Middle School Art Teacher

Location: Shanghai, China
School Type: Bilingual International School
Position: Full-time

About the Role

We are seeking an enthusiastic, creative, and student-centred Middle School Art Teacher to join our dynamic bilingual school community in Shanghai. The successful candidate will inspire students to explore art as a means of self-expression, cultural understanding, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving.

Working with students in the middle school age range, you will design and deliver engaging, appropriately challenging Art lessons that develop both practical artistic skills and students’ understanding of artists, cultures, techniques, and contemporary art practices.

This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate educator who enjoys working in a multicultural environment and is committed to helping young people develop confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong appreciation of the arts.

Key Responsibilities
Plan and deliver engaging and differentiated Art lessons for Middle School students.
Develop students’ skills across a range of media and techniques, including drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, digital art, and other appropriate forms.
Encourage students to experiment, take creative risks, reflect on their work, and develop their own artistic voice.
Create a positive, inclusive, and stimulating studio environment.
Develop schemes of work that reflect a broad range of artistic traditions, cultures, artists, and contemporary practices.
Integrate opportunities for cross-curricular learning and meaningful connections between Art, culture, history, technology, and global perspectives.
Assess and provide constructive feedback on students’ creative development and progress.
Maintain high expectations for student behaviour, participation, presentation, and artistic development.
Support students with different levels of English proficiency through appropriate scaffolding, modelling, visual resources, and differentiated instruction.
Collaborate effectively with bilingual and international colleagues to support students’ academic and personal development.
Contribute to exhibitions, art displays, competitions, school performances, cultural events, and wider school activities.
Maintain a well-organised, safe, and appropriately resourced Art studio.
Communicate professionally with students, parents, and colleagues.
Participate fully in the wider life of the school and contribute to its values and community.
Person Specification

We are looking for a teacher who is:

Passionate about Art and enthusiastic about sharing that passion with young people.
Creative, reflective, adaptable, and willing to experiment with new approaches to teaching and learning.
Experienced in teaching Art to students aged approximately 11–14.
Able to build positive relationships with students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Confident in differentiating learning for students with a wide range of abilities and language levels.
Skilled at creating an engaging, purposeful, and well-managed classroom environment.
A strong communicator and collaborative team member.
Committed to inclusive education and the development of the whole child.
Organised and able to manage art materials, resources, displays, and studio safety effectively.
Interested in contemporary Art and able to introduce students to a diverse range of artistic voices and perspectives.
Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

Bachelor’s degree in Art, Fine Art, Art Education, Education, or a related subject.
Recognised teaching qualification.
Experience teaching Art at Middle School/Secondary level.
Strong knowledge of practical art techniques and processes.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.