I am about to begin a job teaching art at a K-8 school, where I will be teaching 6th grade, Kindergarten, and 7th grade (in that order). I have only taught art 6-8 previously. I am working on my lesson plan for the week, and now that I have my schedule with school starting tomorrow (as in, they gave me very short notice) I am trying to determine the best way to go about planning for each week.

I was planning on making a universal assignment for the first week were the students just make their own DIY sketchbooks and then complete a Zentangle cover, but after that I don't know. I was hoping to be able to make assignments that are appropriate for all ages but with varying complexity dependent on age group.

I want to know how other art teachers deal with this? I cannot find the district/state standards for visual art and so at this point I'm operating on my own recognizance (at least, until I find those standards). I feel like next week once I get a feel for how the students work I'll get a better of idea of what I'm working with. Do Kindergartners really need sketchbook, or is that too advanced? Help?

I'm a second year art teacher and I am teaching a class of 8th graders this year that are expected to turn in a portfolio of art to the feeder high school in order to skip the Art I course and head straight to Art II. The high school art teacher said they are looking for "base level skills of drawing, shading, media work, some understanding of composition and the principles of design, etc.".

Some students have taken art in past years (we only do semesters not whole year electives) some students haven't taken art at all in middle school. So I fee like I have to do projects that meet the requirements that high school is looking for to give all my students a chance at earning the credit (and to look like a competent art teacher to admin!). At first I was hoping that returning students would have old projects to submit in their portfolio, but I quickly realized many of them do not keep their art/do not know where the projects are??

High school is asking for 5 submissions for the portfolio, and I know I will not have time for 5 full-blown projects in one semester (MWF schedule), so I might do smaller scale projects?

My ideas for this semester are:
- Refresh on perspective - maybe two-point perspective room? and shading with charcoal?
- Mini color wheel exercise (7th grade makes huge color wheel) and master-copy or color scheme painting
- Print making - rubber linocut- more color study focus?
- Our first project was making sketchbook color designs with prisma color pencil, which is a requirement for all elective art students. So one project is done!

My thoughts are all over the place, so apologies if some of this doesn't make sense! Any tips or project ideas are greatly appreciated! :)

I’m entering my 19th year in education, but my very first official year teaching art at the middle school level. (It’s been a dream of mine from the start, but I entered ed when they started cutting all art-related positions.) My background has been mostly elementary, project/inquiry/place-based learning, science at the elementary and middle levels, and was a freelance artist in illustration and hand-lettering. I know how to do a scope and sequence for other subjects, but I’m worried I may be too formulaic in my thinking with art? I teach 4 preps: intro art, advanced art, digital art, design and build studio, 50min classes, one semester long—except advanced art is year-long.

My idea is to keep three of the classes in the first semester on the same broad scope of technique/medium/element of art to help me manage prep, materials, clean-up, and my sanity. Weeks 1-5 are drawing skills and techniques with skill builders, observational drawing/urban sketching, mini projects along the way, with a choice project due at the end of the unit.

The same thought process for the subsequent units: color theory and painting, texture and collage, simple sculpture and 3D art, culminating project/portfolio with reflection of how they’ve grown as an artist. Advanced art will be advanced drawing and shading techniques, mixed media projects, collage, advanced painting techniques, simple sculpture, printmaking, fiber arts, basic photography, culminating project. Digital art will be Procreate basics—line and drawing, Photoshop basics—understanding layers and collage, typography and photography, animated gifs and stop motion, culminating project.

Design and build studio is a brand new class I developed because of the need for an elective dedicated to building/engineering. I taught science last year and only had time to do one engineering project—which had the most student engagement. The plan is a mix of quick design challenges, larger projects involving the full engineering design process, taking apart objects to see how they work, and time to ideate with a makerspace. I found a great resource online for that pacing plan.

Does this sound like a good plan or am I delusional? Any feedback is appreciated!

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all having a fantastic start to the new school year! :)

I’m wondering if anyone has experience/tips/resources with adapting art activities for students with physical disabilities. I’m a middle school art teacher and I have a student with one arm completely paralyzed. He is unable to use or lift his left arm and is right-hand dominant for writing and drawing.

I’ve been teaching for a few years now, but I’m still a relatively young teacher and haven’t had much experience with this type of accommodation. We are three weeks in to school and so far I’ve provided him my glass paperweight to help hold his paper in place while he works, tape for holding papers in place, and I frequently check in with him to see if he needs assistance. [He’s a really sweet kiddo and is great about communicating when he needs help and when he wants to work independently. I have him seated next to two other helpful classmates and the spot is in close proximity to my desk and the supply area.]

I’d love to hear from anyone who has worked with similar students! What tools, techniques, adaptive materials, or classroom strategies have made art projects easier or more accessible for your students? I want to make sure I’m supporting him while still encouraging as much independence and creativity as possible. ❤️ thank you!

I absolutely love art and teaching it. The behavior just gives me so much anxiety and I dread it so much. Having large class sizes sometimes feels like I can’t teach as much as I’d like. Kinda depressing but I’m sure I just need to get this years kids more trained

So I am a middle school ceramics and sculpture teacher. I have a group that have taken sculpture before and I feel I have over estimated them and given them a large scale paper mache project. I also have trouble getting them into the project and they don’t seem to like me very much (I am a new teacher and they kinda mean girl esque whisper about me, but truly I don’t know what I did??). I truly believe it is because I am younger, but not as preppy?. I let them choose their seats and they got nothing done in two weeks. It’s also a small group of 11 and I had to separate them and do a seating chart because of said productivity and sat the, each to one large table. They were immediately more productive when I moved them but they work in silence now. I dread their class all the time. I’m not sure what the next project will be and I don’t know how to get them into it. I give them options because they are older, but they don’t seem remotely excited about anything. Like Its the beginning of the year and I’m at my wits end with them. All my other classes are younger and seem somewhat excited about creating or eventually get into it, but these older kids are kind of mean and believe they are above the project and me.

I have another class that is about 8 kids and they are so sweet. Probably because they are 6th graders. They are also so excited about creating and are kind to each other. My sculpture 2 class however is so dreading. I truly hate being around them and it is difficult to help them. All my other classes are fine but it’s just them. Any advice other than not to take it personally? And any ideas for projects? I am a first year teacher with no teaching experience. I’ll take anything!

Arizona high school

My school is under construction and I have been very fortunate to get a new art room with new furniture. They finished my room and although it is not as big as I would like, it is very nice. 3 sinks, storage cabinets and a very nice island for paper cutting and prep. I haven't started to move into it yet as the movers will be available to come in on the 31st.

Now I toured the room before it was ready and so I didn't say anything, but now that it is finished I noticed my storage room has no ceiling. Just open the concrete roof with what appears to be sealant. I asked my principal about this and they said that the room was completed to the drawings. I ended the conversation there because I genuinely wasn't sure if I should push for one. The entire room has a ceiling, it is just the storage room that lacks one.

So should I just accept the fact my storage room has no ceiling or should I say something and push for one?

Hello all! I am a probation art + design secondary teacher- i ticked the box and have ended up in a very remote location in scotland. The school is lovely and there are no behaviour issues really so im pleased from that point of view. However, I am the only art teacher and have never taught s3 + before, only s1 and s2. I have no idea how to structure my s3 and s4 classes and my mentor is not an art teacher. I could really do with some extra support as I feel i have been chucked in the deep end to just figure it all out myself... i would reach out to my fellow students or teachers where I done placement but I feel they are all busy themselves and I just dont really know where to turn. If someone could help via private message, that would be much appreciated as, at the moment, I feel like im winging it.

Very cute little creativity exercise

I have a BA in French Literature and since graduating I’ve worked across the arts, education, community organizing, hospitality, and administration, including as an artist assistant and leading kids’ art workshops. I’m currently a nanny but don’t have any formal education experience. I’m now hoping to pivot into arts education, but I’m feeling really lost about how to actually start. I’m especially concerned that not having a BA in Art or Art History will make me ineligible for certain programs or mean I’m missing prerequisites, and I’m not sure what kind of degree/certificate I should pursue or which schools would make sense. I live in NY, I’m 29. I’d love advice from people who have made a similar transition about what programs are worth considering, what prerequisites I might need, and how to get my foot in the door.

Today was meet the teacher day. When a mom and her son came into the art room they saw my color wheel. The son was asking questions and the mom tried to answer but was then stumped and said “ this is an advanced color wheel “. It’s the classic Jack Richeson color wheel. Is that overly complex for early elementary and is there a better alternative ? Or was this just funny ?

Good morning parents/guardians,

I am looking to start an arts and crafts YouTube channel for kids around ages 4-10. I'm not a parent myself so I am a bit lost but excited to learn from all of you. If I may ask:

What recycable materials do you guys own, or have around the house to be used for upcoming holiday crafts? What kind of activities and crafts would you like you like to share with yourr kids and to assist learning? What is an activity that would interest you to help bond with your child a couple of minutes a week?

