What Do Art, Drama and Music Professors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Art, Drama and Music Professors teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. They also explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.

Other tasks include:

• Evaluate and grade students’ class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
• Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
• Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.

We asked Art, Drama and Music Professors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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75% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Art, Drama and Music Professors maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. They maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.

A typical day for a Postsecondary Art, Drama and Music Teacher will also include:

• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
• Evaluate and grade students’ class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
• Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
• Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.

We asked some Art, Drama and Music Professors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	15% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	31% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	64% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	31% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	43% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Art, Drama and Music Professors also participate in campus and community events. They may also maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Art, Drama and Music Professors Keep students informed of community events, such as plays and concerts. They might also Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and performance pieces.

In addition, they Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Display students’ work in schools, galleries, and exhibitions.

To some Art, Drama and Music Professors, it is also their responsibility to Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Postsecondary Art, Drama and Music Teacher, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm

http://www.cgsnet.org/

https://www.acteonline.org/

http://www.teach.org/