Creativity is often a black box. We don’t know why ideas and inspirations happen, but we know that great art teachers stimulate them. Help your art teacher CV make its mark.
Dave Rygielski
Career Expert
The art education children receive in schools is the best chance to foster creativity. And creativity is the ultimate expression of human potential. The inherent value of observation and empathy is priceless—in a world where the repetitive can be done by a machine.
Each human is an unharnessed vessel—and each vessel needs its captain.
An art teacher, like you.
A perfect art teacher CV must strike the right balance between professional and creative. You’re the expert on the arts. You’ve found the experts on the CVs.
In this guide:
Art teacher CV examples to land the job you want.
Expert hints on how to paint your art teacher job description in the best possible light.
Good and bad examples of the art teacher CV objective.
So unlike any artist ever, you can get it right the first time.
An innovative, Sheffield University-educated Art Teacher with 4+ years of tenure in public schools. At Little Wood High School, teaching 489 students, seeing each at least once per week. Created a dynamic curriculum focused on independent thinking, self-expression and creation, in line with state teaching standards. Achieved 95%+ on quarterly program evaluations. Constantly encouraging students to be active, sending 17 students to the County Art Show in 2019, 2 of which won awards.
Experience
Art Teacher
Little Wood High School
August 2018–Current
Teaching 489 students from Grade 7 to 12, seeing each at least once per week.
Incorporating a program with a strong focus on independent thinking, self-expression, and creation into state teaching standards.
Achieved 95%+ on quarterly program evaluations, measuring whether the program is teaching the key skills for each grade.
A strong focus on encouraging students to participate in art initiatives outside the school, sending 17 students to the County Art Show, 2 of which won their category.
Secured grant from The Art Education Trust for a textile design workshop.
Substitute Art Teacher
Oughtibridge School District
September 2016–August 2018
Collected varied experiences of teaching Art to Grades K-7, in 5 different schools across the county.
During a longer placement, helped two struggling K students to reach their literacy targets through artistic expression.
Learned to adapt teaching style to different sized groups, from 7 to 31 students.
Education
BFA/MA in Art Education with Initial Licence
Sheffield University
August 2009–July 2014
Majored in Printmaking
Relevant Coursework: Child Growth and Development, Contemporary Issues in Art Education, Advanced Printmaking, Family and Community Engagement, Adolescent Development, Understand Autism
Skills
Early Childhood Learning Concepts
Film Editing Software
Graphic Design Software
Music Editing Software
Certifications
Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood Art Teacher - National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
ACTFL Certification — French
Let’s get your art teacher CV up to speed:
1. Adopt the Correct Art Teacher CV Format
Artistic souls live in eternal chaos. An art teacher is not there to be an artist—
They are there to harness the chaos, and create artists. Radiate professionalism and organisation skills at first glance by submitting a well-structured and thought-out art teacher CV. Here are some basic rules for formatting your CV the right way:
Art Teacher CV Format
Choose an elegant CV font—Helvetica or Garamond should be as wild as you go. Readability is key.
Structure your art teacher CV in the reverse-chronological format—this is the most common format, and most beneficial to you, listing most recent things first.
Once you have set the canvas for your art teacher CV, it’s time to get to work.
2. Write a Convincing Art Teacher CV Objective Or Summary
Sometimes, a piece of art strikes at first glance. Other pieces require a viewer to stare within for hours.
If your art teacher CV takes hours to fully grasp, principals will zone out like a five-year old reading “In Search of Lost Time.”
In other words: Your art teacher CV profile must be a Hitchcockian earthquake. A short section such as a CV summary will save the reader skimming through your entire art teacher CV—by conveying your best attributes immediately and giving them a reason to keep on reading.
Good news.
Standing out in a pile of CVs is not as hard as standing out in the world of art.
Most candidates will write about their current job responsibilities and tasks—you can skip ahead of the queue by writing about professional achievements on your CV, and quantifying the impact you make.
Just like this:
Art Teacher CV—Summary Examples
Conducting lessons to plan for different grades is not a skill, it’s a basic responsibility. There is always something you can extract to show that you are a cut above the rest. By quantifying the impact you are making, you are giving them an exact idea of what to expect—helping them to feel confident in their decision to interview and eventually hire you.
A CV summary is most effective when you have more than 2 years of teaching experience.
