Do you have a job outside of school? If so, what do you do?

I've worked at restaurants and sold crochet items that I made at craft fairs. Currently no side job but money is tight and I'm trying to decide what to do to earn some extra income, so I thought it would be fun to start a conversation about it and see what other people do.

Does anyone else here have complete and utter exhaustion after work? On Saturdays I sometimes find it so hard to even get out of bed or leave the house. It feels like my body is just so physically exhausted from art-teachering that I need a whole day to recuperate. I have grade-level teacher friends who don’t seem to have this problem, but they get time to sit at their desks during the day lol. Do any of you experience this also as art teachers?

Hi everyone! I’m new here, so I’m not sure if this type of post is allowed. If not, then please feel free to remove, but I was wondering if I could get some advice from any current or former Art Education/Teaching majors from CSUF? I would really appreciate some help with planning my class schedule for the remaining 11 classes I need to take to earn my BA in Art Education/Teaching! Thank you in advance!

I was offered an elementary position just 20 min from my house in a bit more higher paying county. But I have an interview with a Highschool Tuesday which I am PRAYING I get.

I am a first year art teacher but not a first year teacher. I taught English in elementary for 2 years.

But I am really praying I get the Highschool position, it’s just that it’s 40 min from my house and this county pays $100 less each pay check than the elementary position .

But I am hearing that Highschool art is better to teach than elementary? So this is why I’m leaning toward Highschool.

What do you guys think, Highschool over elementary or the other way around ?

So a little background is that I have a B.A. in graphic design and a minor in art history, and I’m currently enrolled in teachers of tomorrow to acquire a PEL. But a lot of the job listings I’m seeing for art teachers is requiring an endorsement in art. I’m a little lost on that part because I’m mostly wondering if my background in art will count as an endorsement or if I must take additional classes to earn it.

I’m currently getting my BA in studio art and want to also get an MFA so I could later teach at the college level. I’m learning now how important it is to enter exhibitions to make a name for yourself in the art world and to secure better job opportunities, but I don’t know where to find the opportunities to enter any exhibitions or how to do so.

Hi,

Student teacher in my 2nd practicum here. My mentor casually mentioned I'm doing report card feedback. I have no idea what system we use. How to even approach it. What usually goes on the report card? I don't do well with 0 scaffolding.

I'm in the dark. What stuff do you highlight on a report card? What prompt phrases or tools do you use?

Ahh

I had my first interview and was hired at an elementary school. I decided to accept it as I really want to get into the classroom and start focusing on finding my own way, I was originally told in this group that schools don’t take emergency certs however they said they will gladly accept it n support me in anyway I need

I am excited

So I've started drawing this year on traditional and I want to know...for traditional artists that migrated to digital, how was it like ?

This is a question for a research project where I am trying to answer the question: Can the structured use of digital platforms be an effective resource for arts education in California public schools with limited funding?

I have had so much trouble getting participants for this survey, and I am now on a severe time crunch. I could really use your help! Thank You so much!

The survey should take 3-5 mins maximum. Would you mind taking this survey and sending it to any art teachers you know? From one artist to another, I would appreciate the help!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEoe4pAoX5lpMR10G2LaZC-5bSAX4EBpMn97sx237MY7MLUQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Need a confidence boost

Ok long story short i am used to being in an elementary setting as a sub and it’s kind of all i’ve ever known i did middle a couple of times and since im a sub they were pretty rude and highschool done couple of times and it was fine since they really didn’t care to speak to me but i am wanting to be an elementary art ed teacher and that’s all i’ve wanted and i am applying to jobs now that i graduated BUT there’s basically NO elementary art teacher positions!!!! I suffer from anxiety and i feel like maybe im just making myself more anxious than i need to be it’s just that im young im small and i feel like with older kids ill just never really get any respect … have any of yall gone from elementary to highschool or middle specifically in the art sector ??? was it a huge change ??? how do i grow up and get over the idea of change ??? how to get over huge interview anxiety!!!!!

I know I always talk about my struggles as a first year teacher… but now idk if this just first year teacher mistakes or if I really just suck…

I have students producing some decent work but teaching k-8th has been challenging.

Ik know students who actually love art end up not liking my class..

It has become exhausting and embarrassing… to know that you’re the teacher most students dislike…

It’s weighed down on my mental health because middle school students have said hurtful things about me and ik elementary students said this was their least favorite class.

