Are you looking to add some humor to your class? We had a “Funday Punday Monday” at our school where kids and teachers brought in puns to share. I rounded up some fun art-related puns you could use in your class. Sidenote: When I read these in class and I asked “Why did the artist go to the bathroom?” One of my second graders called out (without missing a beat) “because he was consti-painted!” That was a new answer and … Read more…
Are you looking for some new contemporary artists to teach your students about? On the Facebook Art Teachers group, members suggested LOTS of contemporary artists that they teach their students. These are now all compiled into ONE HUGE LIST on Google Docs! I added websites and short descriptions to most of the artists so it is easier to use. Thanks to all the teachers who collaborated to share their ideas and add artists. This huge list has about 130 artists … Read more…
GUYS! I am SO EXCITED! Our new addition is complete and the physical space of our school has doubled. It is so nice to not have to push your way through the halls. It’s like there’s breathing room now. We also have a new art room, so I HAVE MY OWN ROOM NOW. I’m so thrilled that we don’t have to share a room anymore and all of our supplies can spread out. I have the old room and our … Read more…
I opened up my email this week and was thrilled to read the following message: I wanted to thank you for your post regarding portfolios and interviewing. I was recently hired at a fantastic school, and the interview wouldn’t have gone well without your advice about preparation. Yay! I love it when someone finds something useful in something I’ve written! The post she was referring to was Art Teacher Portfolio Ideas. Later, I posted an article about digital portfolios. I … Read more…
I have been dreaming about how I will be setting up my art room next year, as we will be having two art rooms and I will have a lot more space! The art discussion cards that I created have been popular and I thought that these questions would make an intriguing bulletin board. I designed 33 colorful signs with interesting art discussion prompts that can be used in classroom critiques or art history discussions. There are 4 additional “title” … Read more…
Did you join the Artsy Book Club on Facebook? It was started by Cassie Stephens. You should come join us! We are starting to work through the book One Drawing A Day: A 6-Week Course Exploring Creativity with Illustration and Mixed Media. The first assignment was a pen drawing of a still life set up of stuff you find around you. Drawing immediately with pen is harder than it seems. I was so worried about drawing a line wrong … Read more…
Another year is rapidly coming to a close, so I thought I would spend some time reviewing my favorite projects and blog posts from this year. Here are my favorite posts, in no particular order! 15. How to Paint Gorgeous Clouds with Watercolor 14. Clay Castles 13. Postage Stamp Art Project 12. Heart Photography Project with 3rd Grade 11. 25 Amazing Books for Teaching About Art 10. Editorial cartoons are a unit I teach every year. We even were … Read more…
I haven’t done one of these for awhile and I’ve been coming across all kinds of fabulous things to share with you. I was reviewing this Youtube video again for planning projects and I just LOVE this “note to self” by Chuck Close. If you teach about Chuck Close, this is great to show your students. CBS This Morning: Artist Chuck Close Writes Note to Younger Self Great money & future planning advice for high schoolers from the Simple Dollar, … Read more…
If you are looking for some new art center ideas for your classroom, look no further! Today I’m going to share with you 5 art centers my students have been enjoying lately. After visiting two choice-based art classrooms, I’ve decided to incorporate some free choice days into my class schedule. I think it is important to let students try out different art materials and ideas at their own pace. However, I am still continuing my art curriculum and will teach … Read more…
My first set of Art History Sketchbook Prompts have been popular and I recently made a second set with all different artists and prompts. This new set has 16 NEW art history prompts! 16 DIFFERENT artists. These art history cards feature a selection of inspiring artworks with a prompt that can be used to spark drawing and writing. Print off the cards on cardstock, cut in half and laminate to protect them. You can print off as many copies … Read more…
In response to the blog post Art Teacher Portfolio Ideas, Abby Rappel asked, “Can I use my website portfolio instead of a paper portfolio on interviews or do schools still want to see paper form portfolios?” That is a great question! When I was in college (12 years ago), we were required to make a paper portfolio in a binder. Digital portfolios were not as big as they are now. I believe the college now requires the students to make … Read more…
Missy left on comment on a previous post: ” LOVE that you’ve included some of your favorite kids books! Any other books you’d recommend to the mom for reference for trying to teach her kids basic art principles?” I use children’s books all the time in the art classroom. It is a great way to tie in literature and inspire the kids through stories and illustrations. Here is MY list of favorite books for teaching about art. I highly recommend … Read more…
I made a new poster for my room. Every couple of years I tend to tweak my art room rules. I struggled to come up with an “I” but settled on “Imagine new things!” I told the kids it’s not really a rule, but a reminder. I was surprised how often I referred to the reminder on the poster. When a student said, “I like what so and so is doing, can I copy it?” I referred to the “Imagine … Read more…
There are still five more days to enter the back to school giveaway! I will announce the randomly selected winner on August 22. What are teachers looking forward to most about starting a new year? I picked a selection of the answers teachers gave when asked this question. 1. Carrie: “The best part of going back to the classroom is seeing all of the kids. It’s all about them and allowing them the opportunity to explore, create, imagine, and … Read more…
We took a trip this week to our local children’s museum in Madison. I was busy chasing around my daughter, but I managed to snap a few pictures of the awesomeness in this place. The museum is amazing. The lower level has a lot of things geared for dramatic play, such as a pretend garden, a water room, dress-up, puppets, etc. There is also an amazing “bone” bridge to climb. The upper level has building materials, like Tinker toys, Legos, … Read more…
