Thrifted items make the perfect budget-friendly addition to your classroom. Look for these items to elevate your art room and style them to fit your needs.

1. Containers, Organizers, & Baskets 

Transform your art room into an organized oasis by repurposing thrifted containers, organizers, and baskets. These affordable finds offer a practical solution to the ever-present struggle to keep art supplies tidy and readily accessible. Build a collection of bins in every shape and size to use as table caddies, store collections, and arrange your space just how you like it.

2. Trays & Storage Racks

Invest in trays and storage racks to streamline your art room organization. Paperwork trays, lunch trays, and serving trays are perfect for prepping art materials and making distribution a breeze. Storage racks are ideal for organizing papers, supplies, and small artworks to maximize your space. Explore the Organizing Your Elementary Art Room for Success Pack from PRO Learning for more tips on managing everyday art supplies. 

Here are some ways to style these items in your art room:

• Organize pastels in a tackle box or divided veggie tray to keep them from rubbing against each other and muddying the colors.
• Thread yarn through holes in a plastic organizer to distribute yarn without the tangled mess.
• Make mini-damp boxes for clay projects from plastic containers flipped upside down with a clay board resting on the lid.
• Use a spice rack to create tiered storage for small paint bottles and tubes.
• Repurpose a record holder or letter tray to store paint palettes or stacks of paper.

3. Heat Tools

Artists employ unconventional items in their creative endeavors all of the time. Grab hair dryers from the thrift store to show students the versatility of everyday objects in the artistic process. Use repurposed hair dryers to dry paint and clay at record speeds and flatten artwork to give it a sleek, pressed look. Your students will love learning that heat tools are for more than just hair! What else will you repurpose in the art room?

4. Texture Tools

Thrift stores are treasure troves for texture-making tools. Collect fly swatters, doilies, sponges, kitchen utensils, toothbrushes, rubber stamps, and other objects to experiment with surface manipulations. Use these tools for one of the projects in the Experimenting with Monoprinting Collection from FLEX Curriculum, or set up a tactile and exploratory activity like the one below.

Here’s how to set up a texture-making smorgasbord for your students:

1. Gather an array of thrifted texture tools with a variety of patterns. 
2. Arrange these items on a large table so they are easily accessible. 
3. Press the tools into different colored paints, inks, or stamp pads.
4. Print them on white or colored pieces of paper to reveal the texture.
5. Experiment with layering textures and combining materials to create complex compositions.
6. Alternately, press tools into wet clay to add visual interest to ceramic pieces.

5. Yarn & Fabric Scraps

Introduce your students to the world of fiber art without breaking the bank. Repurposing items like sheets, pillow covers, clothes, and curtains provides a diverse range of fabrics for students to explore different techniques. Take advantage of the weekly deals so you can stretch your budget further, ensuring every dollar goes towards widening your students’ artistic experiences.

Here are some ways to style these items in your art room:

• Gather skeins of yarn in different colors and weights to bolster your stash.
• Repurpose t-shirts into yarn to weave into your collaborative art room loom, crochet into wearable art, or knot into macrame planters.
• Salvage linen fabric to back needle felted projects.
• Create felt from washed 80% to 100% wool sweaters to make felted food sculptures.
• Swipe flat sheets with fun patterns for bulletin board backgrounds that last.

6. Paint Shirts & Messy Clothes

Say goodbye to worrying about getting paint on your favorite clothes by opting for designated “paint day” or “clay day” outfits sourced straight from the racks of a thrift store. Plus, it’s fun to find unique outfits to match your eclectic art teacher style! Stock up on oversized shirts for your students to pull on over their nice clothes instead of aprons when it’s time to dive into messy projects. By purchasing these items secondhand, you save money, reduce waste, and contribute to sustainable practices in your art room.

7. Picture Frames

Use the plethora of picture frames available at thrift stores in both traditional and nontraditional ways. Display student artwork by hanging a gallery wall of thrift store frames. Remove the glass and attach clothespins to make it easy to switch out the masterpieces. For an unconventional twist, turn wood frames into deckle boxes to create handmade paper, like in the video below.

