Choir Specialty Teacher

Job Title: Choir Specialty Teacher

Job Classification: Non-exempt, Part-time

About Sierra Waldorf School

Nestled in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada mountains, Sierra Waldorf School offers a unique opportunity to teach in a close-knit learning community where relationships matter and education is rooted in meaning, creativity, and human development. Located in Jamestown, California, our school serves families who value a balanced childhood rich in academics, the arts, nature, and community. With small class sizes and a collaborative faculty culture, teachers have the opportunity to know their students deeply and to practice their craft with purpose and autonomy.

Life in Jamestown offers a rare combination of natural beauty and quality of life. Yosemite National Park, mountain lakes, rivers, hiking trails, skiing, and outdoor recreation are all within easy reach, while the pace of life remains grounded and family-friendly. Many of our teachers are drawn not only to Waldorf education, but also to the opportunity to live and work in a community where connection, simplicity, and the natural world are part of daily life.

We welcome educators who are inspired by child-centered learning, eager to collaborate with colleagues, and excited to contribute to a vibrant school community dedicated to the healthy development of each child.

Position Summary

Sierra Waldorf School seeks a warm, skilled, and collaborative Choir Teacher to lead our Lower Grades Choir and Upper Grades Choir. The ideal candidate brings strong vocal music skills, joyful classroom presence, excellent classroom management skills, and an understanding of child development through the lens of Waldorf education. This position includes directing weekly choir classes, preparing students for performances, and cultivating a healthy, beautiful choral culture that supports musical growth, confidence, listening, and community.

Reports To Lead Specialty Teacher

Duties/responsibilities:

Teach

• Lower Grades Choir twice per week
• Upper Grades Choir twice per week
• Prepare and lead students in two annual concert performances
• Collaborate with class teachers and administration as needed
• Attend weekly Specialty Mentoring meetings (1/week)

Responsibilities

• Plan and teach engaging, developmentally appropriate choral music lessons
• Foster healthy vocal technique, musicianship, ensemble skills, and joy in singing
• Lead students in rehearsals and performances for two school concerts each year
• Select repertoire appropriate to student age, vocal development, and school culture
• Maintain positive classroom management and clear behavioral expectations
• Create an inclusive, supportive, and artistically inspiring classroom environment
• Communicate professionally with faculty, staff, and families
• Complete Year End Reports for each choir
• Attend relevant faculty meetings, performances, and school events connected to the role
• Support the broader mission and values of Waldorf education and Sierra Waldorf School

Curriculum Expectations

Lower Grades Choir

Instruction for younger choir students should emphasize imagination, musical playfulness, and foundational ensemble skills appropriate to middle childhood development.

Curriculum goals may include:

• Developing healthy singing posture, breath, and tone
• Singing in unison and beginning simple part work, including rounds and two-part harmony Strengthening pitch matching and tonal awareness
• Preparing polished performances for school concert and festivals
• Learning classical music, folk songs, seasonal music, and culturally diverse repertoire
• Introducing basic music literacy and solfège concepts
• Cultivating attentive listening and ensemble cooperation
• Encouraging confidence, stage presence, and joyful participation

Upper Grades Choir

Instruction for older students should support the emerging adolescent through increasingly sophisticated musical challenges, collaboration, and artistic responsibility.

Curriculum goals may include:

• Refining vocal technique and tone production
• Singing confidently in complex rounds and two- and three-part harmony
• Developing independence in rhythm, pitch, and sight-reading
• Expanding music literacy and choral vocabulary
• Exploring a broad repertoire of classical, multicultural, and contemporary choral works Strengthening expressive interpretation and musical phrasing
• Building rehearsal discipline, leadership, and ensemble accountability
• Preparing polished performances for school concerts and festivals

Required Skills/abilities:

• Ability to manage mixed-age classroom dynamics with warmth and clarity

Desired Skills/abilities:

• Familiarity with Waldorf education or willingness to learn Waldorf pedagogy
• Bachelor’s degree in Music, Music Education, Vocal Performance, or related field preferred
• Strong vocal and conducting skills

Required

Education and experience:

• Experience teaching choir, vocal music, or choral ensembles to children and adolescents
• Enthusiasm for arts education and child-centered teaching

Desired

Education and experience:

• Piano or other instrumental…