Teaching High School Art Out of Field: A Ready 9–12 Curriculum
Art Complete – High School is for the teacher who has a grades 9–12 art section on the schedule and no art degree behind it. Its 100+ resources include analysis and interpretation lessons on style, symbolism, composition and intention, plus studio units that lead students from concept to final artwork. You get the critical language and the project scaffolding that high school students expect from an art teacher.
See the high school art course →Art Complete – High School is a ready-to-teach art curriculum for grades 9–12, from $149.90, with 100+ resources. It covers analysis and interpretation of art across cultures, periods and contemporary contexts, and studio practice in drawing, painting, mixed media, design, and traditional and digital media. A teacher outside their certification gets structured critique language and concept-to-final project sequences. Supplies are not included.
The curriculum
Art Complete – High School, Grades 9–12
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
The real problem
Why high school art is harder to fake than it looks
High school art students often know what they want to make, and some already have a style. That changes your job. Instead of teaching how to hold a brush, you are asked to talk about intention: why an artist chose this composition, what a symbol is doing, whether a piece reads as conceptual or decorative. Those conversations are where a non-specialist feels exposed, because they rely on knowing art from many periods and from contemporary practice. The studio side changes too. Younger students follow a project; older ones should be moving toward their own ideas, drafting a concept, testing approaches and producing a finished piece with less direction each year. Supporting that growing independence without letting it slide into unfocused free time takes structure. Media widen as well, since design and digital work sit alongside drawing and painting, and you may be less comfortable with some than others. Finally, critique has to be honest and specific. Teenagers can tell vague praise from feedback that helps, and a weak critique culture makes the whole class lose interest.
Why it fits
How it supports a teacher without an art degree
The curriculum gives you both halves of a credible high school course: the talk about art and the structure for making it.
- Analysis lessons on style, symbolism, composition and intention give you questions that sustain a real discussion.
- Artworks span cultures, periods and contemporary contexts, including design, media art and visual culture.
- Studio units take students from concept to final artwork, with built-in stages you can check and grade.
- Experimental and conceptual approaches are covered, so older students have somewhere to go beyond technique.
- Traditional and digital media both appear, which helps if your room has devices but limited studio space.
- Answer keys back the written interpretation tasks, keeping your marking consistent across sections.
Getting started
Taking over a high school art section
One possible sequence for the opening weeks, from the first critique to the first finished piece.
- Ask students what they makeIn the first class, have students bring or describe one piece of their own. You learn quickly who has a practice, who works digitally, and who has never made anything outside school.
- Teach one analysis lesson as a modelUse a lesson on composition and symbolism to show what talking about art sounds like in your room. The structured prompts let you lead the conversation instead of improvising opinions.
- Pick a first unit that suits your spaceChoose a drawing or design unit if your materials are limited or still on order. Save mixed media and painting for once you know the room and its storage.
- Grade the concept stage, not just the endBecause studio units move from concept to final artwork, collect the concept and drafts as graded checkpoints. This keeps independent work on track and spreads grading across the unit.
- Hold a structured critiqueUse the analysis vocabulary for the first group critique. Ask students to name an intention, a choice of composition and one change they would make. Your role is to keep it specific.
Which version
Base version or the one with Teach-Life-Balance
The $149.90 base version contains all 100+ resources and is what you need to teach high school art. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital course with a planner, guides and templates for managing workload. It adds no art content. It is worth considering if art came on top of a full load in your own subject and evenings are already short. If you also teach middle school art, Art Complete – Middle School follows the same structure, and buying both qualifies for 15% off with code TEACHMORE15. The Complete Art Education Bundle for High School may appear on the page as a cheaper add-on.
Honest limits
What you still need to bring
No art supplies, software or devices are included. Studio units assume you can provide the basic media your school stocks. It is not a portfolio program for any particular external exam or college admission process, and it is written for U.S. high school classrooms without state certification, so check it against your state requirements and course catalog. Sharing it with another art teacher at your school requires a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it does not fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of the same value; cash refunds are not offered.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does it satisfy state standards for high school visual arts?
It is not endorsed, adopted or certified by any state, district or the National Core Arts Standards, and we do not claim it is. It is written for U.S. high school art classrooms. Check the content on the product page against your state framework and your school's course description, especially if the class counts toward a fine arts credit.
How do I lead critiques without an art background?
Use the analysis lessons as your script at first. They focus attention on style, symbolism, composition and intention, which gives everyone, including you, specific things to discuss. Ask students to support claims with what they can see in the work. After a few rounds the routine runs largely on its own.
Some students are far more skilled than I am. What then?
That is common in high school art, and it is fine. Your job is to set the problem, provide structure and ask good questions, not to out-draw them. The experimental and conceptual approaches give advanced students room to stretch, and the concept-to-final process keeps them accountable to a plan.
Do I need computers for the digital media parts?
Only for those parts. The curriculum includes both traditional and digital media, so if devices are scarce, put the emphasis on drawing, painting, mixed media and design. Software and hardware are not included. Check which projects need devices before building your calendar around them, and book the computer lab early if your school has one.
Can I teach grades 9 through 12 in one section with this?
Yes. The curriculum is described as suitable for mixed-ability classrooms, and expected independence grows across grades 9–12. Give everyone the same analysis lesson and studio brief, then expect older or more experienced students to take more ownership of concept and execution. Grade them against that higher expectation.
How long does it take to plan a unit?
Much less than building one, because lessons, worksheets, slides and answer keys are already written. Your preparation is mostly reading ahead, making a rough sample of the project, and checking materials. Expect the first unit to take longer while you learn the format; every unit follows the same structure, so later ones go faster.
Teach high school art with structure behind you
Review the full list of 100+ resources on the product page and choose your first unit.
See the high school art course →