Blog
Face Painting Tips for Beginners
Face painting can be a fun and rewarding skill to pick up, whether for classroom rewards, birthday parties, or community events. These five beginner-friendly tips will help you get started with confidence, from choosing simple designs to managing eager kids in line!
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10 Reasons Why You Should Share Your Personal Art with Your Students as an Art Teacher
As an art teacher, one of the most impactful things you can do is share your personal artwork with your students. This not only inspires them but also demonstrates your credibility and passion for art. By showcasing your unique creations, you provide real-life examples of artistic techniques and growth. Your students will see firsthand the dedication and skill involved in creating art, which can motivate them to invest more deeply in their own artistic journeys. Learn how sharing your personal art can transform your teaching approach and inspire your students to reach new heights in their creativity.
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5 Unexpected Pieces of Advice for New Art Teachers: Lessons from a Veteran Art Teacher
Discover five essential pieces of advice for new art teachers from my 15 years of experience teaching elementary art. Learn how to slow down, set boundaries, and collaborate with colleagues to create a supportive and inspiring art education environment. Embrace these tips to enhance your teaching journey and let your creativity shine.
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How to Respectfully say No to Excessive Requests as an Art Teacher
Art teachers often face numerous miscellaneous requests that can overwhelm their schedules. Learn effective and respectful ways to say no, maintain boundaries, and focus on your primary teaching responsibilities with our guide on how art teachers can manage extra requests in schools.
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How to Make DIY Sketchbooks in the Elementary Art Room
Learn how to make easy DIY sketchbooks for elementary students using budget-friendly materials! Perfect for art teachers, parents, and homeschoolers, this guide offers simple binding techniques to create personalized sketchbooks that inspire creativity in the classroom or at home.
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10 Effective Ways to Foster Genuine Connections with Your Art Students At the Start of The Year
Discover 10 practical strategies to establish authentic connections with your art students at the start of the school year. From showing genuine interest in their interests and hobbies to creating and fostering a supportive environment, this blog offers valuable insights for art educators seeking a way to further connect with their students.
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How to Make Student Art Portfolios
DIY Student Art Portfolios Welcome to one of my favorite days to end of the school year. This is not only a day where you can finally pass back alllllll the student art from the year (def enlist your student helpers) but your students will work totally independently on their portfolio while you do. Not only will these big ole portfolios will safely transport home all of the gorgeous art your students have made, but having your kiddos create an end of the year portfolio is the perfect opportunity to recognize, and chat about all of the growth your students have made in their artistic practice. Creating portfolios also teaches students how to take more ownership and care of their work, and allows them to transport and store their artwork from the year in a safe place at home where they can refer back to their work and their growth for years to come. Not to mention is it super fun for them to personalize! Here is How to Make a DIY Student Portfolio: 1. Fold 18 x 24 Manila / tag board paper in half (i just literally order the cheapest biggest paper I can find) 2. Staple 3 x on each side (or just one side depending on how big the art going home is) I usually walk around the room while my students are already decorating their portfolios and staple the sides as they work. That way I don't feel like I have millions of things to prep ahead of time, and I often use their good work habits to my advantage by saying things like "Ok, I'm coming around and stapling the portfolios of the tables that are working the hardest and quietest". BAM. Amazing work habits from my kiddos and I am able to float around, staple and observe. 3. Teach students how to draw their name in bubble letters (and shading their name if they want to). There is just something so empowering about learning how to draw your name in bubble letters, wouldn't you agree? And if you show them how to add shading or highlights? Whewwwww hold onto your hat! They are just BEAMING with pride when they finally "get it"! I have an easy to use "How to Draw Bubble Letters" drawing guide available here that my students just love. 4. Have Students write the year we were in art together (2022- 2023) so that they can easily identify what year they made their artwork. 5. Allow students to draw and customize their portfolios! This can seem tricky because often times when we tell students to draw whatever they want, many struggle with exactly WHAT to draw. So times I will give my students a prompt like "Draw what you are most excited about this summer" Or "Draw what your favorite part of 4th grade was". But you can also give them total freedom! I rarely allowed my students to have "free draw time" so many really enjoyed the freedom. If students wanted a bit more guidance, I always make all of my Drawing Guides available. There is something about watching my students teach themselves how to draw a specific image on their own that really helps build their confidence. It's like I'm teaching them, but from a distance. Sometimes I will put out a few of my more popular guides out on the tables for anyone who needs them, or leave them out on a counter for kiddos to come up and just grab what they need. Totally up to you! You can find my bundle of Drawing Guides available here! 6. If the portfolio paper you are using is thick, have students trace any pencil lines in either black sharpie markers (we love using huge chisel chip markers for this) OR- if your portfolio paper is too thin, just have them draw in a black washable marker. Otherwise, the sharpie marker may bleed through the paper and worse, onto the students' art if there is already artwork inside. I love using Crayola Construction paper crayons to color with because we typically use colored tag board or manilla paper and the construction paper crayons just pop so vibrantly! 6. While students are busy decorating their portfolios myself and some student helpers (either the students who are early finishers or my star students) help pass back allllllll their work! The kiddos working just open their portfolio, slide in their work and keep decorating their portfolios. It’s a win/win! If you haven't had your students transport their artwork home in an end of the year portfolio I highly recommend you give it a try! It reinforces the importance of their work (that you should care how safely your art gets home), teaches them how to recognize and celebrate their improvement over the year, and adds importance to their creations by sending them home in such a thoughtful manner.
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11 Ways To Encourage Kids to Create Art on Their Own
Are you looking for ways to encourage your children to create more art on their own? In this blog I am sharing 11 strategies and tips that I use personally to ensure that I am raising my own children to be creative thinkers and problem solvers. Through subtle yet deliberate actions, your little one will be inspired to create in no time!
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DIY Waterfall Display for an Art Show
Let's learn how to make a DIY waterfall display for a school wide art show. Here you will find the simple steps and materials used to create an area of interest that is sure to elicit all the "oohs and ahhhs" at your next art show! A water element is an fun and interactive way to lure your art show guests in as they enjoy the beautiful art around them!
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10 Items Every Art Teacher Needs to Make Your Art Show *extra* Special
Attention art teachers in need of help in putting on an art show- I have you covered! In this blog I am sharing all of the essential materials, methods and more to ensure the success of your school wide art show!
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The BEST Way to Hang Student Art for an Art Show!
Looking for the most efficient way to hang student artwork for a school wide art show? Well look no further! Click through to follow the 6 easy steps that will save your time and your sanity and are art teacher approved!
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8 Tips For Teaching Self Portrait Lessons To Elementary Students
If you're looking for a few tips and tricks when teaching self portraits, look no further! In this blog you will find 8 of my top tips to help you implement best practices into your next self portrait art lesson.
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