Have you ever thought about what you will do when everything around you is innovated with science’s wondrous deeds 🧠? Art is the thing that will communicate with you, share your thoughts, and express your emotions.
Through the ages, art has developed with humanity’s progress. The Renaissance transformed paintings, but it didn’t become soulless–it became more meaningful, richer in emotion and expression.
This showcases that the art won’t be replaced or overshadowed by technology. Instead, it continues to thrive as a vital part of human culture and creativity.
Do you have a passion to inspire someone to do art? If so, then how do you become an art teacher to inspire a whole upcoming generation?
Do you wanna know? If yes, then I’ve created this guide on how to become an art teacher with or without a Bachelor’s degree for you.
What Does an Art Teacher Do?
An art teacher teaches students how to draw, take photographs, paint, and create unique sculptures and ceramics.
Further, art teachers design engaging art curricula while selecting appropriate materials and building projects that will ignite creativity for students. Such curricula will meet the educational standards within various artistic media, including music, painting, and drawing.
Art teaching isn’t only a trend to be an art teacher, but it’s a proper career path for many, especially for artistic brains. 74.5% of art teachers are women, and only 25.5% are men; as a result, women art teachers make 97% more than what men make.
6 Core Art Teacher Skills for A Successful Art Teaching Career
Art teaching is all about helping students express themselves in a creative and engaging way, for which teachers require skills.
- Classroom Management Skills – To Teach Effectively
- Communication Skills – To Provide Clear Instructions
- Craft Skills – To Inspire Creativity
- Interpretive Skills – To Lead Art Discussions
- Creative Skills – To Demonstrate Artistic Concepts
- Digital Literacy – To Introduce New Helping Tech-Tools
The most important skills that every teacher should have are classroom management skills to teach students effectively.
Further, these skills enable you to create a positive learning environment where your students will feel engaged, productive, and focused.
An art teaching job is full of challenges because an art teacher often has to provide instructions to students clearly.
That’s something that can’t be done without communication skills, which will allow you to instruct your students, solve conflicts, and spread new art ideas.
Art teachers are artists first. They create their own ways to craft things, which will enable them to demonstrate new crafting techniques to students.
Moreover, you can share their expertise on developing ideas, color palettes, and sketches to improve your students’ engagement in learning art.
Interpretive skills are all about understanding, analyzing, and sharing the true meaning of information or an idea, including visual media.
Further, interpreting art is a skill that can only be developed after years of practice and formal training.
These skills will enable you to provide feedback on your students’ work and help them create their own methods for drawing.
Art teachers need to come up with new art ideas that will keep students engaged with learning new artistic approaches.
These skills allow art teachers to demonstrate artistic concepts to their students and help them learn how to make the most out of a resource as well.
Technology affects education sector positively, as it provides educators with several digital forums to get the most out of learning.
Digital literacy allows teachers to navigate the technological resources and choose the right ones to make the most out of art.
For instance, interactive whiteboards, 3D modeling and animation software, and Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) integration.
That’s the way, teachers can advocate for their students’ art better because this generation is way ahead of its time, because of technology. Art teachers can showcase their students’ artwork to boost their morale. Here is an example:
Art Teacher Responsibilities for Classroom Success
A teacher is responsible for treating everyone equally, creating a positive learning environment, engaging students, and doing their best. But society expects more from an art teacher, specifically. Here is what:
- Develop Level-Suitable Learning Curricula
- Spark Enthusiasm and Talent
- Introduce Art Techniques
- Offer Critique
- Monitor Progress
An art teacher needs to develop level-suitable learning activities or curricula to keep students engaged in learning art.
For instance, a Kindergarten student will only stay hooked when they get their level-suitable activities, and 1st- 12th grade students demand their curricula.
As an art teacher, society and institutions demand that you spark enthusiasm and talent within your students.
For example, you’re a music teacher and if your students ain’t influenced by your voice, then why are you there?
Art teachers have to share their art techniques that they have built from experience and formal training.
This is expected of you to save students’ time and money that they will spend while learning from other places, training, and practice.
Most importantly, you need to offer critique skills to your students to help them develop a better understanding of a masterpiece.
They will have the ability to appreciate good art with a profound sense of analysis while improving their own art.
Lastly, you are expected to monitor the progress of your students regularly and reward them based on their productivity.
Along with that, you have to offer parents student progress reports at the end of a test.
