Modern Languages Department Chair and Spanish Teacher

Modern Languages Department Chair and Spanish Teacher

The Northwest School
- Seattle, WA 98122

Salary Range $60,272.00 - $ Salary/year Position Type Full Time Teaching Faculty Education Level 4 Year Degree Category Education

The Northwest School is an independent day and boarding school. We serve students in grades 6 to 12 on an urban campus in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. We provide an interdisciplinary liberal arts education that nurtures compassionate, globally aware and environmentally conscious individuals who find joy in learning and are ready to inspire and innovate in our interconnected world.

Northwest fosters a warm, inclusive community dedicated to our school values. We believe that a diverse community enriches our institution, making it more creative and dynamic. The Northwest School is committed to building a faculty and student body that reflects the diversity of the broader society. We strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Northwest School seeks an experienced Spanish educator to serve as Chair of the Modern Languages Department while teaching three sections of Spanish. The department offers instruction in Spanish and Chinese in both the Middle and Upper Schools, and in French and English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Upper School. Instruction is grounded in the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, with an emphasis on sustained use of the target language to promote communicative proficiency and cultural competence.

Language study in the Upper School constitutes a central component of the school's international curriculum. Courses integrate in-depth cultural analysis with opportunities for experiential learning, including study abroad. Students are required to complete three years of language study, with the option to pursue a fourth year. Students receiving ESL support fulfill their language requirement through English coursework rather than enrollment in Chinese, French, or Spanish.

In Middle School, the Modern Languages curriculum is informed by a task-based approach to second language acquisition. Instruction emphasizes active engagement, requiring students to use the target language in meaningful contexts—such as interpreting dialogues and texts, synthesizing information, making decisions, drawing inferences, offering recommendations, and conducting peer interviews.

As academic leaders, Department Chairs at The Northwest School serve on the Curriculum Committee and collaborate closely with Division Directors and faculty to advance curricular coherence and pedagogical excellence. They provide instructional leadership, supervise departmental faculty, and cultivate a collaborative professional culture within and across disciplines.

• Teach three to four sections of Middle and/or Upper School Spanish in alignment with the standards established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Courses typically meet 73-minute periods on an alternating day schedule.
• Collaborate with departmental colleagues and interdisciplinary teaching teams on curriculum design and instructional planning to ensure both horizontal and vertical coherence across the program.
• Serve as an academic advisor to a cohort of students, providing sustained guidance on their academic development and social-emotional growth.
• In collaboration with at least one faculty colleague, design and facilitate a four-day, immersive experiential learning course for Middle and/or Upper School students during the April term.
• Engage fully in the intellectual and communal life of the school, including:
• Contributing to a collegial and collaborative professional culture within department and grade-level (advisory) teams.
• Participating consistently in ongoing, reflective professional development.
• Supporting institutional needs through occasional classroom coverage for absent colleagues.
• Fostering constructive and communicative partnerships with families.
• Attending and contributing to meetings, committees, and broader community events.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of and…