Art Teacher (grades K-12)

Job title-K-12 Art Teacher

Reports to-Principal/Designee

Position Summary: The K-12 Art Teacher is responsible for fostering an innovative, inclusive, and vibrant studio environment that nurtures artistic expression, critical thinking, and cultural awareness across all grade levels. The ideal candidate will possess the pedagogical versatility to introduce fundamental creative concepts to elementary students, refine techniques for middle schoolers, and guide advanced high school students through portfolio preparation and art history analysis. This role involves curriculum development, classroom management, and active advocacy for the visual arts within both the school and local communities.

Duties/Responsibilities: The Visual Arts Educator will design and execute an age-appropriate, K-12 art curriculum aligned with state and national standards, instructing students across a wide variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, textiles, and digital media. Essential to this role is the integration of art history, criticism, and aesthetics into hands-on projects to foster cultural appreciation, while adapting lessons to accommodate diverse learning styles, IEPs, and 504 plans. The ideal candidate will maintain a safe, clean, and highly organized studio environment, ensuring proper care and handling of specialized tools like kilns. The educator will efficiently manage the department budget, supplies, and inventory. Additionally, the educator will cultivate a structured classroom culture that encourages creative risk-taking, organize community art showcases, partner with colleagues on interdisciplinary projects, and maintain open communication with parents and administrators regarding student growth.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Art Education, Fine Arts, or a closely related field (Master's degree preferred).

• Certification: Valid State Teaching Certification/Licensure in Visual Arts (K-12 endorsement).

• Portfolio: A strong personal artistic portfolio and/or examples of student-produced work demonstrating a high caliber of technical skill and diversity in mediums.

• Experience: Prior student teaching or professional classroom experience across multiple grade divisions (elementary, middle, or high school) is highly desirable.

Technical Skills:

• Studio Equipment Proficiency: Hands-on experience operating and maintaining specialized art equipment, such as ceramic kilns (loading and firing), pottery wheels, printing presses, and mat cutters.

• Digital Arts Literacy: Proficiency in digital art creation and design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, Procreate, Canva, or 3D modeling programs).

• Educational Technology: Familiarity with Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Google Classroom, Canvas, or Seesaw, and online grading portals.

• Visual Documentation: Ability to digitally archive, photograph, and edit images of student artwork for online portfolios and school PR.

  
  

Skills and Competencies:

• Age-Group Adaptability: The cognitive flexibility to transition seamlessly from teaching basic motor skills and shape identification to high-school-level conceptual art and critiques.

• Creative Problem Solving: Innovation in stretch-budgeting, altering lesson plans on the fly, and helping students navigate creative blocks.

• Patient & Empathetic Mentorship: Strong interpersonal skills to build confidence in hesitant artists and challenge highly advanced students.

• Time & Project Management: Exceptional organizational skills to handle dozens of ongoing student projects across rotating classes throughout the week.