How to Become an Art Teacher in Louisiana: Certification & Requirements
Follow these steps to become a certified art teacher in Louisiana. Discover what you'll study before you earn your bachelor's degree, and what you can expect when it comes time for the standardized Praxis tests you need for certification.
Requirements for Art Teachers in Louisiana: Overview
Art teachers in Louisiana schools may teach from kindergarten through high school. You'll enroll in a bachelor's degree program that includes a state-approved teacher training program. This includes a student teaching experience. Finally, you must take the required Praxis exams to become a certified art teacher.
| Education/Experience Required | Bachelor's degree in art education; state-approved teacher education program |
| Exams Required | Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics, Writing, and Reading; Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (K-6, 5-9, or 7-12); Praxis Art: Content Knowledge |
| License Validity | 3 years for initial certification (level 1) |
| License Upgrade | Pass the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LATAAP) and teach for 3 years for level 2 certification (5-year validity) |
| Average Louisiana Salary* (2018) | $50,540 for kindergarten teachers $48,740 for elementary school teachers $49,960 for middle school teachers $51,810 for high school teachers |
| National Job Growth* (2016-2026) | 8% for high school, middle school, and kindergarten teachers 7% for elementary school teachers |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Job Description
As an art teacher, you'll let your students discover new ways to express themselves through visual mediums. Painting, sculpting, sketching, and modeling are just a few of the approaches you can use. You'll issue grades and implement lesson plans according to required standards just like any other instructor. Your working environment will vary depending on which grade you're teaching; for younger students, you might share a classroom with the rest of the subjects taught in the same area, while a high school may have a dedicated studio.
Education and Training Requirements
Prospective art teachers will pursue a bachelor's degree in art education that includes state-approved teacher training. You can typically find this in one of two areas: a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education, Grades K-12, or a Bachelor of Arts in Art with a concentration in Art Education.
You'll work closely with the education department and the art department to ensure that you spend equal time crafting your visual art abilities and teaching skills. You'll build your own portfolio while undergoing a student teaching experience during the later portion of your degree. You'll learn topics that include printmaking, classroom management, graphic design, and educational psychology when pursuing a degree in art education.
Exam Requirements
Future teachers of art must sign up for the Praxis exams required by Louisiana. For admission into a teacher training program, you'll start with the Core Academic Skills for Educators, which is a set of three tests: writing, mathematics, and reading. You're free to make multiple appointments for each test or take them all in one session. Sufficient SAT/ACT scores may waive this exam requirement.
You will then determine what grade you are teaching and take the Principles of Learning and Teaching exam for either K-6, 5-9, or 7-12. Finally, you'll need to pass the Art: Content Knowledge exam with a passing score of 159 to become a certified art teacher.
Certification Requirements and Renewal
Your certification awaits you once you finish your student teaching and pass all of your needed Praxis exams. With the recommendation from your education institution, you'll become a certified art teacher for an initial period of three years. This level 1 certification can be renewed in the case of a lapse, which occurs if you take more than a semester or 90 straight days off. Renewal requires six semester hours of college coursework.
Otherwise, you can teach for three years and go through the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LATAAP), which involves mentorship and evaluation, to earn a level 2 certification valid for five years. Renewal of the level 2 certification requires 150 continuing learning units and verified professional development.