8. Mirrors, Dishes, & Glass

Peruse thrift stores for a wealth of materials to fuel your mixed-media and 3D projects. Collect reflective surfaces like CDs, DVDs, and mirrors to add dynamic pizzazz. Repurpose ceramic mugs as water cups or carefully break plates into pieces for vibrant mosaic artworks. Fuse recycled glass into rings for whimsical wind chimes. Dive deeper into the world of glass fusing with the Getting Started With Warm Glass and Lampwork Pack from PRO Learning.

Here’s how to turn a mirror into an empowering self-portrait station:

1. Choose a large, horizontal, sturdy mirror.
2. Decorate the mirror’s edges to make it visually appealing and inspiring.
3. Transform the mirror into a personal affirmation station by writing empowering statements around the border with paint pens or vinyl decals. 
4. Hang the mirror horizontally at eye level for students seated on the floor.
5. Explore the Experimenting with Portraiture Collection from FLEX Curriculum.
6. Send students to draw at the affirmation station when they need a break or as an early finisher activity.

9. Books, Games, & Puzzles

Incorporate an element of literacy and creative play into your art room by sourcing books, games, and puzzles from thrift stores. These items educate and entertain early finishers while encouraging artistic exploration and critical thinking skills. Seek materials with well-composed designs and enriching illustrations to ignite your students’ imagination. Even older students enjoy a good picture book, board game, or puzzle now and then!

10. Furniture

Revamp your art room’s ambiance by sourcing second-hand furniture. Not only will it serve a functional purpose but it can also make your room more visually welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. Pick out small tables, chairs, or bookshelves made of solid wood so they will stand the test of time. Embrace your inner DIY enthusiast to make your art room a magical place that you and your students want to spend time in.

Thrift stores provide a wealth of opportunities for art teachers to find affordable and sustainable materials to enhance their art rooms. Use a spice rack to store paint bottles, gather one-of-a-kind texture tools, DIY t-shirt yarn, or collect glass for mosaics. The possibilities for transforming thrifted treasures into art room essentials are endless! Incorporating second-hand items into your classroom saves money, reduces waste, and inspires your students to think outside of the box and see the potential in everyday objects. So, next time you’re browsing the aisles of your local thrift store, keep an eye out for hidden gems to elevate your art room and ignite your students’ imaginations. Happy thrifting!

What’s your best thrifted art room find? 

How do you promote sustainability and resourcefulness in your classroom?

The post 10 Must-Have Thrifted Items to Elevate Your Art Room on a Budget appeared first on The Art of Education University.

We are in need of more well-designed spaces than ever. The World Health Organization reports that anxiety and depression increased by 25% worldwide within the last few years. One fun way to offset the rise in mental health concerns is to “return to paying attention to the design of interior spaces.” Thoughtful interior design choices can evoke positive emotions, reduce stress, and enhance productivity. Learn how to harness your creative intuition to curate environments while boosting your mood and mental health.

Draw inspiration from the art teacher cribs featured below to reimagine the spaces you live and teach in.

Check out fun home and classroom tours and gain studio space ideas, artsy decor inspiration, organizational tips, and more with AOEU’s YouTube series, Art Teacher Cribs. Step inside art teachers’ homes and classrooms across the country and see why art teacher energy is unique! Our super fun classrooms often serve as student sanctuaries. This joy carries over into art teachers’ homes where there is a perfect blend of quirky and aesthetic. Kick off the series with Jennifer Hamilton’s rainbow home and classroom below.

Browse these simple tips to help you design a home and classroom to prioritize mental health and well-being.

1. Focus on aesthetics and functionality.

Strike a balance between form and function to craft spaces that look good and serve your daily needs. A well-designed, functional space contributes to mental well-being by reducing stress and enhancing productivity. Sarah Tucker broke out of “the idea that you ‘have to’ have certain rooms in your house” and converted her dining room into a cozy study and reading nook. Seamlessly integrate practical considerations into your decor to set up spaces where you and your students can thrive.

Make your spaces more functional without sacrificing the aesthetic with these tips:

• Install additional shelving to maximize vertical space to showcase your art and decor.
• Sort through your home and classroom clutter and organize your spaces for increased practicality and productivity.
• Incorporate aesthetic hooks, hangers, and bins to turn functional spaces into attractive displays.
• Choose lighting fixtures with a creative flair to create a warm and inviting ambiance.
• Ditch what spaces were “meant” for and make them into areas that fit your needs.

2. Rely on color psychology to mindfully add a dash of brilliance.

Colors hold unique emotional associations and influence mood, perception, energy levels, and productivity. When infusing color into your spaces, consider the impact each hue and shade brings. Katie Jarvis’ favorite space in her home is her closet because “the bright, fun colors and patterns remind her of summer vacation.” Mindfully selecting colors that align with your personality and an area’s intended purpose allows you to curate a whole atmosphere.

Follow these four steps to add color to your spaces with ease:

1. Explore color psychology and choose hues that align with the atmosphere you desire.
2. Develop a cohesive color palette to ensure a balanced look.
3. Play with patterns and textures in your chosen colors to add depth and visual interest.
4. Periodically reassess how your color choices impact your mood and well-being and adjust as needed.

3. Mix natural elements and textures for added comfort.

Bringing the outdoors in can enhance well-being. Nature has a positive impact on mental health and reduces anxiety, depression, and loneliness while increasing happiness. Meg takes advantage of this strategy by lining her home studio with a “growing collection of handmade mugs” and a “little jungle making its way across [the] ceiling.” Add natural elements to your living and teaching spaces to connect with nature and promote relaxation and tranquility.

Add more natural elements to your indoor spaces with the ideas below:

• Maximize natural light by using light-colored or light-filtering curtains or blinds.
• Opt for furniture made from natural materials like wood, rattan, or bamboo for an organic touch.
• Choose houseplants that thrive in your space’s conditions to improve air quality.
• Select textiles made from natural fibers such as cotton, linen, or wool to provide warmth and a natural tactile element.

4. Integrate personal touches for maximum happiness.

Inject a dose of personal flair into your spaces by adding meaningful touches that reflect your unique identity. Kayla Koslow set up a home art studio “completely dedicated to her creative brain” with “anything and everything she loves.” Similarly, Allison filled her studio with “all the little things that make her who she is,” including card collections that remind her of her childhood, student notes, photos, gifts, and artwork. Personal items like these infuse personality into your surroundings and encourage feelings of joy!

Let your art teacher personality shine through in your decor with the suggestions below:

• Display your favorite collectibles or artifacts to tell a story about your interests.
• Incorporate personalized artwork created by yourself or local artists to infuse individuality.
• Create specific areas dedicated to your creative mind where you can make art or lesson samples.
• Craft your own decor items or repurpose existing pieces to reflect your artistic style on a budget.
• Curate a gallery wall with framed photos, postcards, and artwork to remember significant moments and memories.

5. Share your intentional spaces with others to spread joy.

Your thoughtfully designed spaces have the potential to be vibrant hubs of collective well-being that foster connection. Now an inviting shade of green, the pass-through window that initially drew Rachel Poddoll to her house made her home “a welcoming spot for guests, just as she imagined it would.” April Ryan designed a game and craft room where her family “gets to show off their collection of figures,” play games, and spend quality time together. When you extend the invitation for others to experience the beauty you’ve created, you start a ripple effect of joy that enriches the lives of others and reinforces a sense of community.

Plan an event to share your home and classroom with others like the five below:

1. Set up board games or video game stations for a fun and interactive evening with friends.
2. Host themed dinner parties where you showcase your culinary skills and a visually appealing table setting.
3. Invite your community for a Family Fun Art Night, where everyone explores their creativity.
4. Host open studio hours during your next art show to ignite artmaking.
5. Facilitate a Gallery Night Fundraiser where you guide the community on a tour of student artwork and stories.

Caring about and curating beautiful and practical surroundings has the power to boost your mood and enhance your mental health. By prioritizing functionality, embracing color psychology, incorporating natural elements, and infusing personal touches, you can turn your home and art room into sanctuaries of well-being. Why keep all of these benefits to yourself? Share your carefully curated spaces with friends, family, and your school community for a truly transformative experience that sparks joy and connection. 

Which design tip are you most excited to try in your home or art room?

How do you promote well-being in your art teacher cribs?

The post Art Teacher Cribs: Curate Spaces to Boost Your Mood and Mental Health appeared first on The Art of Education University.

One morale-boosting way to do this is to create projects for your beginning-of-the-year bulletin boards. Choose bulletin board projects that are exciting, easy, and will last well into the year. Involve your students in making artwork that will greet them with a burst of creativity, instill pride, generate a buzz for your art program, and set a positive tone for the upcoming year.

Prepare to infuse your classroom with excitement and anticipation for the next school year with these themed bulletin board ideas and collaborative projects.

Themed Bulletin Boards

Center your bulletin board around a specific, pre-determined message to get students excited about creating art. Involve your students in developing individual elements for the board that tie into the chosen theme. Involving students in creating these elements fosters ownership and belonging in the classroom environment, which sets a positive tone for the upcoming school year.

Students can create bulletin board elements around these themes:

1. Imagine the Possibilities

Using the art career cards from FLEX Curriculum, design a bulletin board featuring different art careers. Each grade-level-appropriate card includes an art professional’s skills, attire, tools, and responsibilities. Students interview other adults and conduct research to create their own art career cards on additional careers. Display both art career cards on the bulletin board to showcase the diverse range of art-related professions and inspire students to explore career possibilities.

2. Coming Soon

Design a bulletin board resembling a movie theater marquee or a streaming service carousel. Students create digital posters showcasing their favorite projects, techniques, or themes based on what they learned during the year in art class. Display the posters on the bulletin board to give incoming students a sneak peek of the exciting artistic discoveries awaiting them in the upcoming school year. Rely on the Digital Drawing Basics Pack from PRO Learning to give you a place to start with your students.

3. Starting the Year Off Write

Design a poetry-themed bulletin board featuring student-generated poems about their favorite art class experiences. Students incorporate their poems into visual images using concrete poetry, ekphrastic poems, illustrated haikus, and blackout poetry. Display the poems on the bulletin board and use your artists’ own words to inspire incoming students for another year of artmaking.

4. What Kind of Artist Will You Be?

Create a bulletin board featuring portraits of different artists. Explore FLEX Curriculum’s artist bios for a vast archive of diverse artists to include. Build upon portrait drawing skills learned during the school year or trace the artist’s silhouette to create their own renditions. Fill the portrait with distinctive elements associated with the artist, such as iconic artworks, techniques, or motifs. Celebrate the variety of artistic styles and encourage students to explore fresh artists. 

5. Art is Everywhere

Design a bulletin board that illustrates the real-world applications of art. Provide students with a list of subjects and content areas and challenge them to create collages that illustrate how art relates to each. Students can use images, text, and mixed media to showcase the connections between art and the real world. Display the collages on the bulletin board to celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of art education.

6. The Picture of a Fantastic Year

Encourage students to capture well-composed photos related to the art room to create a photography-themed bulletin board. Explore the Creative Approaches to Beginning Photography Pack from PRO Learning for tips on how to set your students up for success. Display the photos to give a picture of the exciting experiences the year will hold.

7. Find Your Style This Year

Design a fashion-themed bulletin board to engage students with art history. Showcase clothing designs or wearable art inspired by different artists. Provide students with templates of clothing items such as purses, shoes, or dresses and challenge them to incorporate symbols, colors, or techniques from an artist of their choice into their design. (This is another fantastic time to introduce the artist bios in FLEX Curriculum!) Display the finished designs to get students pumped about discovering their style along with other artists’ styles in the fall.

8. Your Voice Matters Here

Create a board where students visually express themselves and share their messages with the world. Students design symbols representing significant events from the year or causes they’re passionate about. Review the Social Change Relief Print Lesson from FLEX Curriculum for step-by-step directions on how to turn these symbols into prints. Use relief printing to amplify student voices and showcase your commitment to meaningful expression and advocacy.

Collaborative Displays

Engage students in a collaborative art project by giving them a simple shape or form to replicate. For instance, students can fold an origami fortune teller, like in the video below. Once completed, gather their masterpieces and arrange them together to form a cohesive and impressive installation artwork. Incorporate a welcoming message or theme and celebrate the teamwork your art room fostered. 

Select a collaborative project for students to contribute to:

1. A Rainbow of Possibilities This Year

Invite students to create coffee filter creations using coffee filters, washable markers, and a spray bottle. Color the filters with vibrant hues, spray them with water, and watch the colors bleed. Turn their colorful creations into a rainbow sea, a vibrant garden of flowers, or beautiful butterflies. This display conveys the rainbow of possibilities that the new school year holds.

2. Weave Together a New Beginning

Engage students in creating a giant paper tapestry by writing favorite lessons and experiences on colored paper strips. Working collaboratively, weave the strips together into squares. Intermediate weavers can even create three-dimensional paper weavings, as seen in the Basic Weaving Techniques Pack from PRO Learning. Hang your woven shared experiences to inspire another year of artmaking.

3. Love-ly to Have You Back

Encourage your students to express their love for art by drawing embossed heart designs on cardboard squares. Embellish the hearts with patterns. Trace the designs with hot glue and create an embossed look by covering the squares with aluminum foil. Add color with permanent markers and display all of the hearts together to express the joy of having everyone back in the art room.

4. We All Fit Together Here

Create a puzzle to symbolize the unity of your artists. Divide a large piece of paper into puzzle pieces for each student to design. Draw inspiration from FLEX Curriculum’s Contemporary Street Art Collection by having students illustrate their names in graffiti lettering. Assemble the pieces to reveal a unified image that fosters belonging and togetherness.

5. We Missed You ‘Round Here

Explore rhythm, repetition, variety, and other principles of art in a unique way as you anticipate the coming year. Craft radial designs on colored paper circles. Cut them into quarters and arrange them on square background paper to create a captivating pattern. Display this collaborative quilt to symbolize a vibrant community reunited and ready to embark on a new artistic journey.

6. Welcome Back to [Your School Name]

Paint half sheets of paper with lively patterns and textures. Then, cut them into small squares and rearrange them into large block letters that spell out your school’s name. Use the FLEX Curriculum resource, What Are Mosaics? to learn about the different types of mosaics and how to create them to inspire your students’ work. Introduce mosaics to your students in a budget-friendly way that doubles as a colorful welcome back in the fall.

7. Dye-ing to Get This Year Rolling

Get ready to kick off the year with vibrant energy and create oil pastel tie-dye squares, like in the video below. Color paper squares with oil pastels in stripe or spiral shapes. Drag an eraser through them to blend the colors and make a tie-dye effect. Discover tips for how to help your students succeed in the Getting Started With Oil Pastels Pack from PRO Learning. Mount the dyed squares together to compose an energetic display.

8. Writing An Exciting Chapter

Embark on a collaborative storytelling adventure with your students by creating a storyboard with sticky notes. Illustrate reflective prompts like, Draw a moment you felt confident in art class, or Portray an artist you feel inspired by. Then, caption each drawing to tell the story of the fantastic year ahead. This is a fun way to collect feedback and create a buzz for incoming students. 

Foster creativity, collaboration, and ownership in your students by engaging them with artwork up to the last day. Use the artwork in a display to generate excitement to come back to school in the fall. Whether composing artistic poems for a theme like Starting the Year Off Write or collaborating with peers to emboss hearts for a Love-ly to Have You Back display, bulletin board projects provide an opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talents while contributing to the welcoming atmosphere of your art room. They are also helpful if you need to adapt to end-of-year schedule twists and turns. Invest time now to reap the benefits later and do your future art teacher self a solid today!

What bulletin board project will you do now to set yourself up for success in the fall?

How do you bring your students together to create collaborative displays? 

The post 16 Art Bulletin Boards to Do Now to Jumpstart Anticipation for Next School Year appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Keep reading for advice and tips to revamp your classroom management after a break to finish the year strong!

Reflect on and evaluate your current systems and routines. 

Take a moment to reflect on your classroom management. Think about what systems worked and what adjustments to implement moving forward. After a break, art supplies are often disorganized, misplaced, or depleted.  Reorganizing and replenishing art supplies will allow students to access what they need for projects. Additionally, remove extra or unwanted art supplies to create more space and proactively prepare you for the end of the school year.

Get started and level up your systems with these downloads:

• Fill out the Classroom Management Reflection to pinpoint where you may need to make adjustments.
• Post the 40 Student Cleanup Jobs checklist for early finishers to assist with classroom care.

Check out these resources for art supply systems and organization:

• 3 Simple Steps to Reassess and Reorganize Your Art Supplies 
• How to Make Good Use of Extra and Unwanted Supplies in the Art Room 
• Budget Labeling Systems for the Art Room (Ep. 1)

Refresh your physical space. 

While getting a brand new classroom space is a wish, refreshing your existing space can make you feel like you have a whole new room. Breathing new life into your studio does not have to be extensive or complex—it can be as simple as hanging up a pile of artwork that never made it to the gallery wall or swapping out a few anchor charts. Guarantee smiles and joy to returning faces with a new display. Select one or two easy tasks that will make a big impact!

Here are resources to help you reset your art space: 

• 5 Tips to Redecorate and Reorganize for Back to School 
• 27 Ways to Design an Inviting, Functional, and Flexible Art Room 
• 4 Quick & Budget-Friendly DIYs to Upgrade Your Art Room 
• Makeover Your Art Room to Start the New Year with a Fresh Inspiring Space 

Encourage collaboration and cultivate connection. 

The community and relationships of your classroom are just as important as the systems and routines. Many students lack the daily social interactions they get from school during long weekends or breaks. Encourage students to reconnect with cheesy icebreakers and team-building activities. Incorporate warm-ups for social-emotional check-ins. For more ways to foster laughter and discussion, play games or introduce challenges.

For activities, games, and collaborative opportunities, check out the resources below: 

• How to Help Your Students Learn to Talk to Each Other Again 
• 6 Exhilarating Classroom Management Games You’ll Want to Play in the Art Room 
• 8 Warm-Up Activities To Support Classroom Management and Calm Starts to Class 
• 10 Neat Ways to Group Students in the Art Room for Collaborative Projects

Keep up your art teacher energy!

Positive and enthusiastic energy has a big impact on the classroom environment. Teacher energy is contagious and can dictate how students feel and experience class. The majority of your students will be eager to see your smiling face! If you greet them at the door with a huge grin and peppy greeting, they’ll be more inclined to do so back. However, remember that some students may be dealing with or processing things we are unaware of. It’s a good reminder that giving the benefit of the doubt and being kind, even if they don’t seem responsive back, can go a long way.

Check out the resources below to help preserve your art teacher energy:

• How to Effectively Save Mental Time and Energy Using Circles of Control 
• How to Make a Personal Studio to Preserve Your Creative Energy
• Embrace A Word of the Year: 10 Phrases to Focus Your Priorities
• How to Preserve Your Creative Energy by Being Intentional With Your Calendar

There are so many routines and systems in the art room because of all of the artwork, supplies, and tools! Coming back after spring break can feel like even more of a juggling act than usual. Each day tosses in more balls that you need to keep in the air, such as art show prep, art contests, mid-year supply orders, and advanced course portfolio deadlines. It’s okay to let the balls drop, pause, and regroup. Decide what you need to keep on your plate, remove, or adjust. Select a couple of small improvements you can make to your classroom to spruce it up. Revive connections through discussion prompts, games, and challenges. Protect and harness your art teacher energy by exuding smiles and prioritizing a few intentional goals. Before you know it, the end of the school year will be here and you’ll be proud of how you made the most of the last few weeks with your students.

