Art teachers spend their time instructing students on how to be better at drawing, painting, sculpting, and other artistic activities. Art teachers also help students become more creative and find new ways of looking at things. Becoming an art teacher is a great way to inspire the next generation of artists, or even spark an interest in art in someone who has no artistic ability. The following is a list of steps to take in order to become an art teacher.
Get the required skills
Art teachers are always in-demand. Teachers at the lower grades get the children prepared for future public school teachers, so they need to be able to teach well and provide good examples of creativity for their students to emulate. Art has been taught in schools since kindergarten was made mandatory about 100 years ago, so it is fair to say that an art teacher is always wanted.
Being an art teacher means learning how to guide students through lessons, but it also means becoming knowledgeable in the skills which you might be teaching.You’ll need to know drawing, painting, color theory and more before getting into the classroom. It’s not just about knowing how to do something; it’s about knowing how to teach it.
Get a Bachelor or Masters Degree
People often wonder why they need to get a degree in art education if they’re already an artist. The main reason is because of the subjects that need to be covered, such as child development and educational theory. An online master of teaching program can provide you with all of this knowledge and more, which you will use to become an excellent teacher. This degree will allow you to teach at all levels, from elementary school to high school and even college, which is one of the biggest benefits of being highly educated.
Once you’ve finished your degree in art education, there are many different opportunities available to you. For example, you can teach in schools, or even start your own private studio if you wish. Another option would be to get a job at an art gallery or museum, where you could help curate exhibits and expand the arts for others.
Pass licensing tests
Before applying for teaching positions, it is important that you are aware of the requirements needed to become an art teacher. These guidelines are put into place because these professionals require special training in order to teach children about arts and crafts at school. Asides from having a bachelor or master’s degree from an accredited college or university, you need to pass licensing tests and obtain a state-recognized license.
For example, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offers certification in art, so after being licensed you will be eligible to teach at various schools across the country. Before teaching students how to paint or draw, art teachers must first pass licensing tests so they are prepared to teach their crafts.
Apply for certification
Applying for certification to become an art teacher is important because it helps you gain experience in the field that will increase your likelihood of succeeding as a teacher. It also gives you the benefit of being recognized by your state, which opens doors to teaching positions and earning higher salaries.
Certification is an important step if you want to become an art teacher because it enhances your chances of success at landing the job you’ve always wanted, and makes you eligible for better job opportunities. Once you have been certified, you’ll need to gain student teacher experience.
Seek art teaching positions
Before you can teach in the public school system, you’ll need at least one year of student teaching experience. So you should consider applying for an art teacher position at your school or apply for other open positions. At this point, you may want to begin building your resume with volunteer art teaching positions.
When you have some experience in the field of art, it’s time to seek opportunities to teach art to elementary school students. You can find opportunities by asking guidance counselors at local elementary schools if they are hiring art teachers. The private sector is another good place to look for art teacher openings, but you may need some experience in this area as well before applying.
Benefits to becoming an art teacher
The benefits of becoming an art teacher are plentiful. For one thing, you can make a difference in children’s lives by teaching them the concepts of arts and crafts. They can learn about colors, shapes and what things convey. You can also help them to improve their self-esteem while focusing on different elements that go into creating masterpieces. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits:
Opportunity to impact students’ personal lives
Art teachers are needed everywhere. Schools, students, and parents seek out qualified art teachers on a regular basis, but there is still a shortage of art teachers in some areas. Nowadays, the demand for well-rounded educational professionals is higher than ever before. That is why you need to have passion for the subject, dedication, and patience to work with children or teenagers.
Fulfillment from watching students learn and grow
Art teachers play the role of inspiring, instructing, guiding, and sharing knowledge with students who are learning how to discover their potential. They tend to enjoy arts education because art instruction has no limits when it comes to creativity. Some students are already very creative before they arrive at the classroom door while others have yet to tap into their complete potential. It’s the art teacher’s job to provide a wide variety of activities and help students discover who they are as an artist.
Potential for a lot of fun
We have all been there. Sitting in a classroom, drawing cubes and cones, being bored out of our minds because the only thing the teacher seems to care about is a “perfect” picture. It isn’t always like that though. Becoming an art teacher can be very rewarding and fun. Especially if you love games.
In art class, more often than not the teacher is specifically looking for creativity. This means you can lay it all upon the line in order to lessen your chance at boredom. You can experiment with different colors and shapes to find out what works best for your students. Or simply put, you can have a great deal of fun making them smile.
So therefore, if you were looking for a career with an extraordinary amount of potential for fun, then you should seriously consider being an art teacher. Hopefully, you got one or two things from this guide, it was written to help you have more clarity.
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