Art teachers assist students in learning art history, providing effective openings for pupils to make their art by discovering their artistic creativity.
Teachers of arts should have an intense zeal for the subject and enjoy instructing all sorts of demographics.
Want to become an art teacher? Read our all-inclusive guide! You'll find everything in it, from becoming a successful art teacher to what exactly they do, and much more!
How to Teach Art and Become a Teacher
Teaching art can be a lot of fun, provided you do it right. Every year, more and more students are entering this field. Since the number of students is growing exponentially, so is the demand for art teachers.
Becoming an art teacher requires you to cross a series of stages. From developing artistic skills to acquiring a professional degree and more, there are multiple phases that you need to overcome to become an art teacher.
Here's your step by step guide to become an art teacher:
Develop Multiple Artistic Skills
Art teachers have to exhibit proficiency in numerous art forms. From oil painting to charcoal to clay to watercolor and others, they need to demonstrate expertise in most if not all of these mediums.
In addition, both universities and colleges provide a range of art courses where pupils can explore their interests. So you have to offer more than just a limited field of expertise to receive employment with them.
Get a Bachelors' Degree
So here's the million-dollar question: 'what kind of professional degree do you require to become a qualified art teacher?'
Traditionally, many people who want to teach professional arts finish a bachelor's degree in an arts program.
These programs typically include courses that emphasize pedagogical themes such as curriculum development and educational psychology and lessons that help develop and improve art skills.
Apart from getting a bachelor's degree, many learners aiming to become art professors complete a teacher-education program.
In addition, many students focus on a specific aspect of art-related fields, like graphic arts, digital art, painting, or history. Accordingly, lessons and classes may vary.
Finish a Teacher-Education Program
Bachelor's degree in arts typically includes teacher-education prep programs as well. Courtesy of this, university or college pupils can quickly get credentials and start teaching skills after graduation.
Teaching-education programs require learners to finish additional courses in classroom management, teaching methods, and lesson planning.
In addition, learners will have to teach art at schools under a professional, licensed teacher's supervision who will carefully watch them and provide constructive feedback about improving teaching skills.
This allows pupils to implement learned techniques and methods and earn experience in teaching, which is vital for your future success.
Acquire a Professional Teacher's Certification
The conditions for earning a professional certification in teaching vary from state to state. However, most states only give certificates to candidates who have finished their formal education programs.
States also want applicants to pass a basic skill test in reading and math. Additionally, they need to demonstrate their competency in media, design, and art as well.
Numerous tests exist that evaluate the expertise of a likely teacher, like the "Praxis test," "California Basic Educational Skills Test," and "West-B Skills Tests." If you pass these tests, they will confer you a certification in teaching.
Different states utilize such assessments to provide teaching certifications. Some require potential teachers to have professional training in "special education" as well, notwithstanding whether they plan to teach it or not.
Public schools, colleges, and universities often only hire art teachers with professional teaching certifications, making these qualifications essential.
Conversely, private schools, colleges, and community colleges might not need these certifications to teach arts. Instead, they might have an altogether different set of criteria that is even harder to satisfy.
Gain Teaching Experience
Volunteering as a teacher for children's programs, finishing an internship, or teaching as a temporary art teacher may give potential art instructors invaluable networking opportunities and teaching experience.
The more experience you garner, the likelier it will increase your chances of getting hired as a professional art teacher in a school, college, or university.
You can discover such employment opportunities through school boards, online job listings, and advertisements. Please take advantage of them and rapidly garner experience.
Are you also wondering: how much do art teachers make? Well, the average annual wage is $49,030 or $23.3 per hour, so do keep that in mind when making this your full-time gig.
What Do Art Teachers Do Exactly?
Art teachers or professors have to devise projects and lessons, ensuring adequate tools and supplies for their pupils.
They perform their artwork with various materials, such as paints, paper, clay, canvases, pencils, textiles, and dyes. They can also utilize computers or laptops, particularly when they're learning about digital art.
When teaching novices, art instructors have to emphasize the basics, so the student follows.
They have to show how to make art using different mediums and the theoretical work of evaluating the content. All these areas will be covered simultaneously and not separately.
