This is a fun art project I like to use to get students exploring different types of materials at the beginning of the year. It’s also a low-pressure way to introduce mixed media and abstract art. Set up the room by placing a wide variety of art materials in a centrally located place in your room. The way this works is that you start by drawing an abstract design on your paper using a variety of shapes and lines to … Read more…
Hello! I wanted to share with you this sweet new book I received as a review copy. This book is so tender and lovely and has a fantastic social-emotional connection. This book was inspired by the song by Don McLean. Starry, starry night Paint your palette blue and gray Look out on a summer’s day With eyes that know the darkness in my soul. (Don McLean, “Vincent”) The book is called Vincent: Starry Starry Night (Amazon Affiliate links used. I … Read more…
Hello! I have been working on a series of “print and go” substitute teaching plans for elementary art class. These will be set up with goals and steps clearly written for a sub. You can print off these handouts for the students, gather supplies and have things all set to go in case you have an emergency illness and need to stay home. Some I will be offering for free on my blog and others will be in my shop. … Read more…
Hello! I shared this with newsletter subscribers, but if you haven’t seen it yet, here is a yearlong elementary art lesson guide with lots of my favorite projects sorted by grade level. Each one links to a picture, blog post or lesson plan to help you get an idea of what the lesson is about. I’m posting this to help other people, because I know as a new teacher I felt overwhelmed trying to come up with lessons for every … Read more…
Are you wondering what kinds of activities to have available for your students when they are finished with their art projects? Here are a bunch of early finisher ideas for the art classroom. Read more…
In a previous post, I showed many examples of zines that I had purchased from a zinefest. I tried it out with a group of 4th/5th graders and I am happy to say it was a success! It was the first time I had made zines with students before and one student told me that this was a project I should keep for next year! Other kids agreed. We started by watching this video about zines from Tate. I showed … Read more…
Hello! I am already seeing lots of posts in Facebook groups asking what to do in the first few days of art class. In this post, I will walk you through what I plan to do this year in my classes. This is very similar to what I have done in other years. First, I start all classes with basic introductions and talking about the room and art class. We go over the rules and expectations. I use a video … Read more…
Are you looking for the best ways to save time, save money and spruce up your room? Of course you are! I teamed up with Glitter Meets Glue and some of my blogger friends to compile a list of 23 Art Room Hacks. Hop on over to Glitter Meets Glue to read this post. Back to School Resource Bundle As you are planning out your next year, be sure to think about how you will start the new school year. … Read more…
Our school had an amazing visit from Tracy Subisak, a Taiwanese-American author and illustrator known for her children’s books. She shared her creative process, read “Sorry, Snail,” and demonstrated character creation techniques. Students then created their own characters. I got a signed copy for my collection. Have you hosted an author visit before? Read more…
I found this post in my draft folder. I had written the post and then it was right before Covid hit, so somehow I missed posting it! This is one of my go-to sub plans. Use up the paper in your scrap bin and make a picture just using cut paper shapes. All you need to do to prepare is leave the scrap box available and provide a few examples. You can print these out or make your own! I … Read more…
It’s back! I used to host a Summer Art Challenge with my classes before Covid, but it kind of fell off the radar. I’ve decided to give it another go this year and see what cool stuff the kids come up with. Here’s how it works: I’ll hand out a list of art challenges for the kids to tackle over the summer. I’ll be slipping flyers into their lockers and including it in our final school newsletter. The kids can … Read more…
In April, I had the pleasure of attending the National Art Education Association conference in Minneapolis. I was really excited because Lynda Barry was going to be one of the keynote speakers. I have been a fan of her work for many years. Lynda is a comic/graphic novel artist, author and teacher and is known for her quirky, autobiographical work. Her raw and expressive comics encourage readers to explore their own creativity through writing and drawing. She has taught creative … Read more…
Yesterday I went to a really fun event called the Madison Print and Resist Zinefest. I have been to this before and it has always had loads of really interesting zines. I was on a mission this time though. I decided I am going to do a zine project with my classes and I wanted to find lots of interesting and unique “kid-friendy” zines. I will show you some pictures of the many zines that I picked up for your … Read more…
Recently, I did styrofoam printmaking with my 4th/5th grade classes. Styrofoam printing is a relatively easy way to introduce printmaking to a group of kids. It is messy and can be challenging, so I’m providing a video demonstration in this blog post. The materials needed are: For this project, I gave the students an open-ended theme. They could choose either 1. Something from Greek mythology (they were studying ancient Greece and Rome) or 2. Something from a book they read. … Read more…
Recently our school participated in a service learning project for all of our grades, K-8. The local senior center approached my co-worker Sharon who shared the project with me. The senior center was looking for students to decorate lunch bags to distribute to homebound seniors through the Meals on Wheels program. I thought this would be a great opportunity for our students to connect with the community and share kindness and cheer through their art. Here is an article from … Read more…
