Blog posts about art teaching
Close reading has become an increasingly popular buzz word in the world of education since it appeared in the Common Core Standards in 2010. When educators think of the term “close read,” they often thinking of reading written text. However, students can learn how to close read a work of art, a piece of music … Read more
It’s 6:00 in the morning and something has come up! You have to call off work. The stress starts mounting…. what are my students going to work on today?! What easy materials can I have them use?! How will the sub know what to deliver?! Ahh! Hath no fear! Below are 10 straightforward, ready-made sub … Read more
At the end of every school year, I have my students complete an end-of-the-school-year art class debriefing survey. For me personally, it’s so hugely helpful in my growth as a teacher! I gain valuable insights on what projects were a hit and which were a total flop. Because let’s face it… you can’t win ’em … Read more
After years teaching in the art room, I’ve found that there are some must-have items that save me time and money. I’ve also found some items that have been essential to classroom and material management. Check out my list below for some ideas of a few of my favorite things. DISCLAIMER: Make a Mark Studios … Read more
After nearly a decade of teaching secondary students, I’ve had a lot of time to test out a variety of 2d art projects. Let’s face it: as teachers, sometimes we plan and plan and plan. We are so excited to deliver the project, and then… it flops. Students are uninterested and the final products aren’t … Read more
Art. teacher. are. busy! Period! We put SO much time into project planning, material preparation, project execution, helping students one on one…. the list goes on and on. Over the years, I sought to make a universal art project grading rubric that made grading efficient, effective, and routine. Something that I found that worked for … Read more
Throughout my years of teaching art, I’ve often seen that students who have significant school pride are highly engaged and active in their school community. They are proud of their school and this shows in their work ethic, learning enthusiasm, and the relationships they build with their peers and school staff. As an art teacher, … Read more
If you are new to digital drawing, it can be overwhelming trying to decide what program to use. There are so many fantastic programs with so much capability. There is one free program that I’ve found to be a perfect introductory tool for beginning digital artists…. www.kleki.com! As an art teacher, I’ve seen so many … Read more
One of my favorite topics to teach in my art class, no matter what the age or skill level, is divergent thinking. What is divergent thinking? One of my favorite videos to introduce divergent thinking to my students is the lecture by Ken Robinson. Divergent thinking is the ability to come up with multiple solutions … Read more
If there is anything the world has learned from having their kiddos home during the pandemic, it’s that teachers deserve lots of love and appreciation! Every year, there is a week of Teacher Appreciation dedicated to honoring teachers (usually the first week of May). So, how can art teachers help to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week … Read more