First Day of Art Class Activities: Building Community in Your Middle or High School Art Room
First Day of Art Class: Setting the Tone for Success The first day of art class plays a critical role in setting the tone for the rest of the semester. Making a strong first impression—both for you as the teacher and for your students—can shape the class dynamics, engagement levels, and community spirit. For the […]
Educator Self-Care 101
Self-Care for Teachers: Thriving, Not Just Surviving As educators, we pour so much of ourselves into our classrooms. We’re there to meet the needs of our students, cultivate creativity, and create an engaging environment—all while juggling countless other responsibilities. But it’s easy to forget one essential piece of the puzzle: taking care of ourselves. Without […]
Drawing Methods for Guaranteed Success in Your Art Class
Teaching Drawing: A Step-by-Step Guide to Student Success Teaching middle or high school students how to draw can feel daunting, but with the right approach, it’s not only achievable—it’s a guaranteed success. For over 12 years, I’ve used a scaffolded method to teach drawing, and I can confidently say: everyone can learn how to draw. […]
Disco Ball Drawing Art for Beginner Artists | Beginning Resources
Get Disco Fever with Disco Ball Art Engaging middle and high school students in an acrylic painting project can be both exciting and challenging, especially when working with beginner artists. The Disco Ball Painting Project is perfect for introducing young artists to color theory, acrylic techniques, and classroom management in a fun and vibrant way. […]
Colored Pencil Holiday Drawing Art Project
Festive Fabulousness Guaranteed in Your Art Classroom As teachers, we’re constantly reflecting on our lessons and student progress. Whether it’s planning, teaching, or reviewing a unit, we always find ourselves asking key questions: Before the unit begins: “What do I want them to learn?” During the unit: “How will they learn it?” After the unit: […]
Color Pencil Drawing Ideas for Beginners – Prismacolor Colored Pencil Techniques
Mastering Colored Pencil Techniques for Beginners When I first started teaching colored pencil techniques to beginners, I quickly realized it wasn’t as easy as I thought. I handed out cool images, gave a two-week deadline, and waited for the magic to happen. But instead of magic, I was met with frustration—students struggled with their techniques, […]
Art Teachers Should Stop Making These Six Vital Assumptions
Avoiding the Assumption Trap in the Art Classroom It’s easy to fall into the trap of relying on assumptions in the art classroom. Whether it’s assumptions about a student’s abilities, behavior, or interests, these preconceived notions can stifle creativity and hinder authentic connections. As art teachers, it’s our responsibility to recognize and break down these […]
Art Teacher Blogging 101: Starting from Scratch
Oh. My. Goodness. How many YouTube tutorials on blogging can a person watch before pure exasperation sets in? If you’re anything like me, you’ve been through a dozen, and I’m still trying to figure out how to change my author name, let alone this dark blue background that doesn’t match the rest of the site. […]