The Art Teacher’s Dilemma

The interesting thing about being an art teacher is that it is such a huge category of teaching. When one is certified it spans from being able to teach kindergartners to twelfth graders. That is implying you are capable of dealing with a five year old or an eighteen year old. It also means that you should be fully capable of teaching graphic design, how to use a pencil sharpener, digital photography, wet darkroom photography, the primary colors, how to blow your nose, ceramics- hand building and wheel throwing, coloring, using crayons, and printmaking, So anytime an art teacher takes a new job they can be expected to do anything related to the arts and to teach it to any level. I like to think of an AP lit teacher teaching first graders to read from the Moonbeams book. (I have a specific teacher in mind and this thought makes me chuckle). This job cannot be broken down into specified jobs because there is not the budget nor the demand. If I were certified as a ceramics teacher it would take forever for me to find a job. So switching jobs for an art teacher creates quite a dilemma. I am spending countless hours retraining myself for a different age level and new subject material. It’s like starting over. Although my high schoolers could learn the kindergarten gluing song and enjoy it I can only take the past experience so far.

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