art teacher essay

20 Characteristics All Great Art Teachers Share

When you think about your favorite teachers from your school days, what comes to mind? Was it that funny song they always sang to get you ready for the hall? Their goofy jokes? The feeling they truly cared about you?

There are so many ways teachers can impact students throughout their school career.

Here are 20 things all great art teachers have in common.

To compile this list, I reflected on my art teaching career and all of the amazing professionals with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working. I contacted some of the best art teachers I know to add their insight. It was so cool to see how we were all on the same page. Enjoy this list, and please, add your comments and additions!

1. They love kids.

First and foremost, great teachers must love what they teach. And, let’s face it, we really don’t teach art, we teach kids, our world’s most priceless asset! Lindsay Moss, a writer for the Art of Education, states, “Great art teachers love kids as much as their content. Children and art have a dual place in their hearts.” At the end of the day, our job is to see the potential in every child we are blessed to call ours.

2. They love art.

Now that we have established that we actually teach children, it’s still pretty important to love the discipline you teach them. Loving the visual arts is also a commonality among the world’s best art teachers!

3. They are passionate about the profession.

Over the past twenty-five years, I have noticed something else pretty exciting; the greatest and most successful art teachers are passionate about art education. They are the ones attending state and national conferences, AOE conferences , and sharing their students’ successes via social media. Melody Weintraub, President of the Tennessee Art Education Association, writes, “A passion for teaching is the number one most important thing in art education.” She added, “This passion makes for positive, professional energy that is contagious to others.” Amen!

4. They are dedicated.

Dedication is a mark of affection. Dedicated teachers are deeply committed and believe there is nothing more important than kids and art. They put time and energy into their profession in a manner that is often unequaled. We all know being an art teacher is a difficult job. But, the long hours are worth it when we see our students and programs shine.

5. They are energetic.

As I’ve mentioned, being an art teacher can be exhausting! We have to be energetic and “on” all day long.

Each school year we…

Decorate our rooms
Display art in our hallways
Display art in our communities
Teach hundreds of students each week
Set up and maintain expectations and rules
Work hard to manage our classrooms
Teach kids the elements, principles, media, and techniques to be successful artists
Teach students 21st-Century Skills like collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving
Design standards-based, engaging lesson plans
Run art clubs, NAHS , and after-school programs
Keep hundreds of materials organized
Collaborate with other teachers
Advocate for our programs

Whew. And, we do it all with a smile!

6. They are creative.

Creativity is key to being a successful art teacher. We must figure out the best way to teach hundreds, if not thousands, of students with various backgrounds, talents, and interests daily. And, all of this is on top of everything listed in #5!

7. They are organized planners.

Dallas Gillespie from Suwanee, Georgia states, “A good art teacher is consistently challenging themselves to create, plan, and prepare meaningful and relevant projects that will consistently maintain a high level of success for ALL students.” Ivey Coleman from Augusta, Georgia adds, “A good art teacher needs to have the ability to effectively manage and utilize a wide array of materials.” She continues, “When teachers are organized, it allows them to successfully teach different media and provides students with a diverse learning experience. It also creates a learning environment that is conducive to being clean, safe and productive.” I couldn’t agree more!

8. They are advocates for the arts.

I believe the terms “art educator” and “advocate” are synonymous. Every art teacher must continue to advocate for quality visual art education. When they realize this, they work even harder to educate their communities about how essential the arts are to educating the whole child .

9. They are collaborators and communicators.

Collaboration is essential to take your teaching to the next level. Whether it’s with others in your building, those in a state art education association, or on social media, having a PLN is so important!

Communication goes hand-in-hand with collaboration. When teachers communicate with their students, staff, and community members, they will be successful. Which brings us to our next trait.

10. They are leaders.

I don’t think most art teachers set out to be leaders, but we are . We lead our students; we lead our classrooms and, often, we begin to lead our schools and our communities. Many of the best art teachers I know find themselves leading at the state level because they realize it’s an important element in growing the profession.

11. They are lifelong learners.

Dana Jung Munson from Atlanta, Georgia writes,” I encourage my students to make mistakes and to learn from them . Teaching the artistic processes creates opportunities for students to pull learning from other subjects.” James Rees, from Provo, Utah adds, “Great art teachers aren’t afraid to be vulnerable and can easily admit teaching and artmaking mistakes which aides students in taking risks, making mistakes and moving forward.” Lindsay Moss, echoes with this sentiment, “Great art educators are constantly evolving. Their instruction, content, and pedagogy are constantly being revisited and revamped to best serve their current kids at the current time.” Great art educators want to see their students grow, and thus, are constantly pushing to learn new things themselves.

12. They are artists.

Whether or not art teachers professionally show their work is irrelevant. But, knowing how to creatively utilize a variety of mediums and sharing these techniques with your students is an important part of the equation. Some of the best art teachers I know continually create art, exhibit art in some way, and share their talent with their students.

