GETTING STARTED AS A TEACHING ARTIST
 
You want to teach!  Now what do you do?  This short document lists some resources, strategies, and informational sources you will want to think about and investigate.

What Do I Need to Know to Become a Teaching Artist?
A list of competencies and capacities follows. This list is broken down into three categories: 1. Understanding your art form; 2. Understanding the classroom environment; pedagogy, human development; and 3. Understanding the collaborative process; working in an educational environment.  Use this list to assess your abilities.  Are there gaps in your abilities?  What are your strong points?

How Do I Find Out About Opportunities? 
There are a number of sources of information to check:

  • The Association of Teaching Artists (ATA) www.teachingartists.com. 
    ATA’s listserv is an almost daily electronic grapevine. Openings for Teaching Artists are often posted there, as are professional development opportunities and articles of interest for artists working in Arts in Education. To subscribe to the list serv, go to www.teachingartists.com and follow the directions. www.teachingartists.com web also features information on health insurance resources for Teaching Artists, listings of cultural organizations, Boards of Cooperative Education, and arts councils throughout New York State that contract with Teaching Artists. It also features a Teaching Artist’ blog to provide insight into the day-to-day work of a Teaching Artist.  
  • The yearly Common Ground Conference for the Arts in Education field. Common Ground is a coming together of the Arts in Education field in New York State sponsored by Partners for Arts Education (PAE) www.arts4ed.org and The New York State Council on The Arts (NYSCA) www.nysca.org.  The Association of Teaching Artists (ATA), the New York State Education Department, The New York Foundation on the Arts (NYFA), and the Empire State Partnerships (ESP) and The New York State Alliance for Arts Education (NYSAAE) are collaborating partners. The conference provides on overview of what is presently happening in the Arts in Education field, while it offers both professional development and networking opportunities.
  • The Arts In Education Regional Roundtables. These nine regionally based coalitions are supported by the Arts in Education Program of The New York State Council on the Arts.  Each roundtable is a resource for information, networking opportunities, and professional development for Teaching Artists in their specific region of the state http://www.nysca.org/public/resources/spec_education.htm. 
  • Local Capacity Building Regrants (LCB) of The Arts in Education Program of The New York State Council on the Arts. This statewide effort provides local support for Arts in Education partnerships between individual schools and individual Teaching Artists and / or cultural organizations http://www.nysca.org/public/resources/local_cap.htm. 
  • Empire State Partnerships (ESP). ESP identifies, develops, and nurtures promising practices in Arts in Education through support of long-term collaborations between cultural organizations and schools. ESP offers professional development during the summer www.espartsed.org.
  • Partners for Arts Education (PAE) www.arts4ed.org. PAE provides resources and funding opportunities for Arts in Education in Central New York and throughout New York State.
  • The Center for Arts Education www.cae-nyc.org/general/about.htm. CAE offers New York City expertise and connections to learn about ways to become involved in arts education and funds school improvement in and through the arts in NYC's five boroughs.
  • The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). NYFA’s Teaching Artist Source offers a free online, searchable database of opportunities for Teaching Artists. The database includes professional development opportunities, job openings, fellowships, etc. NYFA also coordinates the Teaching Artist Initiative  www.teachingartists.com/initiative.htm in conjunction with ATA.
  • The New York State Alliance for Arts Education www.nysaae.org. NYSAAE is a resource for information and professional development programs that creates networking and partnership opportunities for educators, Teaching Artists, and arts professionals throughout the state. NYSAAE represents the State of New York nationally as part of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education network.
  • The Regional Leadership Initiative Networks http://www.nysca.org/public/resources/spec_education.htm. Groups of school/cultural organization partnerships that receive ESP funding from NYSCA Arts in Education Program's School-wide Improvement Program work together to strengthen their collaborations, design common professional development opportunities, and disseminate promising practices.
  • The Teaching Artist Journal (TAJ) www.erlbaum.com/shop/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=1541-1796. TAJ provides ongoing professional development to clarify, enrich, and advance Teaching Artist research and practice. The journal is available through Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ  074430-2262 for a subscription of $30 per year for individuals.

How Can I Get My First Teaching Job?
If you do not have teaching experience, you may want to begin in a less formal setting such as working in a community center or summer camp.  After-school programs also provide a good place to begin.  If you can, volunteer first in one of these areas. This is a great way to gain experience, to determine your interest, and it can be listed on your resume.  Working as an intern will also help you gain experience and understanding of working as an artist in education.  Volunteerism and internships are great ways to try it out and see if you really want to work as a Teaching Artist.  Contact your local Arts in Education Roundtable or arts council to identify appropriate organizations and for assistance in identifying neighborhood cultural providers. 

How Can I Learn More About The New York Learning Standards?
Visit http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/deputy/Documents/learnstandards.htm
OR http://accelerateu.org/standards/index.cfm to learn about the academic AND arts standards.

How Can I Learn About Classroom Management?
There are many books on classroom management, positive discipline, planning instructional lessons and curriculum units published by The Association For Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) www.ascd.org. The books can be accessed through the publications section of their web site.

Where Can I Find Professional Development (PD)?

Basic Capacities of All Teaching Artists 

1. Understanding Your Art Form

a. Knowledge of basic formal language
b. Knowledge of trends, history, and styles of the discipline
c. Knowledge of key practitioners of the discipline, both
    historical and contemporary
d. Understanding of the creative process (e.g., inspiration,
    planning,  developing an idea, using materials and techniques,
    expression)

2. Understanding Classroom Environment; Pedagogy, Human Development

a. Process and product, the continuum in experiencing the arts
b. Planning a lesson, including modeling, demonstration,
    differentiated instruction
c. Time management
d. Hallmarks of early childhood, middle elementary, junior high and
    high school human development
e. Curriculum unit and residency planning
f. Classroom management
g. Evaluation and assessment, strategies and practices

3. Understanding The Collaborative Process; Working in a School
    Environment

a. The residency planning process
b. Working with administrator, teachers, and parents