition, dance technique, performance, and reflective artistic practice.
• Strong understanding of student-centered teaching, culturally responsive practice, and inclusive arts education.
• Ability to teach students with varied theater and dance backgrounds, including students with limited formal training.
• Strong classroom management, communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
• Commitment to creating equitable learning environments for students with disabilities, English Learners, and students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to maintain safe instructional environments for performance, movement, rehearsal, and technical theater activities.
Preferred Qualifications
• Prior experience teaching theater at the middle or high school level.
• Experience teaching advanced dance at the secondary level.
• Massachusetts licensure in both Theater and Dance, or eligibility for appropriate licensure.
• Experience designing theater curriculum focused on student voice, identity, storytelling, devised work, and original creation.
• Experience teaching acting, directing, improvisation, playwriting, script analysis, theatrical design, and technical theater.
• Experience teaching choreography, movement composition, improvisation, dance technique, and reflective dance practice.
• Experience directing or supporting inclusive school productions, festivals, showcases, or interdisciplinary performances.
• Experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse students.
• Experience selecting and teaching dramatic literature representing a broad range of cultures, identities, perspectives, and theatrical traditions.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and develop interdisciplinary arts learning experiences.
• Understanding of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and social-emotional learning practices in theater and dance classrooms.
• Familiarity with inclusive casting, accessible performance practices, and differentiated rehearsal structures.
• Interest in helping grow creative, inclusive, and student-centered high school theater and dance programs.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to:
• Deliver effective, engaging, and inclusive theater and advanced dance instruction.
• Create classroom and rehearsal cultures where students feel respected, represented, supported, and creatively empowered.
• Support students in developing original work, personal artistic voice, and increasing artistic independence.
• Use theater and movement as tools for storytelling, reflection, communication, empathy, and community-building.
• Teach the full creative process rather than focusing only on a final production or performance.
• Balance technical skill development with creativity, interpretation, student voice, and personal expression.
• Differentiate instruction for students with diverse learning profiles, language backgrounds, identities, performance experiences, and physical needs.
• Facilitate productive ensemble work while supporting individual student growth.
• Provide clear feedback that supports technical development, artistic decision-making, revision, and reflection.
• Use assessment practices that value process, creativity, collaboration, reflection, interpretation, and performance.
• Select inclusive, age-appropriate, culturally responsive, and educationally meaningful materials.
• Direct and facilitate performance work while maintaining student agency and shared ownership.
• Maintain safe physical and emotional environments for acting, dance, rehearsal, technical theater, and performance.
• Communicate effectively with students, families, colleagues, administrators, and community partners.
• Collaborate productively with the Fine and Performing Arts Department and the broader school community.
Application Process Interested candidates should submit:
• Cover letter
• Resume
• Transcripts
• Proof of Massachusetts DESE license
• SEI Endorsement
• Three current letters of recommendation
Salary As per the WEA contract. Salary ranges can be found on the Waltham Public Schools website under Contracts and Evaluations. Non- Discrimination Notice: Waltham Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. Waltham Public Schools has partnered with the Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education (MPDE) in our effort to welcome diverse candidates to our school system. We value and prioritize the hiring of educators who bring a wealth of perspectives and experiences to our schools, and who reflect the diversity of the students we serve. MPDE is a collaborative of public school districts with a 40-year uninterrupted history committed to supporting the interest of its members to increase the numbers of teachers of color for their schools by providing recruitment support and related services.