The Complete Guide to Becoming An Art, Drama, and Music Teacher, Postsecondary

Chapter 1: What Does a Art, Drama, and Music Teacher, Postsecondary Actually Do?

Let's clear up the most common misconception first. When you hear the title "Art, Drama, and Music Teacher, Postsecondary," you might picture someone in a beret, gesturing dramatically at a canvas while students hang on every word. The reality is more mundane, more varied, and in some ways more demanding than that image. It's also a job with a lot more administrative paperwork than most people expect.

At its simplest, a postsecondary art, drama, or music teacher is a faculty member at a college or university who teaches courses in their artistic discipline. But "teaches courses" covers a wide range of activities that go far beyond standing in front of a classroom lecturing. You're a curriculum designer, a studio manager, a portfolio reviewer, a mentor, an event coordinator, a budget tracker, and — especially in your first few years — a prolific writer of student recommendation letters. You're part of an institution, which means you're also part of its politics: department meetings, committee service, accreditation reports, and sometimes disputes over budget allocations and shared equipment.

Your core responsibility is, of course, teaching. At most institutions, that means three to four courses per semester at a teaching-focused college, or two to three courses at a research university where you're also expected to maintain an active artistic practice. A "course" in the arts is rarely just a lecture. In studio art, it could be a four-hour painting class that