Last weekend I took a trip with my husband and daughter to Schaumburg, IL to see the Lego Brickworld Convention. My husband is an avid Lego collector and builder. As an art teacher, I saw some fun things I snapped pictures of to share with you. It was really great to see kids and parents together enjoying a fun hobby. Many of the exhibits were made by adult Lego builders and others were made by parents with their kids. Here … Read more…
This is a new resource in my shop! I use these as reward charts for free days in my classroom. Each art class kids can earn points for things like quiet listening, being respectful to others, working hard, talking at a reasonable voice level, cleaning up and so forth. Fill in one spot on the chart for each point (for example, color in one paint splotch). When the class fills up the sheet, they receive a group reward. “Free Days” … Read more…
This month, the Art Ed Blogger’s Network is talking about how to enrich art class for students who finish early. I think this is an ongoing concern for most art teachers. Kids work at all different paces. Some students will finish their artwork lickety-split with half the class period left. Others will work on the same technique or project and spend multiple periods working on the same piece. So you will often have students at all different paces and at … Read more…
I have a bookshelf in my classroom that students can go to when they are done with their class assignments. I also have free choice days where students can select from a wide range of activities. Since students finish at all different times it is a good idea to have art enrichment activities for them to do. I like to have low mess activities with little extra guidance needed for those students that finish early. Here are some of the … Read more…
I love organizing things, especially art materials. It makes it easier to find things you need when your room is organized! I am always revamping my organizational systems and I feel like my room now is arranged pretty well for my needs. I am sure I will find some things that need tweaking over the next few years. On each table I have a plastic drawer set labeled with pencils & eraser, glue sticks & scissors, and markers. On the … Read more…
As an art teacher, I’d like to encourage you to give gifts that inspire creativity in children. Instead of more plastic trinkets, stuffed animals or electronics, how about something that will get your kids building and creating? An art kit is always a great idea. Things to include in an art kit: 1. Paper such as the Strathmore Visual Journal or a watercolor pad. I love this watercolor paper from Target. 2. Neon Gel Crayons: I love the smooth feeling … Read more…
Another year is rapidly coming to a close, so I thought I would spend some time reviewing my favorite projects and blog posts from this year. Here are my favorite posts, in no particular order! 15. How to Paint Gorgeous Clouds with Watercolor 14. Clay Castles 13. Postage Stamp Art Project 12. Heart Photography Project with 3rd Grade 11. 25 Amazing Books for Teaching About Art 10. Editorial cartoons are a unit I teach every year. We even were … Read more…
