What Makes a Great Teaching Artist?
- Ms. A
- Jul 30
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 8
A 7-Part Series on How to Choose a Quality Drama Program for Your School
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What Makes a Great Teaching Artist?
Table of Contents:
What is a Teaching Artist?
A teaching artist is a practicing professional artist who also serves as an educator, bringing their creative expertise into learning environments to inspire, guide, and support growth.
According to the Kennedy Center, teaching artists are unique because they combine “expertise in an art form with the skills to design and deliver arts-based learning experiences” in schools and community settings (Kennedy Center).
Teaching artists aren’t just instructors who “teach theatre.” They’re artists who use theatre as a vehicle for personal expression, cultural connection, academic engagement, and social-emotional learning. They integrate their art form into classrooms and communities in creative, inclusive, and purposeful ways.
Key Characteristics of What Makes a Great Teaching Artist:
They’re practicing artists. Whether in theatre, music, dance, or visual arts, teaching artists are actively engaged in their craft.
They’re skilled educators. They know how to communicate effectively, manage a classroom, and engage students of diverse ages and abilities.
They use arts integration. They connect the arts to academic content, life skills, and social-emotional development.
They work in diverse spaces. From schools to community centers, museums to juvenile halls, teaching artists bring their work wherever students are.
What Do Teaching Artists Do?
Design curriculum and lesson plans that meet learning goals while staying rooted in artistic practice
Teach performance techniques with real-world relevance and artistic integrity
Facilitate creative expression by nurturing voice, choice, and agency
Bridge art and academics so students learn more deeply and holistically
Foster belonging and community by making space for identity, empathy, and collaboration
Support personal growth by helping young people build confidence and process experiences through the arts
What Experience & Qualifications should a Teaching Artist possess?
Seasoned teaching artists come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, but what unites them is a deep commitment to both their craft and the young people they serve.
Some have degrees in theatre. Others arrive through pathways in education, youth development, social sciences, or the humanities. What matters most is that they bring a balance of artistic practice and youth development experience into the classroom.
They typically have:
Professional theatre experience — performing, directing, designing, or writing, often at the community, regional, or professional level. Many are actively practicing artists who continue to create work outside of the classroom.
Formal education in related fields, including degrees in:
Theatre, Performance, or Technical Theatre
Education, Child Development, or Educational Studies
Social Sciences (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Social Work)
Humanities disciplines like English, Literature, or History
Applied teaching experience — leading classes, residencies, or workshops in schools, community centers, afterschool programs, or expanded learning environments.
Experience with youth of different ages — knowing how to engage a room of kindergarteners is very different from guiding teens through collaborative, identity-based performance work. Great teaching artists know how to adapt.
Immersive time in youth-centered settings, such as summer camps, arts-based SEL programs, mentoring initiatives, and community engagement work.
Internships or fellowships with theatre companies, arts organizations, or education nonprofits, where they've learned to balance creativity, classroom dynamics, and youth empowerment.
And perhaps most importantly, they’re always growing. Furthermore, what makes a great teaching artist is ongoing training and professional development to sharpen their tools and stay responsive to students’ needs.
Why does hiring the right Teaching Artist matter in OST?
Theatre invites students to take risks, express emotion, and share parts of themselves that may not have a place in traditional classrooms. That kind of work can only thrive in a space that’s safe, supportive, and led by adults students can trust.
Great teaching artists do more than lead games or rehearse scenes. They:
Hold space for students’ creativity, curiosity, and questions, making room for every voice.
Set clear boundaries while still building a space that’s playful, brave, and emotionally safe.
Connect theatre to students’ lived experiences, their cultures, stories, identities, and dreams, so learning is not just engaging, but relevant and affirming.
Respond in real time to the social-emotional needs that arise in creative work, from stage fright and group dynamics to moments of personal revelation.
In Out-of-School-Time (OST) spaces, there is no school bell, no rigid curriculum, and often no grades. That freedom can be powerful, but only if the adults leading the program know how to use it well.
Without the right people:
A drama class can feel chaotic instead of creative.
Group work can turn collaborators into cliques with conflict
A performance project can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or silence voices that need to be heard.
Even the most beautifully written curriculum can fall flat or, worse, become harmful if it’s not facilitated by a skilled, emotionally attuned, and culturally responsive teaching artist.
That’s why quality drama programs prioritize the person in the room because in OST, the teacher is the container. Their presence, preparation, and pedagogy set the tone for everything else.