13. They are inspirational.

I am beyond inspired by so many art teachers. I couldn’t begin to list them all! It’s no secret that great art teachers inspire their students. But, they also inspire their colleagues and peers. Brooks Dantzler, a retired art educator from Macon, Georgia describes it well saying, “When we encourage our students, we ultimately help them succeed, and when others see this, we begin to encourage them. Therefore, we are climate and culture changers.” In other words, great art teachers make everyone around them want to be better! Better learners, better teachers, and perhaps most importantly, better people!

14. They are reflective.

Having the ability to reflect daily is an important part of any job. However, I would say it’s essential for art teachers, especially if we want to become better and more effective. Tiffany Weser Chrisman, an art teacher in Augusta, Georgia, says, “Great art teachers can adapt to anything. It could be a reduced budget, learning to work with unconventional, donated materials or being creative when a student’s project doesn’t work out as planned. Reflecting and considering quick modifications can turn the learning into a rewarding experience for everyone.”

15. They are enthusiastic.

I don’t know many art teachers who aren’t enthusiastic about their jobs! Sure, we get tired and frustrated, but at the end of the day, we know we have one of the most important jobs in the school. We are teaching our students to be divergent, creative thinkers in an ever-growing culture steeped in visual communication. Our society and workforce desperately need creative thinkers now more than ever. Realizing our art content is teaching students powerful life skills is enough to keep any art teacher going!

16. They work hard to engage their students.

I think we can all agree if we aren’t excited about a lesson or a topic, our kids usually aren’t either. Great art teachers have figured out how to take the most boring topics and turn them into engaging, fun, hands-on learning opportunities. Our enthusiasm keeps our kids excited and engaged, which usually means they are learning!

17. They are funny.

Most art teachers I know use humor in their pedagogy. Plus, we often have to find humor in some of the situations we find ourselves – from paint splatters on the ceiling to speckles of glaze in our hair. Not to mention our hilarious students. Finding humor in the daily rituals can be one of the greatest saving graces of all.

18. They care about building relationships.

Jeni Griner, from Buford, Georgia, says, “Great teachers are all about building relationships with their students! Relationships build trust which builds comfort and enables risk-taking. When students aren’t afraid to try new things, it builds confidence which is imperative to building a successful visual arts program. More importantly, it builds strong individuals with strong creative problem-solving skills who will become successful contributors to society in and out of art world.”

Not only do we build relationships with our students, but with our colleagues as well. We continually share ideas, springboard from each other and learn from one another. A few years ago I coined the phrase, “Together we ART better.” I find the longer I am in this wonderful profession, the truer that phrase has become. When we share ideas, our students are the ultimate winners!

19. They have grit.

Shannon Lauffer, Admissions and Academic Advisor with the Art of Education explains grit eloquently. She says, “Grit is the combination of passion and perseverance, which is exactly how I view art education. We advocate for our programs and the importance of art in education, push through artistic failures and view these as learning opportunities. Great art teachers know there is always a new technique to master, artist to discover, or idea to try out. Our profession is based on a passion for artmaking, and cultivating that in our students takes grit.”

20. They are happy.

At the end of the day, the great art teachers I know are quite happy! Sure, we’re tired, and we get worn down from time to time. But, when we reflect on each day, we’re satisfied we did our very best to teach our kids through the discipline of the visual arts, and that makes for a happy heART!

Thank you to all of the colleagues who contributed to this uplifting list! After seeing so many emails come in late at night, I have a theory that many of us are night owls as well!

What traits would you add to this list?

Which of these traits do you possess? With which do you sometimes struggle?

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

Debi West is one of AOEU’s adjunct instructors and a former AOEU Writer and NBCT art educator. She loves sharing with others and enthusiastically stands behind her motto, “Together we ART better!”

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Best Practices in Education

As a result of recent brain research and data, various educational institutions and researchers have come up with a list of "best practices" for a good art teacher.

Lanlois and Zales (1992) identified eight proven methods of effective teaching. They say a good teacher has:

High expectations of student achievement Course methods and routines that are clear to the teacher and student Varied and appropriate teaching method and materials A supportive, cooperative atmosphere Enthusiasm, energy, caring, and maintenance of a nonthreatening atmosphere A manifest belief that their subject is important Relates instruction to student interests Content expertise

Instructional Techniques

According to Howard Garner, a good art teacher will reach their students verbal/linguistically, mathematical/logically, bodily/kinesthetically, visual/spatial, musically/rhythmically, interpersonally, intra-personally, naturalistically, and existentially. Every child has a different strength among these intelligences. The more of these intelligences are addressed in a lesson, the more students are reached and learn. You can integrate several of these intelligences in one lesson. For example, you can reach both linguistics, body/kinesthetics, and visually oriented students by writing a play, illustrating and performing it. Following are activities that can be included in each lesson:

What Makes a Good Teacher? - [Archive] An article by Marie F. Hassett, Ph.D. Phi Delta Kappan - This site includes articles on teaching strategies and research. Multiple Intelligences - A page of PDF documents related to Gardner's Multiple Intelligences. Choice-based Art - With stories of effective practice in action, panel discussions, and more. Human Intelligence: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Brief Summary of Best Practices in Teaching [Archive] Best Practices in Education [Archive] NGA Center for Best Practices - Resources on Best Practices A New Era of School Reform - Download the PDF

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What does an art teacher do?

