About
Hi, I’m Jessica Balsley, a K-5 Art Teacher in Iowa, District Art facilitator, and founder of The Art of Education. A few years ago, I was working towards my masters degree, and discovered it was nearly impossible to find relevant professional development opportunities out there for art teachers. Through this personal experience, the idea for The Art of Education was born.
I set out on my mission to provide Ridiculously Relevant™ professional development to Art Educators. What started as a blog, quickly morphed into a catalog of 10+ online classes for Art Teachers, and an online magazine with daily articles, tips, tricks, videos, and discussions about the hottest issues in art education.
As art educators, we speak the same language.. We just “get” each other! AOE is your place to feel at home – to interact with and learn from Art Teachers just like you from all around the world. AOE is a place where we can address the issues that matter to us all.
As a busy K-5 Art Teacher, wife, mother and entrepreneur, I understand what you are going through every day. AOE will help empower you to thrive in your profession, to reignite your passion for teaching, and help you discover that one small tweak you can make in your teaching to change your life and career for the better.
Welcome to the Art of Education,
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What AOE Has to Offer
Whether you just want to read some of our great articles, watch our videos, or visit our classes page and enroll for credits to renew your license, there are tons of great ways to interact and utilize the services AOE offers. If you enjoy AOE, don’t forget to recommend Jessica to speak at your next Art Ed conference so you can meet her in person!
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The AOE Team
It takes more than Jessica alone to make this site work! We’re proud to have an incredible team of writers and class instructors working every day to make The Art of Education a success. Without these people, AOE as you know it today truly would not be possible.
I am a certified K-12 Art Instructor with 10+ years of teaching experience. My background includes teaching in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. My primary focus is elementary art, but I have taught grades K-12 and at both private and public schools. I have also instructed graduate level courses through VSA Arts of Iowa, a non-profit organization that promotes cross-curricular integration with the fine arts and supports artists with disabilities, and Viterbo University.
My hobbies include spending time with my family, including my husband, Kevin, my 1 year old son, and our rather large cat, Maceo. I enjoy working out, painting, cooking, knitting and just recently, sewing, although I am still a novice! I have about ten projects going on at any given time and work at them sporadically. I love to try new things and enjoy a busy lifestyle.
I am excited to have the opportunity to teach for The Art of Education!
Hi, my name is Cassidy Reinken and I am a middle school art specialist. I am passionate about teaching art history and the art elements and principles of design in my curriculum. My interactive whiteboard is used on a daily basis. Graduate classes and art curriculum writing fascinate and inspire me.
When I’m not in the art studio at school, I am spending time with my family, traveling, cooking, exercising, and consignment shopping for deals. I am interested in fiber reactive dyes and bookmaking. I am honored and excited to be a part of The Art of Education writing team. I look forward to learning right along with you!
Hi I’m Erica from Art Project Girl and I teach elementary art in an urban school. My background is in private education both as a teacher and learner. You can imagine my shock as I walked into an urban middle school for he first time 6 years ago! Teaching urban has taught me management tips, tricks, and ways to simplify while, challenging students to think creatively. I am excited to share with you practical advise as well as creative triumphs that we are having in our classroom.
Besides teaching, I love photography (I graduated from RISD as a photo major), cuddling my one year old Stella, FRESH FOOD (this year we created a school garden), and my chef husband who cooks all the great veggies from the garden!
From my classroom to yours, I’m looking forward to sharing our best ideas in this new creative space – The Art of Education!
Hello! My name is Chelsie Meyer and I am a middle school art teacher and am fortunate to be working in a 1:1 school with iPads. In my teaching, I focus heavily on cross curricular connections and get to work in a close knit team with 4 other educations to create interdisciplinary projects giving the students real life experiences. I am always inspired by integrating technology in new ways in the art classroom. I enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, walking, catching some rays at the pool with my own kids and of course, making some art on the side. I am interested in public sculpture and designing public art, among other things. I am excited to be part of the The Art of Education writing team, to not only to inspire you with new ideas, but also to be inspired by the wonderful community we will build.
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Behind the Scenes
Do you like the site? How about the branding, the business model, or the back-end email system? Well, thank my husband – the best partner a girl could ask for! Just about everything we do here at AOE is the result of us daydreaming, working, or planning together. He’s the half of AOE that you don’t see or hear from on a daily basis.
Derek Balsley is the Marketing Communications and Brand Strategist for Kreg Tool Company in Huxley, IA. His expertise lies in brand strategy, integrated marketing, social media, & customer experience mgt… but clearly has more than a fleeting interest in WordPress, graphic design, videography, and more.
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