Youth Theater Teaching Assistant – After-School

Wesleyan University; Middletown (CT); Hybrid; USD 21,000 - 26,000; Part time

Job summary

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater seeks Teaching Assistants to support after-school theater classes for students ages 6 to 14. Teaching Assistants work alongside Teaching Artists to help create a welcoming, organized, creative, and supportive classroom environment.

Applicants will be considered based on their interest in working with young people, relevant experience, availability, and ability to contribute positively to a collaborative teaching environment.

Qualifications

• Current Wesleyan student with federal work-study eligibility.
• Interest in theater, performing arts, arts education, youth development, or community-based programming.
• Comfort working collaboratively with children and young people.
• Reliable, punctual, communicative, and able to work as part of a teaching team.
• Willingness to participate actively in theater games, exercises, and creative activities.
• Prior experience working with young people, teaching, tutoring, theater, or performing arts is helpful but not required.

Responsibilities

• Assist Teaching Artists with theater classes, rehearsals, games, exercises, and creative activities.
• Lead or co-lead warm-ups, theater games, exercises, and small-group activities under the direction of the Teaching Artist.
• Support students with homework and provide general homework assistance during the after-school period.
• Help facilitate special activities, games, and projects before scheduled classes begin.
• Welcome and check in students as they arrive for after-school programming.
• Assist with preparing and distributing snacks.
• Help set up classrooms and teaching spaces before programming and reset spaces afterward.
• Support positive classroom management, transitions, and student participation, and communicate questions, concerns, or student needs to the supervising Teaching Artist or program staff.
• Provide encouragement and individual assistance to students as needed while working under the supervision of Oddfellows staff, helping maintain a welcoming, organized, and safe environment for young people.

Skills

Federal work-study eligibility

Interest in theater and arts education

Collaborative teaching

Reliability and punctuality

Job description

Teaching Assistant: Youth Theater Programming

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater

Only students with federal work-study are eligible for this position. If you are unsure if you have federal work-study, email [e-mail].

Position Summary

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater seeks to hire Teaching Assistants to support after-school theater classes for students ages 6 to 14. Teaching Assistants work alongside Oddfellows Teaching Artists to help create a welcoming, organized, creative, and supportive classroom environment. Students in this position gain hands-on experience in arts education, youth development, classroom management, theater instruction, collaborative leadership, and nonprofit community arts programming.

Application Instructions

Apply via Handshake and submit an approved resume. Applicants should also complete the Oddfellows Teaching Assistant Interest Form: https://forms.gle/19CVjpdmZMawWxHLA.

Applicants will be considered based on their interest in working with young people, relevant experience, availability, and ability to contribute positively to a collaborative teaching environment.

Background Check

This position may have unsupervised interactions with individuals under 18 years old. Applicants must undergo a background check as part of their onboarding. Hiring offers are contingent on passing a background check.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist Teaching Artists with theater classes, rehearsals, games, exercises, and creative activities.
• Lead or co-lead warm-ups, theater games, exercises, and small-group activities under the direction of the Teaching Artist.
• Support students with homework and provide general homework assistance during the after-school period.
• Help facilitate special activities, games, and projects before scheduled classes begin.
• Welcome and check in students as they arrive for after-school programming.
• Assist with preparing and distributing snacks.
• Help set up classrooms and teaching spaces before programming and reset spaces afterward.
• Support positive classroom management, transitions, and student participation, and communicate questions, concerns, or student needs to the supervising Teaching Artist or program staff.
• Provide encouragement and individual assistance to students as needed while working under the supervision of Oddfellows staff, helping maintain a welcoming, organized, and safe environment for young people.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• (Required) Current Wesleyan student with federal work-study eligibility.
• Interest in theater, performing arts, arts education, youth development, or community-based programming.
• Comfort working collaboratively with children and young people.
• Reliable, punctual, communicative, and able to work as part of a teaching team.
• Willingness to participate actively in theater games, exercises, and creative activities.
• Prior experience working with young people, teaching, tutoring, theater, or performing arts is helpful but not required.

Schedule & Availability

• This position is for Fall 2026, with the possibility of continuing through Spring 2027.
• Teaching Assistants may work up to 8 hours per week, typically across 1–4 weekdays, Monday through Thursday.
• After-school programming runs from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. Teaching Assistants must be available for their assigned class period, but start times may vary based on availability and program needs. Students may begin as early as 3:00 PM to assist with student arrival, homework help, snacks, and pre-class activities, or may begin later, typically no later than 4:30 PM, depending on their assigned class.
• We welcome applicants with varying weekday availability and will work to create consistent weekly schedules around students' academic commitments and Oddfellows' program needs.
• This is an in-person, off-campus position at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater, 128 Washington St., Middletown, CT. Students are responsible for transportation to and from the work site.

Compensation

Teaching Assistants are paid the Connecticut state minimum wage.

Primary Supervisor

Daniel Schmidt
Artistic Director / Head of Programming
[e-mail]

Contact

• Questions about the position may be directed to Daniel Schmidt at [e-mail].
• Questions about timesheets, payment, onboarding, and background checks can be directed to Cruz at [e-mail].

Performance Evaluation

The supervisor and Teaching Artists will provide ongoing feedback and check-ins as appropriate throughout the semester. A performance review discussion will be conducted at the end of the semester, with consideration given to reliability, communication, collaboration, initiative, professionalism, and effectiveness in supporting students and classroom activities.