There are many things that art teachers need to keep a close eye on.

How students are progressing with their work, how they present themselves, and how they work within their brief. Marking students’ pieces can be very difficult as art is generally about the individual’s way of working, and the motivation behind the finished piece can be very difficult to pick apart.

But aside from the difficult marking, the art teacher has other things to think about, like safeguarding and taking care of students’ work while it is in their care. Having a student’s hard work destroyed or damaged can be devastating for all parties involved, as this may be the culmination of several years’ work.

So, where student work is concerned, the art teacher needs to take extra precautions to ensure that it comes to no harm.

However, this is far easier said than done. Here are three things that all art teachers should take into account while storing their students’ work.

1 Insurance

Ensure all of the students’ work is insured by a good company. Specialist policies that cover insurance for academies will have the necessary coverage for keeping work safe and secure.

This is particularly useful if there is, for example, a large class and they are all working in the 3D area of fine art. If anything is knocked, broken, or chipped you can get the correct compensation.

This can prove valuable in the event of a college, studio, or classroom being broken into and items are stolen, as this will be eligible for insurance compensation to help your students recover from any material losses.

2 Student financial support

Having the right student financial support can be very useful not only for the art teacher but for the students as well. This can be done by researching cheaper prices for materials and supplies and making sure that students are getting the best deals they possibly can.

This may include talking to local art suppliers and shops to get a discount or having a reward system based on good grades. There is a wide variety of things the art teacher can do to make the students’ financial situation a lot easier. Art is by no means a cheap subject to follow, and any aid that is given would be really appreciated by students.

3 Display options

A way to avoid disaster is by ensuring that students’ artwork is properly stored. This can be in display cases or on shelving units, however, this can be risky as these can be knocked in an overcrowded classroom.

The best way to display the masterpieces is to have them where they can’t be damaged but can be viewed from a safe distance. This can be difficult to find, but having them placed in a classroom in an area or the classroom that is not being used can not only provide inspiration for students; but keep the pieces under constant observation by the teacher.