General Overview

• An art teacher works in the art department of a school, college or university. He must have general knowledge of all types of art, but will most likely specialize in a certain area such as oil painting, art history or sculpture. Art teachers also may be involved in art appreciation programs in the school to promote the teaching of art, which is occasionally neglected in favor of more traditionally respected subjects such as math, history and the different sciences.
  
  

Typical Workday

• An art teacher generally begins the workday at 8 a.m. She may have up to six different one-hour classes of students a day depending on the school's class scheduling system. First, she explains the project that the class will undertake that particular day such as painting a landscape, sketching the human body, sculpting a vase or creating a mosaic. Then, she explains the process step by step, helps the students pick out supplies and supervises as they set out to create their project. The lesson also is peppered with some teachings on art history as it pertains to the particular project. The latter part of the workday is usually spent grading projects and homework assignments. The art teacher also may coordinate art competitions among the students.
  
  

Other Duties

• Other duties include taking students on field trips to museums or places that are significant to the development and history of art. At the museum, the art teacher serves as a tour guide and explains the significance of certain paintings and sculptures to the students, and invites them to draw their own conclusions based on what they view. An art teacher also may choose to spend a workday screening documentaries and artists' biographies for students to break from the regular routine of creating art projects and supplant the students' hands-on knowledge with educational videos. Teaching about the history of art is just as important as an art teacher's duty to broaden the artistic talents of each student.