Where can I find an artist to teach my students?
COA provides a great source of high-quality teaching artists in Connecticut. Each one has been judged for excellence in their art forms and readiness, capacity, and desire to work in schools and communities.
The directory features teaching artists for dance, literary arts (including writing and poetry), music, theater (including storytelling and puppetry), and visual arts.
What is a teaching artist?
Teaching artists are active artists who specialize in teaching in classrooms and communities by:
- Engaging students in arts and arts-integrated learning
- Advancing creative and critical thinking
- Helping classroom teachers discover new ways to energize their instructional practice.
Their skills may include:
- Connecting/correlating: The artist enhances learning with arts experiences and/or ideas that link artistic disciplines. Many offer a program or programs they can tailor to different settings.
- Integrating: The artist provides learning experiences that weave together ideas between arts and non-arts disciplines. They collaborate with the presenter to plan and implement a program. These artists are experienced in setting goals and assessing progress and they are familiar with the National Core Arts Standards adopted by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Common Core State Standards.
Are all teaching artists certified teachers?
There is no requirement for teaching artists to be certified teachers. Most are teaching partners.
For more information
Email Tekowa Omara-Otunnu.