Career Research Report: Art Teacher

art-teacher

[Thanks to Felicita for sharing career research on becoming an art teacher.]

The career that has interested me for the past few years is teaching art. I came up with this particular career choice when I began taking art courses at a local community college in 2005. I was intrigued by topics varying from art history to photography, from ceramics to painting. I was impressed at most of the instructors’ levels of skill, knowledge and passion for the subjects they taught.

Because I find art very stress relieving, an ideal career would be doing something that fueled my creativity. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized I also enjoy helping others. When I put the two together, I came up with art teacher as a possible career choice.

Once the thought blossomed, I asked my instructors why they chose to teach art. I learned that not all of them started there, and it wasn’t always easy. Some suggested that I look into teaching high school art because of the increased sense of security and stability that may be lacking as an entry-level college professor.

As I put more thought into it, I remembered that art usually is a high school elective and many students want to be there. I thought about my own experience in art classes during high school as positive, and those thoughts also contributed to my decision.

What I also like about this career choice is that there is always something new to develop. I can teach what I’m passionate about, and there’s always room for growth. No, it’s not my “dream” job, but it’s a decision I came up with because I wanted a Monday to Friday job with some stability, while doing something I like.

While I’m still toying with the possibility of either studying to be an art teacher for high school or college, I often see myself in both areas, and I would enjoy the opportunity of doing both.

From all of the assessments I’ve taken, along with knowing who I am, from experience and talking to others in this field, right now I know the foundations about my chosen career and believe I would be at my best doing this type of work for a long time.



Job Description: Art Teacher

Because I’m in limbo regarding whether to be a high school art teacher versus being a college art professor, I will address them both. From the Directory of Occupational Titles (DOT), the description of being an art teacher is as follows:

  • Instructs pupils in art, such as painting, sketching, designing, and sculpturing
  • Prepares lesson plans and establishes course goals
  • Selects books and art supplies for courses
  • Demonstrates method and procedure to pupils
  • Observes and evaluates pupils’ work to determine student progress or to make suggestions for improvement
  • Confers with student, parent and counselor to resolve student problem
  • Accompanies students on field trips to museums or art galleries
  • May specialize in teaching one or more areas of art, such as illustration, art history or commercial art
  • May direct planning and supervision of student contests and arranging of art exhibits
  • May teach students with disabilities
  • May be required to have certification from state

Job Description: High School Teacher

I’ve also included the DOT for teaching high school to get a clearer picture of what I would be doing in addition to the above activities:

  • Teaches one or more subjects to students in public or private secondary schools
  • Instructs students, using various teaching methods, such as lecture and demonstration, and uses audiovisual aids and other materials to supplement presentations
  • Prepares course objectives and outline for course of study following curriculum guidelines or requirements of state and school
  • Assigns lessons and corrects homework
  • Administers tests to evaluate pupil progress, records results, and issues reports to inform parents of progress
  • Keeps attendance records
  • Maintains discipline in classroom
  • Meets with parents to discuss student progress and problems
  • Participates in faculty and professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops
  • Performs related duties, such as sponsoring one or more activities or student organizations, assisting pupils in selecting course of study, and counseling student in adjustment and academic problems
  • May be identified according to subject matter taught
  • May be required to hold certification from state

Job Description: College or University Faculty

Teaching at the college level falls under another DOT category and adds more to the above descriptions:

  • Conducts college or university courses for undergraduate or graduate students
  • Teaches one or more subjects, such as economics, chemistry, law, or medicine, within prescribed curriculum
  • Prepares and delivers lectures to students
  • Compiles bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments
  • Stimulates class discussions
  • Compiles, administers, and grades examinations, or assigns this work to others
  • Directs research of other teachers or graduate students working for advanced academic degrees
  • Conducts research in particular field of knowledge and publishes findings in professional journals
  • Performs related duties, such as advising students on academic and vocational curricula, and acting as adviser to student organizations
  • Serves on faculty committee providing professional consulting services to government and industry

When reading the various job descriptions, I noticed that many of them intermingle and may be useful guides for teaching at any level. Teaching overall is a skill, and while high school students require a different approach than college level students, incorporating the different descriptions is helpful.

