What does an art teacher do?

Art teachers help students express themselves in a creative ways. They specialize in teaching art to various age groups from preschool to high school. They use art to help students develop basic concepts essential to lifelong learning. They work in private or public schools and teach a variety of aspects of art, such as, basic concept, history, different cultures and techniques.

Art teachers engage students in a variety of tasks such as mixing colors when painting in preschool to representational drawing in high school. Different mediums are used, including sculpture, paint, pen and ink, computer art, printmakingf and modeling to expand the student’s awareness and heighten imagination.

Most art teachers use a hands-on approach so students can gain sensory experience with different materials, which helps students think abstractly and develop critical reasoning. Art teachers create lesson plans on art and evaluate students’ performance with activities, projects, assignments and tests. They may also evaluate a student’s portfolio to determine the overall progress that has been made over time. Click here to learn how to become an art teacher online.

What kind of training does an art teacher need?

Art teachers must earn a bachelor degree in education with specialization in art. There are usually specific degrees for the different levels of education such as a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Education in Secondary Education. Some art teachers have a bachelor degree in fine arts, studio arts, art history, visual arts, or related field partnered with a degree in education. Most programs require a student-teaching portion. Some preschool positions may not require a bachelor degree, but candidates must have sufficient experience. Click here for a list of online art education degree programs.

Public school teachers must be licensed by the state in which they choose to teach. There are specific licenses for each education level and consist of supervised training and proficiency exams. Currently, most states offer alternative tracks for students who have college degrees in other areas. Most private schools do not require art teacher licensing, but a bachelor degree is still required. To further their education and development, art teachers may obtain an art teaching certificate.

What are the prospects for a career as an art teacher?

Employment opportunities for teachers of all levels, which includes art teacher jobs, is expected to increase about as fast as average, approximately 12% between 2006 and 2016, adding 479,000 additional jobs from the 4 million jobs held in 2006. (1)

Prospects are projected to be favorable for art teaching jobs, depending on the location and grade level. Art teacher positions in urban and rural school districts will have especially good prospects for art education graduates. Click here to find your path to an art teacher career.

How much do art teachers make?

Currently, the middle 50% of public school teachers, earn annual salaries between $43,680 and $58,034 with the highest 10% earning more than $65,293 annually. (2) This includes art teacher salary.

A career as an art teacher is a good choice for people who have an interest in art and want to use it to help students express themselves in imaginative and creative ways. Click here to get a list of programs to get your art education degree online.