Why Kids Don’t Finish the Art Project: Two Key Reasons and How to Fix It
Why Don’t Students Finish Their Art Projects? If you’ve ever wondered why kids don’t finish art projects in your classroom, you’re not alone. Today, we’ll explore two major reasons students often fail to complete their projects: the size of the task and the timeframe given. Gone are the days when bigger automatically meant better—18×24-inch paper […]
What is Negative Space in Art?
Mastering Negative Space: A Key to Drawing Success When it comes to learning how to draw, Negative Space is one of the most important foundational skills every young artist should master. In art, negative space refers to the areas around and between objects, rather than the objects themselves. This approach teaches students to see relationships […]
Two Drawing Skills Every Art Student Should Know
Mastering Drawing Foundations: The Two Skills Every Art Student Needs When it comes to building a strong art foundation, two essential drawing skills stand out for every art student: sighting relationships in a composition and scaling objects up or down. These cornerstone techniques unlock a student’s ability to draw just about anything from a reference. […]
Tips for a Successful School Year: Effective Art Room Classroom Management
Streamlining Art Room Classroom Management: Tips for Success Managing a classroom full of young, creative minds is no easy feat, but it’s essential for a successful school year. In this post, I’ll share tried-and-true strategies to create a positive, engaging, and productive learning environment for your students. Building a Positive Classroom Culture How do you […]
The Value of Good Value: Teaching Graphite Shading Techniques
Mastering Value and Shading in Drawing: Building Confidence Step by Step Let’s get to the heart of realistic drawing—value and graphite pencil shading techniques. This is where confidence begins in the art room, and students start to see their skills truly take shape. It’s not only fun to teach but also transformative for students, laying […]
The Student Engagement Reset Button: Reigniting Motivation in the Classroom
Rekindling Student Engagement: Practical Strategies for Today’s Classroom There’s been a lot of discussion lately among educators about the apparent decline in student work ethic. Questions like, “Why don’t the kids care anymore?” and “How do I increase student engagement?” are echoing across shared platforms. Here’s the truth: students do care. They want to succeed, […]
The Power of Scaffolded Teaching with Colored Pencils
Transform Your Classroom with a Scaffolded Approach to Teaching Colored Pencils Teaching colored pencils using a scaffolded approach builds confidence, which leads to more engaged and motivated students. While the method might seem simple, it’s incredibly effective for middle school, high school, and even adult learners. By breaking lessons into manageable steps, this approach creates […]
The Importance of Relevant Art Professional Development (PD)
Empowering Art Educators: Practical Workshops for Real-World Classroom Success Art workshops tailored to the unique challenges of educators are more vital than ever, especially in a post-pandemic world. Many teachers are placed in roles they aren’t fully prepared for—particularly in art education. Providing hands-on training, actionable classroom resources, and relevant professional development (PD) is crucial […]
The Art of the Rubric: Fair and Effective Art Assessment
Rubrics for Art Teachers: Your Secret Weapon for Fair and Efficient Grading My goal for this blog is to help art educators like you consistently achieve excellence in the classroom—both in attitude and artwork. One crucial component that contributes to this success is the rubric, a foolproof method for assessing student artwork fairly, efficiently, and […]
The Art of Gratitude: Classroom Management 101
The Secret to Excellence: Building a Culture of Gratitude in the Art Room As a high school art teacher, one of the most frequent questions I get is, “How do you maintain such consistent excellence in student work?” Side Note: For evidence of this excellence, feel free to visit our art room Instagram: @mrs_tfox. The […]