Middle School Art Teacher (26-27 SY)

Job Description

Job Description

Who We Are

Since its founding in 2010, Challenge Preparatory Charter School (Challenge Prep) has provided students and families with a successful academic program in Far Rockaway, Queens. We currently serve over 1200 scholars from Kindergarten to 12th grade across 3 sites. Our school’s mission is to prepare students from the greater Far Rockaway community to excel academically, to demonstrate mastery of the NY State Learning Standards, and to achieve their career aspirations. Challenge cultivates and supports the intellectual, aesthetic, social, emotional, and ethical development of its students and prepares them to be responsible 21st century citizens. To accomplish its mission, Challenge offers a rigorous instructional program in a safe, supportive, technology-infused and data-enriched and social-emotional learning sequence, authentic field experiences, career counseling, and college coursework.  It is understood that we are one organization with multiple sites, and it is expected that all members of the team collaborate to support all of our scholars.

Understanding the Role

• At Challenge, we are looking for a creative, flexible Art Teacher to join our team of seasoned educators.  The Art Teacher will be responsible for developing in each student an interest in and the ability for creative expression in visual terms, using skills and techniques of artistic expression consistent with school guidelines; to develop aesthetic understandings and appreciations; to discover and develop talents of students in the field of art. The Art Teacher's responsibilities include sourcing art supplies, preparing lessons, and providing developmentally appropriate instruction on art techniques. The Art Teacher should also be able to supervise lessons to ensure that learners interact in a supportive and respectful manner. To be successful as an art teacher, you should be able to encourage creativity and self-expression among students.

Job Responsibilities

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The Art Teacher will perform all or some of the following:

• Planning lessons on art and art history per students' learning objectives
• Preparing the classroom by gathering and setting up equipment
• Developing students' drawing, coloring, and painting techniques
• Providing instruction on the use of media such as graphite and charcoal pencils, as well as oil, acrylic, and watercolor paint
• Teaching students about art history
• Assigning and grading projects and examinations
• Recording and reporting on students' progress
• Ensuring that the classroom is clean after each lesson
• Organize storage areas and control the use of materials, equipment, and tools to prevent loss or abuse, and minimize the time required for distribution and collection
• Attending faculty and parent-teacher meetings
• Provide instruction by which students develop aesthetic concepts and appreciation, and the ability to make qualitative judgments about art
• Demonstrate techniques in activities such as drawing and painting
• Understand the versatility of acrylic paints: dry brushing, staining, layering, underpainting, mono-printing
• Understand a variety of “master” techniques
• Knows and can apply elements of design and modern principles of art
• Knows the fundamentals and different approaches to drawing media techniques
• Provide individual and small-group instruction to adapt the curriculum to the needs of students with varying intellectual and artistic abilities, and to accommodate a variety of instructional activities
• Instruct students in the proper care and use of tools and equipment
• Evaluate each student’s performance and growth in knowledge and aesthetic understanding, and prepare progress reports
• Select and requisition books, instructional materials, tools, and instructional aids, and maintain required inventory records
• Plan and present art displays and exhibitions designed to exhibit students’ work for the school and the community
• May sponsor exhibits from outside the school
• Maintain professional competence through in-service education activities provided by the school or in self-selected professional growth activities
• Communicate with parents and school counselors on pupil progress
• Participate in curriculum and other developmental programs, such as after-school art club
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the Administration

Salary is based on qualifications and experience.

School Sites

Grades 6-8: 15-20 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Selection Process

Phase I - Virtual Interview with the HR Recruiter 

Phase II - Demo, Panel Interview, and Interview with the Senior Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning 6-12

Final - Reference Check, Offer, and Contract

Work Year

This full-time position begins in mid-August and goes through the end of June.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Challenge Charter School is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, particularly in the Far Rockaway area, and committed to educating students. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our relentless work. Challenge Charter School offers a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth. Learn more about our mission, team, and the exciting things happening at Challenge by visiting

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.