Art Education Jobs - K-12

Art education jobs can involve teaching in a variety of settings. This article focuses on working as a K-12 secondary or elementary art teacher.

If you are interested in information about postsecondary (college and university) art education jobs, please see the page Art Teacher Jobs. While there are a lot of similarities between the two jobs, there are a few key differences, particularly typical salaries and educational requirements.

Secondary and Elementary Art Teacher Jobs - Typical Tasks

• Art teachers prepare courses for students, with attention to curriculum requirements and learning styles of students.
• Develop a variety of methods for presenting materials.
• Prepare, administer and grade assignments and tests.
• Manage classroom behavior; establish and enforce rules, routines and expectations for in class behavior.
• Communicate with and work in partnership with parents to ensure success of students.
• Participate in staff meetings, conferences and teacher training seminars.
• May supervise student teachers and educational assistants.
• Typically, elementary teachers instruct a single class of students in several subjects, although elementary schools may employ an arts specialist who instructs several classes in art, drama and music.
• Middle school and secondary school teachers specialize in a specific subject, so if your interest lies in teaching art specifically, you may find more opportunities to focus on art teaching in this environment.

Skills and Knowledge Required

• Cultural sensitivity and ability to with students from varied backgrounds.
• Knowledge of learning theory, curriculum design and evaluation methods,
• Thorough knowledge of subject area of specialization.
• Able to accurately manage and document data
• Able to communicate in a way that is clear and engaging, build trust, motivate students and manage classroom behavior.

Personality Traits

People in art education jobs are generally social, artistic and enterprising. People who are social like jobs in helping professions; they work that involves teaching, counseling or serving others through personal interaction. People who are artistic seek self expression in their work and prefer jobs that do not require following a clear set of rules. Individuals who are enterprising enjoy work that involves persuading or directing others.

Job Opportunities and Earning Potential

Employment growth in this field is expected to be average through to 2018. Projected student enrolments in elementary, middle and secondary schools are expected to rise more slowly as the relatively large demographic of children of baby boomers leave the school system; however, enrolment growth will vary greatly by location. Most of the job openings in teaching will be due to the need to replace teachers who are expected to retire between 2008 and 2018. ^{Source: United States Bureau of Labour}

Job prospects for elementary, middle and secondary school teachers vary widely based on subjects taught (teachers of math, chemistry, physics, bilingual education, and languages are in demand) and location. Typically more job opportunities exist in inner city schools and rural areas and fewer opportunities will exit in suburban districts.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, annual wages for elementary, middle and secondary school art education jobs ranged from approximately $34,000 to $82, with the median wage being approximately $51,000. ^{Source: United States Bureau of Labour}

Education Requirements for Becoming a Postsecondary Art Teacher

K-12 teachers must be licensed. Typically prospective teachers complete a bachelor's degree followed by an education degree. Private schools are typically exempt from licensing regulations, but many private school employers require teachers to have at least a bachelor's degree, and possibly an education degree.

For tips on how to complete your own research on art jobs not featured here, please see the article Art Career - How to Research Art Careers