If you’re trying to write an art teacher CV with no teaching experience, it is better to write a CV objective.
Art Teacher CV Objective
The good example shows the unique depth of the candidate, instead of stating and repeating the obvious.
Avoid empty statements, such as ‘seeking a position’—be personal and address the institution you’re applying to directly.
Expert Hint: High-quality art, craft and design curriculums are vital for proper development of a multitude of skills in youths. The art teacher profession is more important than it might seem at first glance.
The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your CV in our CV builder now.
3. Write a Magnetising Art Teacher Job Description
Everyone knows the responsibilities of an art teacher. You, me, and the person reading your CV. Reciting them in your CV doesn’t prove you’ll make a good art teacher.
When writing about your experience in your art teacher CV, think about what you achieved. Think about how well, and on what scale did you do what you did? Use the highlights and proudest moments to star-stud your art teacher CV job descriptions.
Use powerful CV action words such as facilitated, mentored, implemented, developed. Take a look at these art teacher job description examples:
Art Teacher Job Description for a CV
It’s apparent who is going to make more of a splash.
Any art teacher CV can be emboldened with a dedicated skills section. Don’t just write anything and everything down. Keep it relevant, and make sure you really have down if you say you do.
Art Teacher CV Skills
Hard skills
Age Appropriate Activities
Art History Concepts
Assessment
Classroom Management
Curriculum Development
Departmental Planning
Early Childhood Learning Concepts
Film Editing Software
Graphic Design Software
Music Editing Software
Painting Techniques
Safety and Sanitation Policies
State Standards
Visual Imaging
Soft Skills
Active Listening Skills
Analytical Skills
Creative Thinking Skills
Decision-Making Skills
Effective Communication
Interpersonal Skills
Leadership Skills
Organisational Skills
Problem-Solving Skills
Project Management Skills
Teamwork Skills
Time Management Skills
4. Make Your Art Teacher CV Education Section Stand Out
Harnessing creative energy takes skill—
An effective art teacher must be prepared for every eventuality in the classroom. Avoid relisting things you may already have outdone in your art teacher job description. Putting down education on your CV should be limited to the relevant stuff.
Your “Classroom Management” module might not be so relevant once you have a couple years’ real teaching experience. Think about things that add to the big picture you are composing in your art teacher CV.
Art Teacher CV Example—Education
This example covers canvas on your art teacher CV—if that’s what you need.
The more teaching experience you have, the less necessary this is.
After 2 years, skip the GPA and the coursework. After 5 years—skip any bullet points whatsoever. Just your degree and university name will do.
Expert Hint: The Artsmark survey found that 81.6% of the respondents wanted more digital projects included in their curriculum.If you're a master at teaching digital forms of art—flaunt it! Stand out by making your CV targeted in this way.
5. Boost Your Art Teacher CV’s Chances With Other Sections
A master must show versatility in his craft. So, add just a few final strokes.
By this I mean putting additional sections on your art teacher CV to show your other dimensions:
Remember, your art teacher CV is not a celebration of you, but a presentation of you as the best art teacher available.
Keep it relevant.
The usual trick in these sections is to put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes and ask “What does this do for me?” You should go one step further, and ask—
What can this do for the student?
And finally, write a solid cover letter for your CV. It can work miracles and really get you hired. Most candidates skip this part so this is your competitive edge.
Expert Hint: Remember why you’re doing this. A US-based Rice Kinder Institute's study of 10,548 K-12 students found that a substantial increase in arts educational experiences reduced disciplinary infractions by 3.6%, improved standardised writing scores by 13%, and compassion for others by 8%, amongst other benefits. Use active words in your CV (and cover letter!) to describe the impact you make.
Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.
Start by adapting the art teacher CV template to get your structure and order correct. Check out ResumeLab’s free CV templates.
Describe your achievements and unique points, instead of just responsibilities—in your art teacher job description and CV profile.
Paint the full picture of your art teacher skills. Focus on those required by the job offering.
Don’t forget an art teacher cover letter. It’s required if you really want this job.
Did you find the art teacher CV examples helpful? Anything else we could do to help you get your art teacher CV right? Leave a comment! We’d love to hear from you.
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Written byDave Rygielski
Dave is a career expert whose articles cover various topics related to job applications. He created numerous advice pieces for ResumeLab UK to help readers improve their chances of landing great jobs using well-researched, data-driven tips.