Being an art teacher: What are the pros and cons?

If you love drawing, painting, and creating, then the chances are you have considered a career as an art teacher. However, before leaving the security of your current job, you will need to know the pros and cons of being an art teacher. Luckily, you can find the main ones below.

Advantages of being an art teacher:

1. It’s not the same as teaching other subjects

One of the best things about becoming an art educator is that it’s a bit different than teaching other subjects. What this means is there tends to be an emphasis on practical work rather than theory. That can be great fun if that is where your talents lie.

2.  Influence others positively

Help to shape creative minds and inspires them! Demonstrating your art skills and explaining techniques could lead to a student becoming the next great artist. The creativity that you spark can also bring much joy to those who begin a lifelong hobby in art.

3. Play with art supplies all day long

Of course, another significant benefit of being an art teacher is that you get to play with art supplies all day long. That’s a genuine dream job for many people.

Of course, it does mean you are likely to have paint on you most of the time. But most art education professionals see this as a small price to pay for doing what they love.

4. You can continue your own work

Last of all, when it comes to the advantages of becoming an art educator, one of the most significant ones is that the career provides you with the opportunity to continue personal work. Indeed, there are many successful artists like Lorelei Linklater who have also dedicated their lives to educating the next generation of creatives.

Oh, and flexing your artistic muscles day in and day out in class will help you maintain a strong connection with your technical skills. That will only further improve your work.

Disadvantages of being an art teacher:

Now, you know some of the best things about choosing a career change in art education. It’s time to look at the not-so-rosy side.

1. Differentiation can be tricky

First of all, it can be challenging to switch between the different levels of instruction that are needed each day. Indeed, sometimes you can find yourself in a single class where some kids need more challenge, and others far more structure and support to succeed.

In higher education, switching between undergraduate and postgraduate levels can also be challenging. However, having a robust lesson plan to revert to can help.

2. Behavior management can be challenging

Behavior management is a problem that tends to impact those teaching below degree level. Although, even college-level teachers need to know how to manage a group, motivate them, and flow in the right direction.

Of course, in schools, behavior management can be much more challenging than this, with issues of safety often being present. The good news is there is a great deal of information on how to manage the behavior of a class properly, and as most kids enjoy art, you can expect slightly less pushback than in other subjects too.

3. A lot of marking and work outside of school hours

The life of an art educator is not an easy one. Yes, you will have your day-to-day duties, but in addition to this, there will be plenty of marking and events such as gallery shows to organize and attend.

4. Being an art teacher: Organization is tough

Staying organized as an educator is tough enough. Then, combine that with a room full of in-use art supplies, and things can get messy quickly. Be sure to put a system in place where students put back what they have used and clean it down after each class. Otherwise, you could find yourself stuck with the task!