The Art of Ed | Professional Development for Art Teachers

Jan 21, 2013

Teaching Clay Without a Kiln: An Art Teacher’...

What some art teachers would consider a necessity and staple in their art rooms, other art teachers survive day in and day out with out one. What is it? A Kiln. The reality is, kilns are expensive, and not all schools have the budget for the expense of purchasing, running and maintaining a kiln. Because working in 3D is one of the hallmarks of a balanced art curriculum, many...

Jan 20, 2013

Posted by Jessica | 40 Comments

Announcing the AOE 2013 Online Conference!

Has it been years since you’ve attended an Art Ed Conference? Maybe you’ve never made it to one, but wish you could. After hearing from art teachers all over the country, we realize PD isn’t one size fits all. You need opportunities that fit in your busy lifestyle and leave you inspired and motivated. The good news? Location doesn’t need to be a...

Jan 18, 2013

Posted by Heather | 12 Comments

3 Fresh New Ways to Teach About Color

Hands down, color theory is my favorite thing to teach. I do a color unit every year with each grade level not only because I enjoy teaching it, but because I believe that color theory is central to understanding and creating art. Over the years, I have tried many different ways to get students excited about color. Here are 3 of my most successful...

Jan 17, 2013

Posted by Cassidy | 3 Comments

Graffiti Name Color Wheel: Free Lesson Plan Downlo...

Grade Level: Middle School Art Education Lesson Plan Art Elements: Color Art Skills: Painting Making Connections: Public Art * Get more free lessons like this, on our Lessons Page I love color and painting. Teaching and reviewing color mixing is very important but sometimes students get bored with it. This lesson is one of my students’ favorite lessons! They love the history...

Jan 16, 2013

Posted by Jessica | 12 Comments

Use One Word to Correct Any Student Behavior

This time of year, you may notice students becoming immune to the sound of your voice. Do you find art time gets swallowed up with long drawn out explanations and lectures reviewing procedures, and they still don’t listen? No matter what age level you teach in the art room, this trap will get you every time. Harping on students doesn’t always fix the problem or help...

Jan 15, 2013

Posted by Amanda | 7 Comments

How Do You Handle Absent Students?

I was recently talking with one of my art teacher friends when the topic of absent students came up. Because many of us do not see students every day (or sometimes even every week) dealing with absent students can be tricky. My friend teaches at an elementary school and shared that she usually doesn’t have students make up work. If a student misses a lesson, they just miss it and...

Jan 14, 2013

Posted by Cassidy | 3 Comments

A Choice Board for the Elementary Art Room

I recently wrote an article about how to use a choice board with middle school students. I’m here today to show you an elementary art history choice board. This art history choice board was created for students to use if they finish an art project before the class is ready to start the next project. The choice board is attached to a bulletin board in the back of the classroom....

Jan 13, 2013

Posted by Jessica | 2 Comments

AOE Lesson Plans are Back!

Lesson plans for art teachers – seems like they’re almost a dime a dozen nowadays, doesn’t it? There are good ones, bad ones, and everything in between. I’ve publicly announced my own internal issues with art teachers who seem to be constantly finding new lessons to teach, but never really refining their practice in other areas. But, after looking deeper, so...

Jan 11, 2013

Posted by Jessica | 8 Comments

Timesaving Trick: Making Time for Weekly Lesson Pl...

How often do you sit down at your desk and make a date with your lesson plan book? Wait. Sit down? For most art teachers a typical day involves quick glances at the lesson plan book, darting around the art room preparing and grabbing supplies, and then more quick glances… In order to stay organized mentally, it’s important to carve out desk time each week to sit and...

Jan 10, 2013

Posted by Cassidy | 4 Comments

Stashing Lesson Materials Using Large Folders

Keeping my art room organized is important for my sanity. When my art room isn’t kept clean and organized, I lose things and I feel as though I’m losing my mind. Not only do I struggle, but my students have trouble finding things that they once could find. Everyone appreciates routines and an organized classroom. One of the ways I help keep my middle school classroom organized...

Jan 9, 2013

Posted by Sarah | 12 Comments

3 Easy Ways to Corral Art Room Clutter

Editor’s Note: Today we welcome Sarah, the newest member of the AOE team. Read her bio below and be sure to give her a warm welcome. If your classroom looks anything like mine this time of year, you might be thinking about getting more organized. Sure, you could wait until spring or next school year, but the following organizational tips are so super simple and quick, there...

Jan 8, 2013

Posted by Heather | 7 Comments

Easily Transition Between Back-to-Back Classes Usi...

This is one classroom organizational technique that I could not live without, and that all art teachers should consider. I came up with this strategy when my district re-vamped the “specials” schedule and all of a sudden I was teaching 6 different classes each day with no prep time in-between most of them. I don’t teach the same media at the same time, so...