So many good podcasts compete for our time today.... how do you choose which ones to listen to? Well, occasionally a title just grabs my attention and won’t let go. This is one of those podcasts! With a headline that reads "Let’s Get Rid of Art Education”, I couldn’t help but take notice. Podcaster Danny Gregory has been a life-long advocate for the arts with his books, … [Read more...]
Do You Have an Art Teacher Hero?
Have the arts had a positive impact on your life? Is there one teacher who really made a difference? For me, it was Mr. Muck, my high school Art teacher. He taught me to believe in myself, to work hard, and to always do my best. His art room was a safe place when I really needed it. I can't imagine my high school years without him. If education in the arts made a … [Read more...]
Celebrate National Arts in Education Week
The week beginning with the second Sunday in September is National Arts in Education Week. This year that's September 9-15, 2018. It's all about arts advocacy and sharing why education in the arts is so important. What will YOU do to celebrate? Here are a few ideas! Sign the petition to U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. Drastic cuts have been proposed to the … [Read more...]
Full Circle… A Journey in Art Education
Have you noticed how many elementary Art teachers started out as volunteers in their own kids’ classes? SO many! This speaks volumes for how addicting teaching Art to kids can be! My own journey in art education began as a parent volunteer in my daughter’s kindergarten class many years ago. The joy I found in teaching kids about ART led me back to school for a teaching … [Read more...]
Letter to a First Year Art Teacher – Practical Advice from the Trenches
Dear First Year Art Teacher, Congratulations on your new job teaching Art! You are embarking on a wonderful adventure! There will be days ahead when you'll declare to anyone who will listen that you have the BEST job in the world. There is SO much to LOVE about teaching Art! But, as with all things, there will be challenging times, too. I’d like to share some things I’ve … [Read more...]
Why Sharing a Classroom Might Be Better Than You Thought…. and 5 Ways to Make it Work
Let’s face it, given the choice, we’d all prefer to have our own space. But consider this…. maybe sharing a classroom isn't so bad after all. I used to dream of having my own classroom… complete with storage for supplies and a sink for clean up. A place I could call my own and make my own decisions about. A teaching space where I could leave things set up, knowing the room … [Read more...]
Mona Lisa Meets the Oxford MBA Program
What does the Mona Lisa have to do with an MBA from Oxford University? That’s what I was wondering, too…. We recently had the chance to visit our daughter at Oxford University, where she's studying for her MBA. When we arrived, her “Entrepreneurship” elective was just getting out, and students were talking about an exercise they had done in class. When I heard “Mona Lisa”, I … [Read more...]
The Great Tertiary Color Debate
The internet…. that great supplier of information at your fingertips, making it fast and easy to find answers and share them with the world! But what if those answers being shared are incorrect?? Vladimir Lenin once said, “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” (Hmmmm….. did Lenin really say that, or has it just been credited to him so often it’s assumed to be true??) … [Read more...]
22 Ways to Combine Writing & Art to Encourage Creativity
I recently had the privilege of helping my adult daughter edit the manuscript for her first book. Her first real, published book. A book with an agent, a publisher, a release date (April 2017), and it’s own pre-order page on Amazon. A proud parenting milestone for sure! But this book of hers has been a long time in the making. In fact, we can trace its origin all the way back … [Read more...]
Your Child’s Art: What to Save, How to Save It
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about decluttering…. paring down all the stuff we've accumulated over the years and keeping only what’s truly important to us. So when one of my readers asked me what to do with the 'mountain of artwork' his kids were bringing home, it really struck a chord. After surveying friends, family, my own bookshelf, and the internet in general, I came … [Read more...]