This week, I came across a question in an online art teacher forum from a principal inquiring about becoming an art teacher. The person was certified, yet admitted they had little art-making experience, lacked a stash of art lessons, and felt unable to put a portfolio together. I am going out on a limb and suggest that this person is not yet ready to become an art teacher.
A typical response when a person hears you are an art teacher is, “Oh, that must be so much fun!” It is. And it isn’t. It’s nothing like the person thinks, but it’s usually not the moment to educate them. If you are really interested in becoming an art teacher, though, let’s talk. Right now. Lean in.
You may be a student of mine, thinking about college and asking me this question. Perhaps you were always artistic, but you majored in something else and are now considering pursuing a master’s degree in art education. You may be an art major considering a career as an art teacher at a private school, where certification is not required. Or you are a principal who has no idea how to create art and has received a license through some back door. Whoever you are, you probably have some misconceptions about becoming an art teacher. Let’s clear up some of those.
It’s fun! It can be fun. But that’s not the first word I would use. Students aren’t always well-behaved and don’t come to school prepared to learn. Teachers often lack access to the best equipment and supplies. Scratch that, it should read, “You don’t always have access to equipment or supplies needed to teach.” Please remind me to tell you how I managed teaching about 120 students for 185 days (not one snow day, my first year) with a budget of zero dollars. Fun isn’t the word I would reach for.
“But, compared to Math and Science and “hard” subjects like that, it must be…fun!” That word again, fun. I think art is fun, but that’s because I love it. A math teacher thinks math is fun. A science teacher thinks science is fun. But not every student feels the same. Some students resent art due to feelings of inadequacy with their skills, vulnerability from the expressive nature of art, and self-consciousness around their peers.
Additionally, some students struggle to behave appropriately in a studio-style classroom. Getting up and getting one’s own supplies can be a dizzying amount of freedom for some teens or tweens. I’m not joking here. And I am not even touching the students who might be headed to jail, rehab, or a psychiatric ward. I am also not kidding here.
Students are complicated. I grew up in a house where we didn’t talk back without consequences. School wasn’t an optional event. And grades mattered. I was shocked to discover that this is not the case in many homes in America. Maybe I was ignorant. Maybe I was sheltered. My first year teaching was eye-opening. Children can experience a lot of trauma and dysfunction in their young lives, and it is all baggage they bring with them.
Students also have their own personalities. Not always good ones. Sometimes it’s the teenage attitude and immaturity that a child will grow out of, but sometimes, your personality may not jive with a student’s. A wise person told me, “It’s OK not to like a student.” You do need to show up daily and not let that show.
The same applies to the adults in the building. Educators, on the whole, are a great bunch of people. Are there some bad apples? Yes. Some administrators don’t support the arts. Some teachers felt entitled to use the art room as their personal supply cabinet. And there will be parents whose names you dread to see in your inbox.
Art doesn’t matter?! I know, what? Where do they get this? You can encounter this attitude in subtle and not-so-subtle ways from all players, including students, parents, fellow teachers, and even your administration. You will face this daily, all year, for your entire career. It doesn’t matter how many students you churn out who attend art school and secure jobs. It doesn’t matter how many career exploration units you do. Or how many guidance people you invite to your college admission representative visits. Art isn’t seen as necessary, and we are the first subject on the cutting board. Art educators certainly know better. Yet, to be an art teacher is to be desperately needed to create materials like posters, flyers, bulletin boards, and murals for your school. At the same time, your job security is always in question.
It’s Easy. Teaching is surprisingly complex, with numerous moving parts. As an art teacher, the creative part of you thinks, “I want to do a Calder-style mobile!” and the logical part of you is asking, “Where could I possibly store 100 Art I 3d projects in a classroom the size of some people’s living room? How can I teach perspective to 25 students with 20 rulers without it devolving into a sword fight? What are you going to do with the paint palettes of 25 students when a fire alarm sounds at the end of the period and the school sends them to their next-period class?
Art teachers may not have the same volume of papers to correct as an English teacher. Conversely, that English teacher will never have a sore thumb from tacking hundreds of artworks up for the annual spring art show. You will likely not find any other teacher who has asked to create a mural, write calligraphy for award certificates, and so on. Our talents aren’t limited to the classroom for sure! We also have materials to order, unpack, sort, store, maintain, and inventory. Our science lab teachers can relate!
Still want to be an art teacher? Great. We’ve dispelled some common myths and prepared you for some realities. There are many wonderful and rewarding aspects to being an art educator, some of which you can anticipate and some that you can’t. The truth is, they aren’t the reasons people leave the field. There are reasons people stay, and they will be the topic of a future post. So, what is your best path to becoming an art teacher?
Love art and make art. There should be a lot of time making art under your belt. Take a wide variety of media while in school. Take art history as well. If you haven’t done those things, you will never be a good art teacher. Ms. Principal, who wanted to take a sudden, sharp turn and become an art teacher, will likely not be a good art teacher even if she can somehow land a job. She may be certified and knowledgeable about education, but she has not been an artist or an art lover. You have to put in the practice of making art in the same way an athlete needs to train or a violin player needs to practice on the violin to become accomplished.
Become certified. Not everyone teaching art is certified but it will help you in most instances. Some art teachers work in private schools without certification, but they are often encouraged or mandated to obtain certification. Having certification will open up possibilities for working at various levels and in diverse settings. Teaching skills can certainly be picked up along the way, but it is much harder to learn on the job.
You need some experience. I worked at a summer art camp to try it out. I am not sure why Ms. Principal wasn’t knocking on her school’s art teacher’s door, asking to observe. Most art education college programs require you to spend time in the classroom observing and later, in a student teaching or practicum setting.
Have an art education portfolio. While student teaching, take numerous photographs. Of projects, of displays, of you teaching, etc. Keep rubrics, handouts, etc. All of this can be included in your art education portfolio, which you will bring to interviews. Have a website in addition. Have a resume. Have an interview outfit. I have separate blog posts for almost every aspect of landing an art education job.
Is art education a career for you? If you’ve made it to the end of this post and haven’t been put off yet, congratulations! This may be a career path for you! Like anyone embarking on a new career, only time will tell. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published a 2015 study examining the number of jobs a person held between the ages of 18 and 50. It turns out that the average person has 12 jobs! And from 3 to 7 different career paths are estimated. I have loved being an art teacher, but, like every career, there exist both aspects we love and aspects that are frustrating. It is, after all, called “work” for a reason. As we think about what you might start the year with, we often naturally turn to collaborative project ideas. Why use collaborative projects? Well, first, it is a great way to get to know your students. Who are the leaders? Who has good communication skills? What personalities work well together, or don’t work well together?
Related content at My Art Lesson
Art Lessons and the Art Education Portfolio
Resume Advice for Art Teachers Part I: Content
Resume Advice for Art Teachers Part II: Design
