A dear friend of mine, Matt recently asked, "How are you?", and they meant it, so I started listing off reasons why I'm so happy and busy in life these days. I realized that I'm officially an art teacher 100% of my time in my life. I actually have to schedule time off so I can decompress and relax a bit. Not just 2 years ago, I was working just 2-3 days a week as a new after school art teacher at BAAY (Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth), and trying to work out an art class here or there for adults at places like Whatcom Community College (WCC), or a local shop downtown. These days my schedule is like this: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons,I teach kids art in the afternoons via BAAY EduArts. Mondays are usually busier than most with emails, meetings, and prep-work before class. On Wednesdays, (and mornings of Mondays & Tuesdays), I've been working (75% the time unpaid), on the kids art studio space at BAAY, the Children's Art Walk (which started May 5th), prepping for the next art class, writing lessons, scheduling and attending meetings, and assisting another art teacher with their art class. My Saturdays are either filled with working at the city pool as a receptionist, or teaching another art workshop. This week, I begin teaching a Thursday evening class at WCC for three weeks. This leaves me Sundays free for my one day off to myself. Whew!
Then Matt said, "You're definitely an art teacher!"
Yeah, I am!
Then Matt said, "You're definitely an art teacher!"
Yeah, I am!
Oh, and the list doesn't stop there! I've been working hard on marketing myself with all of my art classes for this summer such as: BAAY Summer Art Camps, WCC Kids College with art classes, and adult painting parties at private studios and at local art museums such as MoNA in La Conner. This means that I create fliers, posters, (I do get awesome help from BAAY for the fliers/posters), put them up around town, hand out to friends and families, send out a monthly email newsletter, take photos of art examples, update my website/social networks, talk to parents/kids/clients about my future art classes, write emails, and call back clients. I also found the time to fill out an application for an art grant to assist me in my personal art project for next fall. The cherry on top is that I love being an art teacher!
If anyone were to ask me what it's like to be an art teacher, I would have to think long and hard on how to respond, without having to write a book.
Maybe I should do just that.
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