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…
Hi friends! Many schools are already going back for the new school year and I thought I would round up some previous posts you may have missed from years ago that may help you come up with some ways to start your school year off right! The first section contains links and pictures from my blog. The second section contains blog posts from some of my art teacher friends! Tips and Projects for Back to School from Art is Basic … Read more…
We all have our favorite art supplies. What are your MUST-HAVE art supplies for an elementary art classroom? Here are some of my favorites! (Amazon Affiliate links have been used in this post at no extra cost to you.) Kwik Stix. Oh, how I love these paint sticks! They go on smoother than oil pastels, they have such bright, vibrant colors and they are so easy to use with low mess! They come in metallic, regular and neon. On this … Read more…
It has been several weeks since our Fine Arts Night and I have been waiting until things settled down here to write all about it. Many, many thanks to my co-worker Katie McEnaney for taking photographs of the event! “Wild About the Arts” Fine Arts Night We had our first ever Fine Arts Night.  The night combined musical performances, an art show and art activities to celebrate the arts!  We decided on an animal theme. We displayed one artwork from … Read more…
This year I have started using a new way to communicate with parents.  After receiving some feedback last year that parents didn’t know quite what we were learning about with each project, I decided to type up description statements that would explain artists we learned about, skills and techniques practiced and any other goals of the art project. After the projects are completed I have a student helper tape the descriptions to the back for the younger classes.  The older … Read more…
Are you interested in starting a blog?  Here are some tips for you! If you missed the other posts in this series, be sure to read: Blogging Basics Part One: Why Blog and How to Choose a Platform Blogging Basics Part Two: Choosing a Blog Name and Getting Ideas Blogging Basics Part Three: How to Write a Blog Post People will Read A big concern from new bloggers is “how do I get anybody to read my blog??” That … Read more…
If you missed the other posts in this series, be sure to read: Blogging Basics Part One Blogging Basics Part Two So, you started a blog, picked a name and have a great idea for your first post. Here are some tips you need to know. 1. Pay Attention to Permissions & Copyright Before you write your blog post, think about whether or not you got your idea from somewhere else. Did you learn about this technique at a conference? … Read more…
So… you want to start a blog about teaching or art? One of the questions I get asked frequently is how do you start a blog? I asked the experts (other popular art bloggers) to share advice about getting started with blogging. The bloggers, in no particular order: Me from Art is Basic, of course Lee Darter, from Art Room Blog Phyllis Levine Brown from There’s a Dragon in My Art Room and The Artful Advocate Don Masse from … Read more…
Patty Palmer from Deep Space Sparkle asked me to share tips about assessment with her Member’s Club.   I am no expert on assessment, but I thought I could share a few good ideas about what works for me when assessing my students in art. If you are not a member of the Member’s Club, you can still see my 3 top tips for assessment by watching the video below. How do you assess your students? Do you have any tips … Read more…
Are you nervous about starting the school year? Or are you excited to get things going? Even though this is my lucky 13th year teaching, I still get anxious to go back. It’s a combo of nerves, excitement and anxiety about getting back into a different routine. I still have dreams that the class is out of control, I forget that I am scheduled to teach or I oversleep. Recently, I asked readers to share their top tips for starting … 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…
Welcome back to school! Are you ready? We start our staff meetings tomorrow and then the kids come on Wednesday! With the new school year starting, I thought I would highlight some old posts that might be helpful to you. Create a Welcome to Our School bulletin board! Making a collaborative bulletin board display is a great way to start the year. I have some new ideas for this year, but here is an example from the past! Here are … 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…
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…
Hello all! Wow, summer is almost here! It’s hard to believe, right? I entered a blog giveaway to receive a free layout review from a web designer. I won! She posted the review on Blacksburgbelle’s blog. Bottom line: reduce the clutter. I think it was very useful and gave me a lot to think about! Maybe you will get some ideas from her review. This will be a little project to work on during the summer. Building with cardboard and … Read more…