The duties of an art instructor vary as per the student's level. For example, middle or elementary school art classes are pretty basic compared to high school ones.
Art teaching in art centers is typically geared towards adults. However, it's an excellent option for art instructors who don't like teaching kids and specialize in their courses rather than covering predetermined school curricula.
Moreover, art instructors will also have a chance to work alongside earnest art students. Nevertheless, the educational path provides art teachers to instruct courses that lie within their domain.
In addition to that, they are part-time artists and critics, impacting how forthcoming art trends evolve.
Art Teacher Abilities to Acquire
Art teachers are expected to do more than teach arts. Their job involves a range of other essential skills as well. Wondering what those abilities are?
Here are a few critical skills that all art teachers must acquire:
Art Skills
To teach art courses, you should have expertise in a range of different artistic methods. Then, you can help students learn numerous things such as how to paint, draw, make three-dimensional articles with clay, and more.
While your specialization may be ceramics or porcelain, your studio time and undergraduate coursework should be dedicated to various mediums.
This is important because pupils will likely find a connection with only one method. You hold power to introduce them to different artistic expressions.
Classroom Management
Art classes may need a closely managed environment, particularly with junior pupils. You have to grab their attention and draw their undivided focus to the tasks at hand.
Instructional Skill
Art is an intricate process. Therefore, you'll have to instruct your students thoroughly on every step. Apart from that, you'll also have to find innovative ways to get uninterested pupils to find art lessons engaging and interactive.
Organization
Regardless of whether you're an art teacher or a science teacher, you've got to keep a high degree of organization. This includes both your classroom and art lessons.
Though most art teachers keep their classrooms neat and clean, you've must ensure your room isn't only neat but organized as well. In case it's disordered, chances are the pupils will turn it into something much worse.
Objectivity
Art is subjective by nature, which means not all students will share the same artistic sensibilities as yours. Therefore, it's essential to have the objectivity to give severe and convincing feedback and grades.
Fundraising
It's a glaring fact that most schools in the US are finding it hard to provide sufficient resources to teachers and professors alike. It's even more apparent for art instructors, who often don't get enough resources for their classes.
Thus, they have to seek creative methods to fund their essential art supplies. You can avail grants and undertake other independent fundraising efforts. Make sure to check with the principal of the school to ensure it's legal.
Alternative Paths
To bridge the gaps on college/school faculty rosters, most states' "Boards of Education" have permitted districts to pull new teachers or professors with alternative paths to licensing.
Thus, if you've got a degree in arts but don't have teacher-education prep coaching, you can become an art teacher anyway.
They will have to prove you're the only deserving candidate and that you're pursuing the prep coursework from the state-approved program.
This will be highly helpful if you've been attached to your artwork somehow, mainly if you've been providing private classes or instructing your targeted audience in the community center.
You'll have to pursue education courses by night while instructing full-time in the daytime when you take this path.
In addition to that, you should also take "Praxis 1 and 2" tests. You'll be connected to a trainer who will be observing you in the classroom and providing constructive criticism.
This alternative path is one of the most effective ways to earn both money and fulfillment. Most states provide alternatives to erstwhile military personnel, and the program is titled "Troops to Teachers."
Thus, If you're retiring from your long military service, teaching provides you with a new career to follow and remain active and fulfilled for the rest of your life.
Become an Art Teacher Today!
Looking for art lessons near you? Superprof is the easiest way to find a tutor suited for you. Alternatively, if you want to learn about the ins and outs of teaching art, then Superprof has all the answers!
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i want to be a Art teacher in Finish
Im in Sri lanka..I have a Fine Arts Degree University of Visual And Performing Art at sri lanka.. Im governmet Art teacher in Sri lanka.I like to fly Finish. Can you help me how to be A Art Teacher in Finish.
Thank you
J.A.Y.Wasanthi
Hello, you can send an email to hey@superprof.com to help you get started as an online tutor.
Hi! Iam a self taught art teacher but I need to get my paper qualifications in order to start teaching art as a subject. How do I gets bout doing that ? What’s your programme called and how long is your program please ? Wesfarmers the course fee please ?ja this an online course ?
Hello Kinkini, thank you for your interest in Superprof! You can send an email to hey@superprof.com to help you get started as an online tutor.