I do feel unsupported.. I got mentors quite late in the semester but I don’t feel like I hear from them or see them often enough…

I just feel bad that I don’t have a lot of pieces for them to take home… I don’t even remember

It’s been a fail

Hate to admit

I’m looking to see if anyone has any ideas for a short art project I can do with my 8th graders (HS credit course). I’m leaving teaching after the year is over so I don’t necessarily want to purchase anything on TPT unless it’s a reeeeaaalllly great idea. Some background information:

• Usually for our final quarter, I have them focus on a final project of their choice and they get the entire 9-10 weeks to work on it. However, since this year has been so terrible and 3/4 of my HS kids do not and will not do any of the projects (that’s a whole other story), I will be having them take a final exam with a week of exam prep before hand.

• I have a ton of days left, so I’m trying to use them up without taking so much time away from the kids being able to finish their current projects (grey/happy face). I am also in charge of two all day field trips (grey/bus).

We have 3 testing days left. One (yellow) will most likely take all day and they will not be in class. Whereas two of them (pink) will most likely take a couple of hours and they will be in class.

• So, that essentially leaves me with 5 days in which we will be in the classroom.

Ideally, I’d like it to be a project that they can do with a substitute so that they can have extra time to complete it without me. So, minimal supplies and minimal guidance (or at least be pretty self-explanatory with slides/videos).

It’s just been so hard to get this particular group of students to do much and to actually try. With this current project, I’ve had to extend the deadline to next week because of how much they drag their feet. I’m just at a loss for what to do that doesn’t need me to hold their hand/hover over them to make sure they’re doing something. I don’t want to do anything research related mainly because I don’t want to grade anything research related, haha. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

It was an accident I swear…. What should I do? I don’t have enough clay to remake the artwork…. Should I still fire them? What should I tell the kids….. HELP

Hi guys, I'm a first year teacher and I started at the beginning of this semester. I'm kind of getting in a rut of just lecturing then having my kids do a project. I show a lot of technical videos to help them comprehend the techniques I'm asking them to use as well as demoing myself but I feel like they're not learning or retaining anything. What do y'all do to make your class more interactive? I want to share good knowledge and instill the foundations of art into my kids, but I know not everyone learns by watching or reading. I teach high school, all ages 9th to 12th grade (14-18 year olds). A lot of my kids also have no previous art experience (no art in elementary in my district) and most things I find for basics are for little guys.

I teach 8th-12th grade digital art. Our school unfortunately blocks Pinterest. I was wondering if there are any other websites out there I can give students to use to find inspiration? We’ve been using Google images to make mood boards for the past 2 years but sometimes the searches bring up too many photos of products and not enough variety.

I've been a HS ELA teacher for about ten years, and I quit over COVID. During a meeting. Setting a bridge on fire in a state without a lot of hiring going on, unfortunately. I'm certified in ELA 7-12 with an M.Ed, but I'm working on my visual arts certification, and I've got about 13 credits to go. I know there are even fewer jobs as an art teacher, but I have my fingers crossed. Has anybody switched from their original subject to become an art teacher? I'm curious about your experience.

Hello all! I am posting here in hopes of getting some assistance with a topic for my English essay. I am currently working towards my A.A. and hoping to get my B.A. in art education. For my English essay, we have to research issues that impact our job of consideration. I figured the people here have some experience, and I would be grateful to have any help telling me about some issues you encounter as an art teacher. I have noticed that there seems to be a disconnection between students and the projects assigned, so that was a consideration, as well as the obvious lack of pay compensation and funding for the arts. Thank you for any help!

I am at my wits end with a 3rd grade class that I have at the very end of the day (amplifying ALL behaviors). Normally it’s the boys causing havoc but in this class, it’s everybody minus 6 students who are just trying to survive. They continuously move seats behind my back, throw things, scream, push and shove, talk over EVERY WORD that comes out of my mouth… Today I gave half of them packets that had them draw a poster of the art rules and answer some questions while everyone else got to paint. Tell me why the kids who didn’t get packets started acting out today too?? A boy and his buddy painted his whole hand and then wiped it on his classmate. I told him that they are not washing their hands and they can show their parents when they go home. One boy tried to wash it 3 times before sitting down (I had them sit on the carpet and wait for admin to get them) and proceeded to press his red hand all over my carpet.

A few weeks ago another student was chewing gum and apparently stuck it on my carpet before going back to his seat. He smirked at me and went “BRUH??” When I told him to pick it up. The same kid will kick his feet up on the tables and smile when I call him out. His mom has been in consistent communication with me about it but nothing has changed.

Every class is a CONSTANT battle and we are supposed to start clay soon and I just can’t. I’m convinced they’ll stick things inside it that will be a problem in the kiln, throw it onto the floor, etc. I tried silent art last class and they still didn’t give a shit even after I called home to 8 parents. What the fuck. Do I do.

I am currently student teaching (I graduate in May!). Last week I went to a hiring event and was called for an interview for an elementary school. I have my resume and teacher philosophy. What are some other things I should bring? What are some tips? Any advice? Questions to ask?

