A Look Inside My Classroom: Understanding the AP Portfolio

A Look Inside My Classroom: Understanding the AP Portfolio

  Watching other people teach is a great way to learn, but something that we rarely have time or even the opportunity to do after we’ve finished student teaching.   Since I teach online, ( I did spend 8 years teaching in person), all of my teaching is recorded! So, I’ve decided to share some […]

How to Develop a Cell Phone Policy with Your Students

How to Develop a Cell Phone Policy with Your Students

  Most teachers that I know have a love/hate relationship with cell phones. They’re powerful tools that make our lives easier and allow us to share and access information quickly. They can also be helpful in the classroom, allowing students to do research and photograph their work. However, cell phones are also districting. I’ve never […]

Sketchbook Prompts form Portrait Artist of the Year

Sketchbook Prompts form Portrait Artist of the Year

I started watching Portrait Artist of the Year 2018 on Youtube. As I’m watching, I’ve been writing a few questions/prompts related to each episode. This could be a great activity for days that you have a sub, or for students to work on when they finish early. I always recommend that you preview the videos […]

How to Help Students Plan

How to Help Students Plan

  In the field of art education, there is an ongoing debate as to whether due dates are a good or bad thing. I’ve always fallen somewhere in the middle. Meaning that students do need due dates, but that how those due dates are determined can be flexible. Sometimes the students may help to set […]

10 Advanced Art Lessons

10 Advanced Art Lessons

If you’re anything like me, you have 20+ tabs open on your computer, all of the things that you saw, thought were interesting, and swear that you’re going to go back to. Then your computer crashes and you lose them all. For your sake, I’m hoping that you’re not like me, and don’t have that […]

Exploring Revision in Art Making

Exploring Revision in Art Making

  As I looked over the section of Inquiry and practice, experimentation, and revision, I thought of artists, Molly Springfield. She uses a copy machine in her work, which can be a great tool to help students explore revision without worrying about making an error. Idea #1: Make a piece. Make a copy of the […]

Understanding Art Making and the Role of Material and Process

Understanding Art Making and the Role of Material and Process

In the videos below we’ll explore examples of the role that materials and process play when making a work of art. Before we watch the first video, grab your sketchbook and something to write with. I’m going to set a timer for one minute, write down as many materials to create art with that you […]

Beginning of the Year Art Activity to get to know Your Students

Beginning of the Year Art Activity to get to know Your Students

When creating assingments I try to think of ways to help students make personal connections to the work they’re looking at and learning about. This year, I added an assignment asking Art History students to answer the 4 questions below. My favorite was seeing everyone’s response to #1. This assignment encourages students to search artists […]

How to Help Photography Students Develop Ideas

How to Help Photography Students Develop Ideas

One of my favorite things about teaching art to all levels is helping students learn how to develop their own ideas. Developing ideas is also about finding problems, then creating something that solves the problem. Learning to think like an artist benefits students in all areas of their life. A tool that I use over […]

Books on Art, Creativity, and Education

Books on Art, Creativity, and Education

  I always tend to read more over the summer. I search Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Strand Bookstore for new books, I wanted to share a list of books on Art, Creativity, and Education that I love.   The Best Schools : Thomas Armstrong Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Intention: M Csikszentmihalyi […]