MightyRecruiterHistory teachers are responsible for educating secondary and post-secondary students with academic lessons in social studies, historiography, human history and current events, typically with a concentration on the United States or world. They help prepare pupils for life after school by fostering critical thinking, problem-solving and an awareness of how historical events have shaped today’s social and political climate.
Beyond delivering content necessary to pass state-mandated standardized testing, history teachers must uphold a classroom environment that motivates and challenges students of all backgrounds and abilities. As you are creating your history teacher job description, be sure to specify the need for patience, adaptability and active listening.
In addition to meeting education and professional requirements, you are seeking a skilled communicator capable of inspiring and building excellent rapport with students and fellow faculty. Reference our history teacher job description template below to get ideas on what to include in your posting.
History Teacher Job Summary
Are you a passionate educator who loves to share knowledge in a way that motivates students and influences their lives well after graduation? Are you an unapologetic history buff who wants to challenge the way young people see and experience the world? If so, you may be an excellent fit for our open position as a history teacher. Our school offers an intellectually stimulating, creative and inclusive environment designed to give teachers the freedom they need to innovate and prepare students for today’s modern challenges. As a valued faculty member of our history department, you will have a direct impact on each student in your classes.
Job Responsibilities
- Plan and deliver lessons on the history of the United States and world for the day, week, semester and year to students, utilizing creative and engaging techniques
- Prepare academic materials, including homework assignments, syllabi and instructional handouts; report to the department chair monthly regarding the effectiveness of concepts
- Facilitate classroom discussions and encourage the participation of all students, incorporating relevant reading and current events
- Grade papers, tests and homework, monitoring progress and adapting lesson plans to meet students’ needs
- Assess individual strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of each student, addressing issues as needed
- Maintain working knowledge of state-set standardized tests and prepare students to take and pass each, instilling confidence in their capability to demonstrate knowledge gained during the school year
- Uphold clearly communicated rules and behavior expectations for a disciplined and inclusive classroom setting
- Communicate with parents when necessary regarding noteworthy achievements, academic challenges, special considerations or concerns you feel their child needs to succeed
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor’s degree in education or history
- State-issued certification or teaching license
- One semester of student teaching
- Ability to pass a background check and CPR training
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in education and/or history
- One year of prior teaching experience
History Teacher Job Responsibilities
When writing your history teacher job description, it’s important that your job responsibilities section is exceptionally crafted and well organized. Job candidates will learn here what employers expect of them on a day-to-day basis. You should write this section clearly and concisely to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding. Failure to do so can often result in unfit applicants, or, worse, a misunderstanding in the hiring process.
As mentioned before, a bulleted format is ideal in this section of your history teacher job description. Bullets will make this section much easier to skim and understand, therefore providing jobseekers with the knowledge they need to verify whether or not they can perform the duties expected of them. This list should be thorough but not exhaustive. Focus mainly on the core responsibilities and not side tasks. Also, be sure to start each bullet with a strong action verb to help the candidates visualize themselves performing these duties.
Here are a few examples of well-written history teacher job responsibilities:
- Prepare course materials in advance, such as syllabi and coursework
- Facilitate classroom discussions that encourage participation and critical thought
- Evaluate students’ performance, both in lecture participation and homework
- Conduct research and study regularly in your particular field of history to keep lectures and discussions relevant
History Teacher Job Specifications
It’s easy to judge the job qualifications and skills section of your history teacher job description as the quick and simple portion of the writing. It’s the shortest section of the document and merely contains the minimum requirements to fulfill the position, such as prior work experience, education, hard and soft skills and any relevant certifications.
However, it’s crucial that this section is just as clearly written and engaging as the others. Your job qualifications and skills section can be the difference between a steady stream of qualified applicants or an inbox overflowing with resumes from jobseekers without any higher education or relevant work experience to speak of.
This situation can be easily avoided by speaking with your senior leadership about the position. Ask them which skills or qualifications are absolutely non-negotiable and which are simply preferences, and separate the two neatly and clearly in your history teacher job description. This will give candidates a clear picture of the expectations for considerations for the position, and whether or not they have what it takes to apply.
Here are some history teacher job specifications:
- Doctoral or professional degree
- An extensive knowledge of historical events and their causes, as well as their effect on today’s culture
- Fundamental understanding of basic principles of psychology, especially in the behavior of learners and comprehension
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills
