Improv Teaching Opportunities

Concorde Education; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 69,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

Concorde Education is seeking independent instructional contractors to provide improvisational theater enrichment services for K-12 students. Location varies by assignment and sessions are generally after school.

Contractors plan engaging sessions, teach fundamentals of improvisation, and adapt activities to age, experience, and site requirements. Compensation is per completed instructional hour, with flexible scheduling and opportunities year-round.

Qualifications

• Experience in improvisational theater, acting, directing, or related performing arts.
• Experience teaching, tutoring, or leading activities with school-age students.
• Excellent communication, organization, and group leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan and facilitate age-appropriate improvisational theater sessions.
• Introduce fundamentals of improvisation through games, storytelling, and performances.
• Adapt instruction for different ages, experience levels, and site requirements.
• Foster a safe, inclusive learning environment and manage classroom dynamics.
• Prepare students for informal showcases with site approval.
• Communicate needs or concerns with Concorde and school staff.
• Complete a session completion form after each scheduled session.

Skills

Improvisational theater

Teaching/mentoring

Strong communication

Classroom facilitation

Education

60 college credits

Job description

Location: On-site at partner schools; varies by assignment

Teaching Mode: In Person

Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle, and High School; varies by assignment

Schedule: Typically 1-4 instructional service hours per week after school

Program Length: Commonly approximately 10 weeks per assignment

Start Dates: Opportunities become available throughout the school year

Compensation: Typical compensation of $50+ per completed instructional service hour, depending on assignment scope, experience, location, schedule, and agreed compensation

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Concorde Education is seeking independent instructional contractors to provide improvisational theater enrichment services for K-12 students.

ASSIGNMENT SCOPE

Depending on the accepted assignment, contractors may:

• Plan and facilitate engaging, age-appropriate improvisational theater sessions;
• Introduce students to the fundamentals of improvisation through games, storytelling, collaborative exercises, and performance activities;
• Adapt instruction based on student age, experience level, confidence, available facilities, site requirements, and assignment objectives;
• Teach communication, active listening, collaboration, creativity, character development, scene-building, and performance fundamentals through interactive activities;
• Prepare students for informal demonstrations or showcases where applicable and approved by the site;
• Maintain a safe, respectful, inclusive, and age-appropriate learning environment;
• Exercise professional judgment when selecting activities and ensure all instruction remains appropriate for the age group, school environment, assignment scope, and applicable site policies;
• Communicate assignment-related needs or significant concerns with Concorde and school staff, as appropriate;
• Complete a brief session completion form after each scheduled session;
• Follow applicable site safety, visitor, emergency, student-protection, and facility procedures.

EXAMPLE PROGRAM TOPICS

• Improvisational theater games and ensemble-building activities;
• "Yes, and..." collaboration techniques;
• Character creation and scene development;
• Storytelling, narrative structure, and creative expression;
• Voice projection, movement, and stage presence;
• Active listening, teamwork, and communication skills;
• Short-form improvisation exercises and performance games;
• Confidence-building through collaborative performance.

QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred qualifications include:

• At least 60 college credits, where required by the applicable assignment or site;
• Experience in improvisational theater, acting, directing, theater education, performance, comedy, or related performing arts disciplines;
• Experience teaching, tutoring, coaching, mentoring, or leading activities with school-age students;
• Strong communication, organization, classroom facilitation, and group leadership skills;
• Availability to provide services for the accepted assignment schedule and communicate schedule issues as soon as reasonably practicable;
• Ability to create an engaging, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for students with varying experience levels.

Preferred backgrounds may include actors, improvisers, theater educators, drama teachers, performing arts instructors, teaching artists, directors, college theater students, comedians, camp counselors, youth leaders, and others with relevant instructional or performance experience.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Assignments may utilize school-provided classrooms, multipurpose rooms, stages, curriculum resources, lesson plans, scripts, props, audiovisual equipment, and other instructional resources where available.

Contractors may use their own instructional methods and materials when appropriate, safe, age-appropriate, lawful, and consistent with the assignment scope and site requirements.

Contractors are responsible for ensuring that any scripts, games, activities, media, or instructional materials used during instruction are appropriate for the assigned age group, comply with applicable copyright requirements, and are consistent with school policies and community standards.

Purchases requiring reimbursement must be approved in writing by Concorde before they are incurred.

COMPENSATION

Compensation varies by assignment and agreed contractor terms. Many opportunities pay $50+ per completed instructional service hour with students.

Contractors may propose their desired compensation rate when applying. When proposing a rate, contractors should consider the overall assignment scope, including anticipated preparation, planning, commute, materials, schedule, and other business considerations.

Concorde may accept the proposed rate, decline the application, or provide a counteroffer based on the budget for the specific assignment.

Unless otherwise approved in writing, compensation is based on completed instructional service hours with students. Payment for completed services is generally made by direct deposit on the fifteenth day of the month following the month in which services were completed, unless otherwise stated in the accepted assignment terms or required by applicable law.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Concorde Education considers contractor applicants without regard to any status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law and is committed to respectful, inclusive, and student-centered programming.