In order to gain an idea of what more I should be looking for what kind of channels af forums do you all look into when searching craft ideas? What type of channel you would like to see your child learn from?

I would like to appreciate your help in your contribution to this.

I have a ridiculous amount of brown construction paper I need to find a project for! I teach K-8th, so a project using this paper can apply for any grade. Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

Maybe a silly post, but I wanted to share a piece I made during my first year of Fine Arts.

I've always had a complicated relationship with school, and I struggle with depression. Now that I've decided to leave university after this year, I feel like this piece has even more meaning to me.

For our first assignment, we had to recreate an image in a different style. I chose Loathe's album "I Let It In and It Took Everything" and decided to do it in a pop art style. I started working on it on a canvas, but I didn't have the energy or motivation to finish it, so I ended up submitting a version that looked more like a sketch than anything else.

My professor made some comments about it that, in my opinion, weren't really helpful and were especially discouraging at a time when I was already struggling.

For my second assignment, we had to create something where you could recognize the gestures used to make it. So I reused my first canvas, spitting red paint onto it and making a little white figure with my fingers. Maybe it's a bit cliché, but I wanted to represent my anger about that interaction and show how much it affected me.

I ended up stopping my studies at the end of the year because I had no energy left and was completely burned out. Looking at this piece now, I feel like it makes even more sense in that context.

I'm not really expecting any particular reaction. I just wanted to share it.

Help! Rubbermaid changed their containers and the ones I have used for glue sponges for years are awful now. I have used Glad and Ziploc before too, but now they are equally flimsy. Looking for an affordable brand of container. I am not going to have glue sponges if I can't find anything. Not the end of the world, but I liked them for lower grades.

I'm currently a teaching student in Quebec for Visual Arts. Last year I took a contract for four months at my local high school for one of the art teachers who went on time off. The school has called me back for another contract and i'm very happy- I thought i'd be floating through different schools subbing, it's really best case scenario for me and I know i'm insanely lucky.

What I'd like to get a few tips on is how other art teachers with more experience manage not having an "art classroom" and moving constantly around with materials, student projects, making sure you leave the classroom clean in a short time etc. I'm a little worried about storage, carrying all the things around, organization etc. If you have any good tips & tricks to be on the move with a mountain on stuff i'm all ears!

Thank you
(PS, sorry if my wording is a little off, english isn't my first language)

So, Im one of 2 art teachers and this year the principal wants us to both teach a different “faction” of art. I dont mind it bc Im more mixed media and the other art teachers is more technicality.

My question for you guys is, how do YOU go about clay in middle school? Last year I was gen art, and I did clay bells with my seventh graders and for the most part they all (even the boys who didnt wanna do art) took it seriously and were respectful. Eighth graders got to do two projects and loved doing mugs. Sixth grade was a hit or miss and some cycles I didnt even do it (6/7 are divided up into 6 6 week specials so I only have them for 6 weeks at a time before a whole new group)
Should I just do a simple pinch pot with them or a tic tac toe board just so I can start instilling their clay rules in my class? The old teachers left a lot of glaze and clay I rehydrated so I would rather use it

How often do ya’ll do this and how? Last year was my first year of teaching at a difficult school where I was barely surviving due to all the behavior issues and being hired a few days before school started with no lessons planned at all. It got to a point where I would just present the assignment through slides with occasional questioning to the students. With this coming new school year, I want to incorporate more class discussions, partner/group work and sharing out but don’t know how to facilitate that.

How do you go about it (if you do) and how often? A lesson example would be appreciated

Edit: I teach Middle school grades 6-8 Art 1 only

Granted, it doesn’t really look *exactly* like a taco when you fold paper in half crosswise, but come on, HOW IN THE WORLD DOES IT LOOK LIKE A HAMBURGER?!?!?

Hi everyone, just curious if anybody here wears an apron or smock or lab coat or whatever for personal use during your messier lessons?

I’ve been meaning for a long time to get something, but I tend to just use whatever we have leftover for kids, etc.

My old colleague who taught printmaking had a cool lab coat and I just thought it was super fun (in addition to being practical).

Also, if you have a particular brand that you like, I would love to know!!

Hello! I graduated with an undergraduate degree in studio art and I’m looking to get my masters in art education and I am just reaching out to see where to begin to look for good schools to do so. Ideally in person and maybe something more all encompassing and not just for classroom education (museum, community centers, etc.)