Professionalism

What Grade Level Should I Teach? Choosing the Right K-12 Art Job

| March 12, 2026

Choosing the right grade level to teach can feel overwhelming, especially for new educators. In this clip from Art Ed Radio, Amanda Heyn and Timothy Bogatz share honest insights from their own teaching journeys, comparing the joys and challenges of both elementary and high school classrooms, navigating the realities of the job market, and learning to stay flexible early in your career. Whether you’re student teaching, in your first year, or considering a change, this conversation offers practical guidance and reassurance as you decide what you value and where you truly belong.

Watch for the following art ed insight:

  • Takeaways from elementary and secondary veteran teachers
  • Joys and challenges of teaching each grade level
  • Realities of the art teacher job market
  • How to stay flexible in your art education career

To chat about different grade levels with other art teachers, join us in The Art of Ed Community!

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lindsey McGinnis

Lindsey McGinnis is AOE’s Media Content Manager and a former high school art educator. She is passionate about equipping art teachers to be successful in their classrooms and firmly believes that art is the best place for students to explore and process the challenging topics and concepts around them.

More from Lindsey

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