Would you make a good art teacher? Take our career test and find your match with over 800 careers.

What is an Art Teacher?

An art teacher is an educator who specializes in teaching visual arts, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media, to students of all ages. Art teachers foster creativity, self-expression, and artistic skills development in their students. They typically work in schools, colleges, universities, or community settings, where they provide instruction, guidance, and inspiration to aspiring artists.

Art teachers often encourage experimentation, collaboration, and personal exploration in the artistic process, fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students can discover their unique artistic voices.

What does an Art Teacher do?

An art teacher in the art room with her students.

Duties and Responsibilities The duties and responsibilities of an art teacher typically encompass a wide range of tasks related to teaching art and fostering creativity in students. Here are some common duties and responsibilities:

Developing Curriculum: Art teachers plan and develop art curriculum based on educational standards and learning objectives. They design lessons and activities that engage students and promote artistic expression, creativity, and technical skills development.
Teaching Art Techniques: Art teachers instruct students in various art techniques, including drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and multimedia art. They demonstrate artistic processes, provide guidance and feedback, and facilitate hands-on learning experiences to help students develop their artistic abilities.
Providing Instruction and Demonstration: Art teachers lead instructional sessions, demonstrations, and workshops to teach students about art history, art theory, and different artistic styles and movements. They introduce students to famous artists and artworks and encourage critical thinking and analysis of visual art.
Facilitating Creative Expression: Art teachers create a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students feel encouraged to explore their creativity and express themselves through art. They provide opportunities for experimentation, self-expression, and personal artistic growth.
Assessing Student Progress: Art teachers assess student artwork and provide constructive feedback to help students improve their skills and techniques. They evaluate student performance based on criteria such as creativity, craftsmanship, composition, and understanding of artistic concepts.
Managing Art Supplies and Materials: Art teachers are responsible for maintaining art supplies, materials, and equipment and ensuring a safe and organized art studio or classroom environment. They order and replenish art materials, manage budgets, and oversee the use and storage of art supplies.
Promoting Art Education and Awareness: Art teachers advocate for the importance of art education and raise awareness about the value of the arts in society. They participate in school events, exhibitions, and community outreach programs to showcase student artwork and promote the benefits of arts education.
Collaborating with Colleagues and Parents: Art teachers collaborate with other educators, administrators, and parents to support student learning and development. They communicate with colleagues to integrate art across the curriculum and collaborate with parents to provide updates on student progress and encourage parental involvement in art education.

Types of Art Teachers There are various types of art teachers who specialize in different areas of the visual arts, and their responsibilities may vary depending on the level of education they are teaching. Here are some of the most common types of art teachers and what they do:

Community Art Teachers: Community art teachers work in non-profit organizations, community centers, or recreational facilities to provide art education to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. They may teach classes, workshops, or community art projects, focusing on fostering creativity, self-expression, and community engagement through art.
Elementary School Art Teachers: Elementary school art teachers work in elementary schools, teaching art to students in kindergarten through fifth or sixth grade. They introduce students to basic art concepts, techniques, and materials, and facilitate hands-on art activities that encourage creativity, imagination, and self-expression.
High School Art Teachers: High school art teachers work in secondary schools, teaching art to students in grades nine through twelve. They teach a variety of art courses, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and graphic design, and may also offer advanced placement (AP) art courses for college credit.
Postsecondary Art Instructors: Postsecondary art instructors work in colleges, universities, and art schools, teaching art courses to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees or certificates in fine arts, visual arts, or related fields. They may teach studio art classes, art history courses, or specialized topics such as digital media, illustration, or art theory.
Private Art Teachers: Private art teachers provide one-on-one instruction or small group lessons to students seeking personalized art instruction outside of traditional school or classroom settings. They may specialize in specific art mediums or techniques and tailor their instruction to meet the individual needs and interests of their students.
Special Education Art Teachers: Special education art teachers work with students with disabilities or special needs, adapting art instruction to accommodate their unique learning styles, abilities, and challenges. They may use alternative teaching methods, assistive technologies, or adaptive art materials to ensure all students can participate and succeed in art education.
Summer Camp Art Teachers: Summer camp art teachers work in recreational or educational summer camps, leading art activities and workshops for children and teens during the summer months. They may teach a variety of art mediums and techniques, organize art projects and exhibitions, and create a fun and enriching art experience for campers.

