What's it like to teach Art in secondary schools

[Bbc509]

Hi, I have a background in Art and Philosophy and am considering completing a PGCE in Art.

I've heard dismal things about secondary teaching though, and I wonder what it's like to teach Art, specifically. Is it different compared to teaching other subjects (English, Maths, History, etc.) in terms of preparation, marking, etc? Do you have more freedom to teach the subject? Or is it equally constrained by the curriculum?

Thank you!

I teach science, which is obviously very different, but I would say a key point with Art is you still have to get students through exams and qualifications. In my experience, at GCSE, many students pick art because they enjoy it, not understanding the workload involved. Getting coursework out of students can be difficult, and require a lot of your time. I would imagine marking coursework etc, and moderating and so on is very time consuming as well.

As with all subjects, you also have issues around limited budgets etc, which may limit what you can do with e.g. KS3.

That said, there are equally aspects of teaching which are very rewarding, and if you have a passion for creative education and inspiring the next generation, you should definitely look into the PGCE. I think having skilled art teachers is so important in our schools.

Secondary schools are a mess right now, but that doesn't mean there aren't positive to teaching in itself.

No two schools are the same obviously, and with Art you get various degrees of support from SLT depending whether they appreciate its value. (Sometimes the fact that it's not understood means you're left to get on with it, to some extent, which is not a bad thing.) it's the only subject I would dream of teaching as you can cover the same knowledge, skills and understanding in so many different ways, looking at a rich diversity of cultures and beliefs, so no two years are the same.

Thank you, this is insightful!