What does the Research say
Studies in youth development and arts education consistently show that strong relationships with trusted adults are a cornerstone of effective learning. According to the Forum for Youth Investment, young people thrive in environments that are safe, supportive, interactive, and engaging, conditions that depend heavily on who’s in the room leading the learning.
The Critical Links report from the Arts Education Partnership synthesizes dozens of studies and confirms that:
Instruction in the arts contributes to both academic and social development, especially when led by experienced, well-trained educators.
The presence of knowledgeable, caring adults plays a key role in helping students make meaning from their artistic work, develop social-emotional competencies, and build personal and cultural identity.
In trauma-informed and culturally sustaining classrooms, the role of the adult becomes even more critical. Students need facilitators who can model empathy, hold space for complex emotions, and guide the group through both artistic and interpersonal challenges with intention.
In short, research backs what we already know from experience: who teaches matters. Great teaching artists create the kind of learning environments where students feel seen, safe, and inspired to grow.
You can explore the full Critical Links report here: https://www.aep-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/Critical-Links_-Learning-in-the-Arts-and-Student-Academic-and-Social-Development.pdf
✨ The right teaching artist can make or break a drama program.
Subscribe to PEAK Backstage and get the FREE Drama Program Evaluation Checklist, plus monthly resources, lesson plans, and culturally sustaining arts strategies to help you choose and support great teaching artists.
When you join, you become part of the PEAK Backstage Crew — a network of passionate educators and artists dedicated to creating safe, joyful, and student-centered drama spaces.
What do great Teaching Artists look like at PEAK Theatre Arts?
At PEAK Theatre Arts, our teaching artists are the heart of the program. We believe students deserve to be taught by professionals who are both talented artists and compassionate educators.
We hire individuals who are:
Experienced performers, directors, and theatre-makers with real-world artistic training and creative practice.
Educators and youth development specialists who are trained in trauma-informed care, social-emotional learning (SEL), culturally responsive pedagogy, and child development.
Compassionate, intentional adults who bring warmth, structure, and deep respect into every classroom.
All PEAK teaching artists:
Complete rigorous onboarding grounded in our values and student-centered teaching philosophy
Undergo background checks and reference verification
Participate in ongoing professional development in youth development, anti-bias education, creative facilitation, and more
We don’t believe in handing over a curriculum and calling it a day. We believe in equipping our educators with the tools, support, and community they need to thrive, because when teaching artists are thriving, students do too.
At the center of our program is Ms. Jessica Alvarado (Ms. A), a seasoned teaching artist, director, performer, and visionary founder of PEAK Theatre Arts. With over a decade of experience working with young people in schools, after-school programs, and community settings, Ms. A blends her deep theatrical training with a profound understanding of child development and social-emotional learning.
Ms. A is more than an artist; she’s a heart-centered educator who believes every child has a story to tell and a right to be seen. Her teaching reflects her commitment to creating safe, joyful, and culturally sustaining spaces where students can explore identity, community, and artistry without fear or limitation.
She leads by example, mentoring the PEAK teaching team, modeling responsive teaching, and designing programs that are as holistically affirming as they are artistically rigorous.
What to Ask When Evaluating a Teaching Artist?
Use these questions to help you determine whether a drama program is staffed with the kind of teaching artists who will support, not just supervise, your students:
Do instructors have experience with both theatre and youth development?
Are they trained in safe, trauma-informed, and age-appropriate practices?
Is there a clear vetting process (background checks, references, evaluations)?
Do students feel seen, heard, and supported by the adults in the room?
Does the organization invest in ongoing training for its teaching artists?
Coming Up in Part Five- Giving Students the Mic: Why Student Voice Belongs Center Stage
Most drama programs start with a script and end with a performance. Somewhere in between, kids get told what to say, how to move, and where to stand. In Part Five, we’ll explore why the most meaningful drama programs invite students to become co-creators of the work, not just performers in it. When students help shape the story, design the world, and make artistic choices, something powerful happens: They develop agency. They take ownership. They see themselves reflected on stage and know their ideas matter.
Drama isn’t just about performance. It’s about building confidence, communication skills, and a deep sense of belonging. We’ll dive into how student-led creation transforms drama into a tool for creative expression and collaboration, and why this approach leads to more joyful, inclusive, and impactful experiences for everyone involved.
Join the PEAK Backstage Crew!
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Because the right people in the room make all the difference — and great teaching artists help students feel safe, inspired, and ready to create.
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🎭 Ready-to-use lesson plans — Save time with VAPA & SEL-aligned activities made for OST settings🌍 Culturally sustaining arts strategies — Build programs that reflect and honor your students’ identities
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