Are you suited to be an art teacher?

Art teachers have distinct personalities . They tend to be artistic individuals, which means they’re creative, intuitive, sensitive, articulate, and expressive. They are unstructured, original, nonconforming, and innovative. Some of them are also investigative, meaning they’re intellectual, introspective, and inquisitive.

Does this sound like you? Take our free career test to find out if art teacher is one of your top career matches.

What is the workplace of an Art Teacher like?

The workplace of an art teacher is often a vibrant and dynamic space, typically centered around an art classroom or studio. Here, the teacher spends much of their time engaging with students in various art activities, demonstrations, and hands-on projects. Equipped with an array of art supplies and materials, such as paints, brushes, clay, and drawing tools, the classroom becomes a hub of creativity and exploration. It's a place where students can immerse themselves in the world of art, experimenting with different techniques, mediums, and styles under the guidance of their teacher.

Beyond the physical classroom, art teachers also find themselves within the broader context of educational institutions, ranging from elementary schools to universities. In these settings, they collaborate with fellow educators, administrators, and staff members to integrate art into the curriculum and support students' overall learning and development. Whether teaching art as part of the regular curriculum or offering elective courses for students with a passion for creativity, art teachers play a vital role in fostering artistic literacy and expression within the educational community.

Additionally, art teachers may extend their reach beyond traditional educational settings, working in community spaces, non-profit organizations, or outreach programs. Here, they bring art education to individuals of all ages and backgrounds, offering classes, workshops, or community art projects in libraries, museums, or cultural institutions. This aspect of their work allows art teachers to engage with diverse populations, foster community connections, and promote the value of arts education beyond the confines of the classroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Art related careers and degrees.

Art Teacher
Art Therapist
Calligrapher
Commercial Artist
Craft Artist
Exhibit Designer
Games Artist
Glass Blower
Graphic Designer
Illustrator
Makeup Artist
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Photographer
Technical Artist
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Art History
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Graphic Design
Illustration
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Multimedia Arts
Museum Studies
Photography
Visual Communication

Teaching/School Related Careers and Degrees

Adult Education Teacher
Career Counselor
CTE Teacher
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Kindergarten Teacher
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Art Teachers are also known as: Art Instructor

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Art Teacher training: A photo essay

2017, International Journal of Education Trough Art

This photo essay is part of a performance entitled 'The Topsy-Turvey Classroom'. It involves students participating in a Master's programme for visual arts teachers and was staged by surprise on their first day of class. These photographs help the spectator to relive and interpret the experiences that these students had when the door opened on our peculiar 'Art Basement'. We can see their unexpected reactions, preconceived expectations turned upside down, expressions of uncertainty, unpredictable movements, a performance build-up and their creative interventions. The inter-connection between the text and the photographs presents the practical application of teaching strategies involving an art-based educational research for the teacher's professional development.

Related Papers

International Journal of Art & Design Education

Michael Jarvis

Chris Peers

ARTicle, The Journal of Art Education Victoria, 15(1), pp. 18-26.

Purnima Ruanglertbutr , Wes Imms

Newly qualified art educators explore the realities of being both an artist and a teacher. AEV, Art Education Australia (AEA) and the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) together are undertaking some exciting research that addresses an issue close to the heart of many Visual Art teachers. What happens to our art making when we start teaching? Three myths are commonplace: you can’t teach and make art as well; 'good' art teachers somehow have a private art practice and having an active art practice impacts your long-term retention in teaching. What is surprising is how little information actually exists to support or refute these myths. The Teacher as Art-maker Project (TAP) is investigating how much art making newly graduated Visual Art educators actually do, how this participation impacts perceived quality of teaching, and what effect making art, or having no ‘active’ practice, has on expectations of retention in teaching. The research addresses areas of core interest for each partner.

InSEA ART Education VISUAL Journal IMAG #2

Deborah Vier Fischer

Canadian Readings in Art Teacher Education

Bernard DARRAS

RICHARD HICKMAN

Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair

Leonidas Sotiropoulos

If an art product, and the process that produces it, cannot be defined in advance, as discussions about Art claim, how would this aspect of the artistic endeavor be incorporated in a well programmed lesson on art, in which aim, method, evaluation, subject matter are fixed and well defined? The present article attempts to provide a theoretical framework that lifts the before mentioned incompatibility through reference to “subjective teaching” – a way of teaching in which the teacher, as if oblivious of his students, permits them to witness his inner workings, which he externalizes.

Mary Stokrocki

International Journal of Art and Design Education

Marike Hoekstra

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Category: Art , Education
Topic: Classroom , Painting

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