How to Become an Art Teacher for Elementary School
Here is the complete guide on how to be an art teacher for an entry-level job to start your career.
- Earn Bachelor’s Degree
- Pass Licensing Tests
- Apply for Certification
- Art Teaching Positions
Firstly, you need an art teacher degree, which refers to a Bachelor’s of Arts or Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, to start the journey.
A Bachelor’s degree is often a 4-year-long education process for students where they learn about multiple aspects of art.
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in art, many States require you to pass 2 tests for an art teaching license.
One is a basic educational competency exam that tests your reading, writing, and math skills.
The second is an art instruction specific test that tests your art making, art history, and art theory.
When you pass the tests, you will get a teaching license from your specific State.
Once you are done with getting a degree, passing tests, and training students, or practicing your art, you need to apply for certification.
Apply for an art teacher certificate from your state to have a single document that will reflect your credentials.
Now, it’s time to apply for art teaching positions because you have completed all the requirements to be an art teacher.
There are multiple options for you to join, whether elementary schools, colleges, or universities, to start your art teaching career.
Start by preparing your CV or Resume, along with writing a cover letter, and send them to the institute head.
Proven Tips to Stay Relevant in Art Teaching
Here are some tips to stay relevant in art teaching, which will lead you to a successful art teaching career.
- Design Ideas – To Develop Creative Thinking
- Heat Up Empathy – To Emotion Growth
- Be an Art Leader – To Creative Journey
- Feed Your Creativity – To Inspire
As an art teacher, you need to design and create new ideas instead of mimicking old and traditional ideas.
This will help you implement the art techniques to create something new and inspiring for others.
Along with cultivating a positive learning environment for students, heat up empathy to make students attach with you.
Further, if they get attached to you, then they will showcase their creative work and express their ideas to you.
You have to listen to your students and make a flexible environment for them, and advocate for their artwork.
When they have any conflict or idea to work on and do not understand how, they will connect to you.
No doubt! Art teachers have a busy routine and hardly get time for themselves, which may cause a lack of creativity.
That makes them less artistic and less inspiring, which isn’t a suitable thing for art teachers.
Therefore, they need to feed their creativity to stay at the top of artistic approaches in the world of art.
I was scrolling through Instagram and found an interesting meme about the busy schedule of ART TEACHERS! Look at this, 😂😂😂
Art Teacher Salary Insights to Know If It’s Worthy
The average art teacher salary at entry level is $4,533/month. However, every school or college has its policy to pay teachers from the lowest $2,141 to $9,596 per month.
In addition, if you’re not happy with the pay, you can choose additional methods to make more money.
The phrase “Those Who Can, Do; Those Who Can’t, Teach” isn’t a universal truth, as art teachers are artists first.
In this case, they have more opportunities to make money; here are some:
- Sell Your Art: You can create your own art and sell them to wealthy individuals to make good money.
- Teach More Students Independently: Try teaching more students privately, whether at your home or on online platforms.
- Pursue an Extra Job: If you have time from your busy art teaching schedule, then you may go for an extra job.
- Provide Summer Classes: You can provide summer classes to individuals to add more paychecks to your salary.
Top Art Teacher Jobs to Start Your Career – 6 Picks
Here are the 6 best art teacher jobs to start your career and improve yourself to get a promotion.
- Art Instructor – Entry Level Job
- Elementary Art Teacher – Primary School Level Job
- Secondary Art Teacher – Middle and High School Level Job
- Art Professor – Collegiate Level Educator
- Head of Art Department – Leadership Level Job
- Art Education Consultant – An Expert Role
Before You Go
As you have decided to share your passion with the upcoming generation as an art teacher, you’re on a fruitful journey. You should know that you’re not only teaching them how to paint or draw, but how to see the world differently.
Along with that, they will learn how they can present their ideas, think critically, and express their emotions boldly. So, step into the classroom with an aim to spark creativity and innovation in young brains.
Art has the power to inspire, heal, and transform—and so do you.
People Also Ask
You need 4 years of a bachelor’s degree in art, training, license test preparation, which concludingly take almost 6 years to become an art instructor.
An art teacher is usually called an art instructor or art educator in the school.
An art teacher makes an average of $26.46/hour in the United States to live a better life.
You need a bachelor’s degree in Art Education or a related degree to be an art instructor in a school.
Generally, you need an art educational degree, a license, and training to be an art teacher.
