Tell me about being an art teacher

[ButtonLoon]

I have a teacher-friend who thinks I'd make a great one. I've been a primary TA and even got accepted on a primary PGCE course but got pregnant and decided young children + new to teaching wouldn't work for me.

Fast forward many years later and I'm looking for a career, but I'm not so sure about working with secondary kids. (And I'm sure art teacher jobs at primary are rare, and how do you even train for one?)

Anyways, tell me all about it. Gimmie the gory deets.

[ButtonLoon]

FYI, I already have a Bachelor's degree in art.

[Lowdoorinthewall]

We don't really have art specialists in Primary but I have worked with peripatetic art teachers who came in to create installation pieces or run workshops. Looks like a fun job!

DH is in the Independent (boarding) sector and the art teachers we have known have generally worked incredibly hard- been in their departments evenings, weekends and holidays with their kids- but very happy because they love their work.

[Rainuntilseptember15]

I imagine it must be great to teach a subject that the students actually enjoy going to!

[ButtonLoon]

Wouldn't there be art specialists in primary in the independent sector, though? I have the benefit of living somewhere with a LOT of private schools.

Anyways, thanks. I know there's a lot of marking work, but I would probably enjoy it! It's not seen as an "easy" GCSE or A level either, is it? (Not British, thinking back to my days where the troublemakers would take art for an easy credit.)

[Lowdoorinthewall]

Yes, DS's prep has an amazing art teacher.

[MissMillament]

Why not get a few days shadowing a secondary art teacher before deciding it's not for you. I am a secondary teacher (not art) and absolutely love it - they are still only children for all they look big and scary!

[ButtonLoon]

Yeah, I'm going to look into shadowing soon via the teacher friend who has suggested the whole deal in the first place!

I'm not very good at crowd control, but have a very loud voice so I guess I can learn!

[Meloncoley2]

What about looking at the GCSE syllabus to give you an idea of what you'd need to teach?