- Because of the rigorous training for graphic design, students can often advance to teaching positions after working in the graphic design field for a few years. But to do that, a certification in graphic design is necessary. A student must earn a bachelor's degree at a four-year college for most jobs. Two-year degrees are offered in some states, but may not provide as much training or possibilities as their four-year counterparts. Certain colleges meet the requirements to be certified by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The certification can help with job placement in a competitive market and is more desirable in teachers. Internships are required for 1 to 3 years, in which the student will get sufficient practice in the field. This will equip them with the knowledge they can use later in both design and possible teaching positions.
- The key to teaching graphic design is to make it both practical and interesting. While the students that will survive and advance in graphic design need to be motivated enough to do the work on their own, it doesn't hurt to try and make your lessons new and exciting. Not only will the students pay better attention to their homework, they'll get more experience. Coming up with original projects lets them explore new areas of graphic design they may not have considered about before. A popular idea is to have them create a movie poster for a fictional movie that they either create or you choose for them. Have them write the title and a brief plot summary, then give the guidelines you want them to follow for creating the poster. Have students create a tag line for the poster as well. If you want a longer project, have students create two or three different posters advertising the same movie. Other ideas include designing book covers, magazine spreads and website layouts.
- Read the material you'll be assigning students beforehand to make sure it's both interesting and informative. There are hundreds of graphic design course books out there. Go with your instinct on what seems the most fun. Try to model your classes after the parts of your own college courses you enjoyed. Plan your lessons out ahead of time, and create a general syllabus for the semester. As you progress through each semester, save projects or pictures of students work to use as examples for upcoming students.