Work Environment

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the work environments for being a high school or college art teacher vary. Both require a classroom with studio space for students to complete projects. The studio space might be shared by more than one instructor.

When teaching high school students, I’d expect to be surrounded by teenagers most of the day, with minor interaction with other staff members. In college, the ages will range from high school age to the elderly.

Whether the environment is fast-paced or slower depends on the teacher and the group of students. Art isn’t typically done fast, so the atmosphere will typically be slower.

I also expect to face challenges and some stresses in both high school and college environments. Some schools are overcrowded and may not be comfortable; some students may be unruly, disruptive or disrespectful, which would require discipline. Overall, teachers are expected to have students “produce” and are held accountable for students to “exhibit satisfactory performance.”

Skills

Being an art teacher is just that: teaching. It not only requires the skill to do various forms of art, but it also entails a great amount of personal skills and characteristics:

“[Teachers require] the ability to communicate, inspire trust and confidence, and motivate students, as well as understand the students’ educational and emotional needs. Teachers must be able to recognize and respond to individual and cultural differences in students and employ different teaching methods that will result in higher student achievement. They should be organized, dependable, patient, and creative. Teachers also must be able to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with other teachers, support staff, parents, and members of the community. Private schools associated with religious institutions also desire candidates who share the values that are important to the institution.”

Education and Training

Being a high school teacher requires at least a BA, including credentials to teach. For example, at San Jose State University, they have an actual BA in preparedness for teaching art. That being said, getting a BA or BFA in a particular area of study (for example, painting) is also acceptable.

After obtaining a BA or BFA, I would need to get a Master’s credential in order to teach at the secondary school level for a specific subject, such as art. There are various schools that offer this specific credential, one example being San Jose State University.

Since I already have an AA in Studio Art, I have the necessary background and skills to continue to get a BA in studio art.

Teaching at the junior college level requires at least a Master’s degree, but no teaching credentials are needed.

Both levels require interning for a period of time as well.

Earnings

Typical earnings for art teachers in post secondary education range from $32,000 a year at entry level positions to $50,000 a year for more years of experience (www.payscale.com).

Typical earnings for teachers in high school range from $43,580 to $48,690; the lowest 10 percent earned $28,590 to $33,070; the top 10 percent earned $67,490 to $76,100 (www.bls.gov/ooh).

I don’t know if these earnings are typical for art teachers, but I assume that teachers are paid within the above salary ranges per subject:

“According to the American Federation of Teachers, beginning teachers with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $31,753 in the 2004–05 school year. The estimated average salary of all public elementary and secondary school teachers in the 2004–05 school year was $47,602.” (www.bls.gov/ooh)

Most teachers are part of a union. There are numerous associations that art teachers can be a part of depending on the state, city, or county you are in.

Reflection

Since I already have an AA in Studio Art, the best path to attaining my chosen career would be to continue my education. As of today, I would need to find a school to get my BA or BFA. If I choose to teach high school art first, I would need to find a credible program to get my Master’s credential for a single subject (art). If I choose to teach college art, I would have to continue my education and get an MFA. Getting an MFA would lead to more options, including teaching at the high school level as well.

The only thing I didn’t really know was how much an art teacher made, either high school or college level, but I always heard it “wasn’t much.” I was discussing this fact with my husband and remember that at the highest paying job I’ve had (in California), I was able to pay bills, including a car payment, pay rent, and have money for necessities and food all on $24,000 a year (and my husband did not work full time). So to me, the starting salary of a teacher is decent. And since I plan on continuing to do my own art, I can sell my work and continue doing murals, maybe even do private lessons, or take on other responsibilities at the school to earn extra income.

Even though I may not live fabulously, I would be doing what I’m passionate about and sharing it with others, which is far more important to me. After researching this career, I am still interested in becoming an art teacher, and the more I learn, the more I want to be one.

References




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  4. Informational Interview Report: College Art Instructor (2)
  5. Informational Interview Report: Middle School Teacher