What if You Asked a Different Question
Why? Too often we make choices, choose answers, and follow processes because it’s what someone before us did. We’re doing what’s always been done. This often means that we aren’t making progress, and when it comes to problems, if we always ask the same question, we may always end up with the wrong answer. […]
10 Art and Creativity Posts to Help you Start 2020 off Right
Something that I’m not very good at, but am working on, is taking time to reflect. So today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite posts over 2019. I’ve also found that this practice is helpful, because there is so much information, that it’s hard to keep track of and easy to […]
Where We’re Going in 2020
As the year comes to a close I’ve been reflecting on my business. Thinking about how it started 8 years ago, where it is now, and where I want it to go. I started The Unstandardized Standard while I was teaching 9-12 grade art in the public school system. I loved my students but was growing […]
Creative Careers: Have you Heard of Sketchnoting?
As an Art Teacher, one of the most common concerns I hear is that you’re not going to be able to find a job. This concern usually stems from not being aware of the many creative career options that exist, and there are A LOT. Sketchnoting is a powerful tool to use on your […]
Tips on Art + Homeschooling
As a homeschool parent, it can be hard to know what to teach, especially when it comes to subjects that aren’t your favorite, or that you don’t have much experience with. When it comes to teaching art, I get a lot of questions about, what to teach, and how to teach it. A great place […]
How to Have More Effective Parent Teacher Conferences
Let’s talk about Parent-Teacher Conferences. They’re important. Clear and consistent communication helps everyone. But, so often no one comes to conferences, leaving you sitting alone in your classroom. OR, the scheduled parent-teacher conference time is right before or after report cards go home, which isn’t an effective time to have a conversation, as there is […]
How to Help Students Take Ownership of Their Work
When I first started teaching I would dread the end of each marking period. Suddenly student after student would be asking for extra credit and wanting to know why I gave them a ” C”. Then reports cards would go home, and I’d receive angry parent emails wondering how in the world their child got […]
How to Help Students Plan Their Week
This is the time of year where I often find students start to fall behind, and often aren’t sure how to catch up. Depending on your philosophy and the type of class that you teach, deadlines are going to vary. I teach AP classes which means that students need to create a certain amount of […]
Everything You Need to Know About Recommendation Letters
The first time that a student comes to you and asks you to write a recommendation letter can feel a bit overwhelming. You know that writing a quality recommendation letter is important to the student, and you want to provide them with a good letter. As the requests for recommendation letters start pouring in, it […]
What to do When Students Request a Recommendation Letter
The first time that a student comes to you and asks you to write a recommendation letter can feel a bit overwhelming. You know that writing a quality recommendation letter is important to the student, and you want to provide them with a good letter. As the requests for recommendation letters start pouring in, it […]