High School Photography and Visual Arts Teacher

TASIS Philosophy : Truth - Goodness - Beauty

For 65 years, TASIS has been inspiring global citizens. Our School motto, verum, bonum, pulchrum, translates to “truth, goodness, and beauty,” concepts that guide the way we approach education as a School. We are keen on attracting and retaining educators who share our commitment to the TASIS mission and philosophy. This includes encouraging timeless human values and our common humanity; inspiring internationalism; teaching traditional subject matter and a knowledgerich curriculum; embracing beauty, manners, and loving-kindness; focusing on the moral dimension to education; and embracing the spirit of American pedagogy. 

The TASIS Employee: Compassion - Excellence - Commitment

The successful TASIS employee keeps the tenets of truth, goodness, and beauty in everything he or she does. This philosophy guides our teaching, our interactions with students and colleagues, our communication with parents, and our commitment to the School. TASIS teachers dedicate themselves to continuous improvement, particularly in curriculum and pedagogy. They remain positive, professional, and even constructively critical when necessary. They demonstrate an “all-in” attitude and understand that supporting each other is crucial to a successful school. Most importantly, successful TASIS teachers are passionate about working with students. 

Definition of a Full-Time Faculty Member

• Teach five classes
• Be an advisor (which includes advisor meetings, assemblies, and any additional HS activities)
• Chaperone/lead at least one HS/MS Academic Travel trip a year and be available for the two long Academic Travel weekends (November and February)
• Hold office hours to provide support for students as per the HS schedule
• Provide additional extra help to students as needed
• Be prepared to be called upon to substitute for colleagues up to two times per week
• Be prepared to pick up duties in another division if needed
• Complete a supervision duty once a week (possible duties include lunch supervision, drop-off or departure duty, uniform checks, snack bar duty)
• Be available until 17:00 on Wednesdays for School meetings and collaboration
• Attend meetings and fulfill assignments at the discretion of the School administration that are commonly considered routine within the profession
• Supervise the test make-up center once per semester or twice per year
• Serve detention duty once per semester or twice per year
• Follow the School’s substitution policies
• Be available for parent-teacher conferences once per year
• Be available for and/or chaperone additional events when faculty presence is needed (including but not limited to Student Orientation, Family Weekend, Prom, and Graduation)
• Chaperone the Boat Dance if a first-year or second-year faculty member, DA, or Weekend Activities Team member
• Arrive trained and current in First Aid and CPR (reimbursed by the School)
• Agree to follow and uphold all Student Protection policies

Professional Qualifications

• At least a Bachelor’s degree or similar
• Classroom teacher certification/qualification to teach the relevant grade levels and subjects
• A minimum of three years of recent and relevant experience in a comparable school environment
• Excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written

Desired Attitudes

• Committed to diversity and inclusiveness
• Understands and respects cultural differences
• Empathetic and compassionate towards others
• Collaborative and encouraging with students and colleagues
• Flexible and open to change
• Takes ownership and learns from mistakes
• Comfortable managing complex situations
• Inspires and challenges students
• Creates a positive and supportive classroom environment where students can thrive • Takes the initiative to foster consistent self-enrichment
• Demonstrates authentic engagement with his or her growth and development as a teacher and contributes to that of colleagues
• Welcomes classroom observations by peers and supervisors as a tool for self-improvement
• Contributes to and supports life at TASIS through involvement in school activities and events and participation in our thriving school community

Contract Duration

10- or 12-month contract (dependent upon the Swiss work permit)

Housing: Two Options

TASIS housing: A variety of housing options are available through the School; rent and other costs are deducted from the monthly salary.

Local housing:

TASIS can help you find local housing, though as with TASIS housing you will be responsible for rent and other costs.

Work Permit Information

Work permits are for 10 or 12 months depending on nationality. Work permits are mandatory for any work activity in Switzerland.

TASIS covers all work permit costs for part-time or full-time employees and residence permit costs for non-working spouses and children.  

Salary Structure

Our salary structure is made up of monetary compensation (base salary) and a number of monetary and non-monetary benefits. For information about benefits, please refer to the Benefits to TASIS Faculty brochure.

The salary structure is based on the number of full-time years of teaching and level of education. 

The TASIS salary structure ensures a minimum salary is met for all employees. It is based on the number of full-time years of teaching and level of education. Every five years, the employee can expect a “bump” of CHF 4,000, and additional multipliers are possible. In addition, every year the School evaluates the cost of living and assesses the overall financial health of the School, which may result in an annual adjustment.

Additional Remuneration

TASIS has a number of activities that are attached to remuneration. These include dorm parenting, tutoring, coaching, service learning, leading after-school activities, and more.

If you are interested in being a dorm parent, please see the Dorm Parent job description. The stipend for this role is set at CHF 20,000 per year. 

Swiss Social Security

For information about Swiss social security contributions, please refer to this website. All social security contributions will be deducted each month from your gross salary.

Taxes

All employees are taxed in Switzerland. Rates are dependent upon age, marital status, and dependents. Taxes at the source will be deducted each month from your gross salary, if applicable.