Join our dream team!

 
 
 

POET TEACHING ARTIST

Chapter 510 is seeking an experienced Poet Teaching Artist to be the lead teacher in residence for our Young Oakland Poets Expedition, a poetry writing and publishing program for 4th graders across Oakland Unified School District. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals who have passion for and experience with  poetry, literary arts education and youth. 

Classification: Part-Time (up to 182 hours per contract, hours per week may vary- see schedule section below), Non-exempt, At-Will

Dates: August 1, 2026 – June 18, 2027

Experience level: Managerial

Compensation: $50-65 per hour based on experience

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Teaching & Facilitation

  • Lead in-person writing workshops at OUSD elementary schools.

  • Collaborate with OUSD elementary school teachers to support student and classroom goals.

  • Debrief with staff after each workshop to discuss needs, insights, and seek support.

  • Perform and present poetry to elementary students across OUSD.

  • Facilitate creative writing professional development workshops for teachers in collaboration with OUSD. 

  • Ensure students complete and submit final drafts for publication.

Curriculum/Plan 

  • Design curriculum aligned with Chapter 510 pedagogy and present teaching plan and list of technology requests to supervisor for approval prior to teaching.

  • Documents each weekly lesson plan in a designated folder on 510 Google shared drive.

  • Provides Program Coordinator a list of needed supplies and other items.

  • Meet and communicate with all project partners in order to include all the guest artists, volunteers/mentors, advisors and community partners in the program. 

Final culmination - publication and celebration 

  • Ensure that students complete work and that work is ready for exhibit and/or publication.

  • Prepare students for their final presentations, gallery walks, and exhibits.

  • Attend all presentations and exhibits.

  • Write the introduction for any book from the workshop going to publication.

  • Makes sure their student writers’ work is in final draft form for the publisher, providing any developmental editing support needed.

  • Supports supervisor and other staff in curating the order of student pieces in an anthology.

Reporting/Evaluation

  • Ensure that the following reports/documents are submitted to Chapter 510 ten days after the conclusion of the workshops:

  • Reimbursement with original receipts.

  • All documentation collected, including photos (labeled appropriately), videos, writing samples, etc.

  • Final teacher evaluation if in your first year with Chapter 510.

Qualifications:

Specialty-Related

  • 2+ years of experience teaching or facilitating poetry for elementary aged youth.

  • Ability to work in collaboration with, lead and/or mentor other educators in public schools.

  • Ability to design culturally responsive, age-appropriate curriculum.

  • Preferred: Experience with Oakland-based arts or education organizations.

  • Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.

Core Attributes (All Staff)

  • Deep commitment to Chapter 510’s mission and values.

  • Experience working with diverse communities and across lines of difference.

  • Strong communication and collaboration skills.

  • Reliable, organized, and detail-oriented.

  • Comfortable with direct feedback and respectful disagreement.

  • Committed to self-reflection and growth.

  • Computer-literate (Macintosh proficiency preferred).

  • Comfortable presenting in public.

  • Bilingual English-Spanish is a plus.

Logistical & Legal

  • Must have a working phone and internet access.

  • Must pass a background check (confidential and limited to job-relevant information).

    Schedule:
    This is a seasonal part-time residency position between August 2026 and June 2027. A majority of the teaching and facilitation for this project will be concentrated in Fall between August–October 2026. Once the 5 weeks of poetry workshops culminate in October the teaching artist will support our publication team with editing the manuscript. In Spring 2027, the teaching artist will have less concentrated hours and focus on culmination and training. Approximately 0–15 hours per week depending on project needs. 

Project Schedule Details:(subject to slight changes based on need) 

August

  •  Zoom with OUSD educator partners. 

  • Curriculum and program development.

September–October

  • Poet Teaching Artist leads writing workshops in 8 different OUSD 4th grade classrooms (approximately 2 classroom visits per day, 4 days a week for a 5 week period).

End of October

-  Culminating class readings at Chapter 510. 

April 

  • OUSD Lit Fest Book Release Celebration. 

Mid June 

- Summer Professional Development for OUSD teachers.

Applications due July 31, 2026

Send cover letter and resume to janet@chapter510.org

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