FALL 2026:
We are currently seeking applicants to join our Fall 2026 teaching team (August 31-December 17) in the afternoons from 2:30 – 5:30 in schools located in Austin. You can teach all 4 days (Monday - Thursday) or only the days that match your availability. We fully hope that you'll stay on through the Spring and indefinitely!
COMPENSATION:
Compensation: $20-$30/hr = $60-$90/class
Our regular pay is $60 per class with a co-teacher. In the event that a co-teacher is sick and we can not find a substitute in time, we pay $90 per class if you teach solo with over 10 students.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
Wicked Workshop seeks experienced classroom leaders who are enthusiastic, creative, design-minded educators to join our team. This position requires a sincere love of teaching elementary children K-5th grade. Our ideal candidate will have existing classroom management skills, flaunt a growth-mindset, majestically parade a can-do attitude and believe in the power of theatrical performance as a motivator for both creativity and classroom culture.
We wholeheartedly encourage experienced instructors from various backgrounds including parents with design backgrounds who are looking for something creative and worthwhile, former educators, aspiring educators, empty nesters, freelance designers, youth group and community leaders; those who want to help further the mission of design thinking and independent learning in elementary education.
Wicked Workshop teachers are responsible for leading hands-on, arts-based after school classes and will work with students to develop, encourage and illuminate their ideas. Our philosophy for self-directed learning positions the teacher as the mentor, not the maker. Our teachers inspire, invigorate, celebrate and document student’s work - but we do not teach through step-by-step instruction. This is a program of trial and error through the exploration of materials.
Our program is entirely mobile and our teachers drive to schools to teach on different campuses in the Austin/Round Rock/Westlake/Lake Travis area. Learn more about what we do by visiting www.wickedworkshop.org.
See our class in action! https://youtu.be/8uWY7hi5c6U
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Being 100% fanatical about timeliness and attendance.
- Availability from 2:30-5:30 on days that you teach
- Personal vehicle (Required): The ability to transport and lift a loaded Teaching Kit of approximately 32”x18”x14” and approximately 40 pounds maximum into and out of your vehicle to the classroom. All materials, including a rolling cart will be provided.
- Deliver a full class independently from start to finish including meeting and guiding children to the classroom, set up, instruction and clean up.
- Establish a positive and inclusive classroom culture
- Maintain consistent and timely communication
- Semester-long commitment is required
WHAT DOES A REGULAR DAY LOOK LIKE?
- Each week, we have a new project.
- Before your class, you will receive a trunk (32”x18”x14”) of materials with a video projector and a memory stick with the project video.
- You will typically arrive at the school between 2:30 - 2:45, check in with the front office, gather your students and walk them to the classroom. You'll show the project video and hand out the materials. During the making process, you'll offer guidance and support based on what you learned in training. You'll stop class about 4:30 for clean up. Most classes end at 4:45 and parents will arrive for pickup. Each school procedure varies slightly.
- You'll need to do a final clean up which includes collecting and storing materials and tools, sweeping and wiping down tables.
- You should be leaving the school between 5:00-5:15.
- We will work out a convenient method for giving and receiving supplies.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ARCHITECTURE?
- Detailed knowledge of architecture is not required. We are teaching the design process and how to approach problem solving through design thinking - all of which we will teach you in training.
- The actual project prompt and curriculum will be delivered to students via a short project video that you will show at the beginning of class. You will be responsible for distribution of materials and guiding an open-ended design process where each student will create their own version of the project. We do not teach step-by-step procedures, but we do teach modelling techniques from time to time. If we are teaching a modelling technique, it will be simple and included in the project video.
- Our teachers are cheerleaders and mentors - there to guide students to the next level of thinking through the design process, overcome minor obstacles in making or help students see their work from a different point of view.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
- REQUIRED: Candidates must have a minimum of 1 year of experience with classroom management and/or teaching/coaching/mentoring elementary level children
- REQUIRED: Personal Vehicle
- REQUIRED: Candidates must pass a Criminal Background Check
- REQUIRED: High School Diploma
- REQUIRED: Valid Driver’s License
- Preferred (but not required) candidates will have completed or be currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in an education or design related field such as education, fine art, architecture, interior design or design thinking.
- Candidates must exhibit an excellent ability to engage children through dynamic and passionate action.
- Candidates must be able to quickly jump into independent teaching following training.
WHAT WE OFFER:
- $20-$30 per hour = $60-$90 per class based on number of students
- Prepared, concise curriculum and materials
- Classroom/Behavior management training in Positive Discipline
- A clear teaching philosophy to guide decisions and classroom culture including strategies for teaching design to K-5th graders
- Potential to teach indefinitely for Fall, Spring and Summer
Wicked Workshop is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and equity in the workplace.
Whew! That's a lot of information! Now we're excited to learn more about you!
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: $20.00 per hour
Application Question(s):
- How many years of teaching experience do you have with ages 5-12?
- Please consider this scenario and let us know how you might respond: Today’s project is to build a birdhouse out of unconventional “found” objects, like a bird would do. One of your best students looks upset – her birdhouse is “terrible” and she’s tossed it in the garbage can. What do you do?
Work Location: On the road