Thank you

I am a newly certified teacher currently job searching and nabbed two long term gigs until the end of the year. The first longterm gig is at a high school whose teacher had to take a leave in December. Before me, they had a super young, non-art focused sub who didn't do much past making treasure maps.
Right now we're working on a unit I wrote (I know, I know, it's not factored into a sub salary but my attitude is that I will use these lessons when I move onto a permanent gig) on assemblage. They've been so extremely thoughtful and excited about all of it.
The school has offered me per session to write a "self directed" unit that a sub can do with them in May after I've left. In a survey I took when I started 100% of the kids said they wanted to learn how to draw people.

tldr: I am looking for some ideas on how to design a "self directed" unit of 10-11 lessons on "depicting the person". I was going to maybe create a "workbook" that's basically the entire unit in a packet, but rather than having worksheets it would just have drawing tutorials and guide the students through the concepts (which they would complete on drawing paper, in their sketchbooks, etc). Basically "You're doing gesture drawing this week. Here are examples and reference photos."

I'm looking for ideas from more experienced art educators and new art educators alike. I wanna make sure that the students' can feel like their time and interests are being respected. How do I make this happen for them?

I’m trying to really focus on the Annotated Mona Lisa and Quizlet flash cards. The lottery ticket in the corner was in hopes I could forget this and just travel to see the real artwork 🤣🤷🏽‍♀️. Any other resources that you found super helpful for the Praxis 5134?

What do you use for sketchbook and pencil storage? I want to keep books in the room but want something accessible and organized.

Hello, I do a PK-6 elementary art show each year, and I normally put in 2 "class project" pieces we did all together, plus 1 free draw or paint, plus 1 clay project per student. So that's a total of three 2D projects and one clay project per student, or 4 pieces total. Quite frankly, I'm exhausted. I'm wondering if I'm overdoing it? What's the norm at your school? When I look online I see a range from "1 artwork per student" to Cassie Stephens saying she puts in 5-7 just 2D pieces per student (and it looks from her pictures like at least one 3D project per student). So I have no idea what's "enough". I feel like all I do all year is badger kids to get nice projects for the art show done, leaving little time for experimentation, technique, and just doing art stuff for fun, or just like fun holiday stuff they can take home before that holiday instead of saving for the art show.

I also have to teach some art classes at the high school, so I'm not full time at the elementary. Honestly, I'm feeling pretty burnt out. I've been doing this for 5 years. I guess I'm looking for permission to put in less pieces per student, lol! I'd like more of an idea what a "norm" is for other people, so here's my informal survey - if your school has an elementary art show, how many pieces per student are in it?

Hello! I'm enrolling in a school that offers the federal TEACH grant for Arts Education majors. The requirements for the grant are to teach at a school that serves low income students for four years, and to teach in a high demand subject. Since art isn't high demand I would need to teach in a state with an arts teacher shortage which seems to only be a handful of states a year, and mine typically isn't one of them.

My question is, how easy is it to apply to schools in states you aren't certified for? Is there typically a grace period or interim certification so I could work while receiving an actual certification?

Additionally would y'all consider the TEACH grant to be too much work? It will be converted into a loan if you fail to meet the requirements, so it may or may not be easier to simply get a loan in the first place. Thank all!

Hello! I am a trainee teacher in a high school. I recently got to know zine making, but I really like it. In 2 weeks, I will have a teaching exam, where they will see how I teach, on which I planned to make a zine with the students (16-17 years). I would also like to include group work, because I know that the jury likes it, haha. so far it has occurred to me that each page of the zine could be made by a different student, but I would welcome more playful ideas.

Also, I have some themes planned, such as making zines about materials we use in art class and how versatile they are, or finding mutual interests in the groups and add each one to a page but I think storytelling would be awesome too. I'm a little nervous about all this, so I hope your experience can help!

Thanks in advance and have a nice day!

hello, I am a senior in high school, who is graduating in May and then heading off to college for visual art. I have four very special art teachers in my life that have helped tremendously along the way of pursuing what I finally found out I wanted to focus on my junior year. They have done so much for me and I really am stumped on how I can possibly thank them enough. I have written letters and given gift cards a couple of times but nothing feels like enough compared to what they have done for me. I want to do something special for them before I graduate. Figured I would ask here since this is a space dedicated to art educators, do you guys have any ideas on what I could do?

HIGH SCHOOL ART TEACHERS of Reddit, please help me out.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEoe4pAoX5lpMR10G2LaZC-5bSAX4EBpMn97sx237MY7MLUQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

If there is anything on the survey you are uncomfortable answering, leave it blank or be as general as you feel comfortable with. I REALLY need help with a research project. Appreciate all help if you can answer the survey:)

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