Whether you’re entering your first year or your thirtieth, there’s always something new to learn. It’s what makes teaching so fun and exciting—there’s never a dull moment! Grab one of these ideas from our archives and resources to get yourself inspired for another amazing year.
Advice
If you are the only art teacher in your building, consider these articles your “BFF” whispering handy tips in your ear as you work through those first tough weeks.
- 20 Tips For Your 1st (or 10th!) School Year
- 12 Important Things I Wish I Knew My First Year of Teaching
- Are you Dreading a New School Year?
- 6 Important Pieces of Advice for Entering a New Teaching Position
- Tips for Teaching Art on a Cart From a Seasoned Pro
- 15 Things Nobody Tells You About Becoming an Art Teacher
- 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before this School Year Starts
First Day Activities
Because going over the rules is “so last year,” here are some fresh ideas to keep that first day memorable for your students and not-so-boring for you.
- Create a Syllabus That Your Students Will Actually Want to Read
- Go Ahead! Show a Video on the First Day of School
- Engage Your Students From Day One with a Quiz About Yourself
- A Winning Lesson for the First Day of Kindergarten Art
- The Perfect Activity to Start Your School Year
- Create Art on Day One With This Fool-Proof Lesson
- Kick Off the School Year with an Art-Inspired Music Video!
Building Relationships
Building relationships with students is critically important, but students aren’t the only people you will interact within this profession. Learn to “play nice” with all of the stakeholders in your building to start the year off on the right foot.
- How to Remember Student Names
- A Colorful Way to Get to Know Your Students
- Out of Ice Breakers? Try a TASK Party!
- How a Single Sheet of Paper Can Impact Your Art Program
- Make Classroom Teachers Your Allies With a Teacher Cabinet
- Why it Pays to Be BFFs With Your Custodian (and How to Make it Happen)
- How Your Teacher Librarian Can Make Your Life Awesome
Supplies and Materials
Managing all the stuff that comes along with this profession can be daunting. Here are some articles to help you hone in on what you really need.
- Your Ultimate Guide to Free Choice in the Art Room
- Ultimate Guide to Art Fundraisers
- Getting the Art Room You Want With the Budget You Have
- A Complete List of Supplies for Your New Art Room
- Opening a New Art Room: An Art Teacher’s Cheat Sheet
Curriculum Planning
Scope and sequence, fitting in all those standards and making sure you don’t forget anything: Curriculum is a fun puzzle that is always a work in progress.
- Effortlessly Communicate Your K-8 Curriculum With These Student Handouts
- Effortlessly Communicate Your High School Curriculum With These Student Handouts
- 10 Simple Ways to Spice Up and Streamline Your Art Curriculum
- 10 Things You Should Know About the New Visual Art Standards
- How to Develop a Unit Using the New Visual Arts Standards
- 20 Practical SLO Ideas for Busy Art Teachers
Classroom Management
It all starts with setting high expectations from the start and sticking to your guns!
- 8 Fundamental Routines That Will Transform Your Art Room
- Have a Seat! 5 Tips For Managing Your Seating Charts
- How to Introduce your Classroom Management Plan
- Potty Talk: A Flow Chart, A Bathroom Management System, and A Mysterious Puddle
- Start the Year Off with a Classroom Mantra
- The Easiest Way to Teach Routines
[special-list]
Time Management
It seems like our prep time at school is less and less each year. Find ways to use the time you do have wisely. Consider it a game, it’ll be fun!
[special-list]
- How to Write a “To Do List” You’ll Actually Use
- How to Manage Your Email in 9 Easy Steps
- The First Thing You Should Do at Work Every Single Day!
Preparing for Subs
There will come a time when you have to be out of the art room. Sub plans are a cinch with the following tips!
- How to Make a Sub Tub for Stress-Free Sick Days
- Creating a Substitute Teacher Folder for Your Art Room
Reaching All Learners
New students bring rewarding new challenges. You must bring your A-Game to reach all learners in the art room!
- Video: How to Create and Use a Picture Schedule in your Art Room
- 5 Adaptations You Can Make for the Art Room TODAY!
- 5 Ways to Help Students with Special Needs Feel Successful in the Art Room
- Help Your ELL Students in Art Class with These Simple Steps
Remember: You can’t do it all. Chip away at your goals and continue to add things each week and month that enhance your art room, solidify your curriculum and make the overall experience your students have memorable.
If you could give one piece of advice to a new art teacher for the first week of school, what would it be?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
Article 