How do you regroup after spring break?

What is a student-favorite activity perfect for post-break? 

The post Advice for Effective Classroom Management in the Art Room After the Break appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Do you need to shake things up in the classroom? Below are 10 ways to group students in the art room for collaborative projects.

1. Team or Table

This is a go-to option if your classroom is table-based. This cuts down on students moving all over the room. Most likely, students will know each other because of proximity however, if they don’t, add in an icebreaker game for the day’s bellringer!

2. Interests

Play a game like Four Corners to get students out of their seats, active, and interested. Ask a question, such as “What is your favorite medium we’ve done so far this year?” Students will move to the corner that represents their answer. For example, Corner A is Paint, Corner B is Oil Pastel, Corner C is Graphite, and Corner D is Fibers. Keep the students in these four groups or break them down into smaller sections.

Another fun Four Corners question is, “What artwork would you like to spend a day inside?” Corner A is The Scream by Edvard Munch, Corner B is Infinity Mirror Room Fireflies on Water by Yayoi Kusama, Corner C is Guernica by Pablo Picasso, and Corner D is The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt.

3. Random Digital Generator

Use an online tool to assign groups of students randomly. This is a good opportunity to talk students through a real-world scenario. One day, they may end up in a group or on a team with someone they don’t know or like but they’ll need to make it work to complete the project.

4. Popsicle Sticks

Give each student a number based on an existing seating chart or roster. Label individual popsicle sticks with the same numbers. Decide how many students you would like to be in a group. Randomly draw popsicle stick numbers to assign teams.

5. Student Choice

This is definitely a wild card, but a highly sought-after option for students. As soon as the teacher says “Group,” many students give their friends “the look.” We know exactly what this means—they want to pair up with their buddy! Letting students choose their groups can be great for student morale. Set the expectations that if the teams are off-topic, they will have to work individually. Be mindful of students who may not have a friend in class. Consider how you can set up student choice so all students feel included and excited.

6. Teacher Choice

Teachers can pinpoint who is a strong leader and who is an intuitive helper. Harness your students’ strengths when determining groups. For example, if one classmate excels at patiently explaining instructions, group them with a student who has trouble focusing. Pair together a student who is peppy and encouraging with a student who is tentative and nervous.

7. Learning Style

Group students by their learning style. Basic learning modes are visual, aural, verbal, and kinesthetic. Visual learners learn best by reading or seeing images. Aural learners are most successful through listening, questioning, talking, and recalling. Verbal learners process well through reading or listening. Kinesthetic learners thrive with physical activity, getting hands-on, or watching a demonstration.

8. Prior Knowledge

Introduce the next unit’s topic to the class with a quick survey. Students respond by raising their hands, standing up, filling out a digital poll, or voting on slips of paper. Grouping students by what they currently know is a great tool to see what you need to pre-teach or skim.

9. Creative Pairs

Get creative and gamify working in teams through creative pairings, like food. Hand out slips of paper to each student with either a word or a word and an image. Students find the other person with the matching food pair to become a team. For example, one paper will have a salt shaker and the other will have a pepper shaker. The pair possibilities are endless! You can also do villains and heroes, complementary colors, sports teams and mascots, or famous artists’ first and last names.

10. Card Deck

Remove the two Jokers before distributing one card per student. Students find the other students who have the same number or face card. Each deck of cards contains four of each, so groups will be no more than four.

Now that you’ve grouped your students, here are some helpful tips and fun collaborative projects for them to work on:

• 4 Ways to Incorporate Collaboration in the Classroom
• Collaboration in the Art Room Pack in PRO Learning
• Looking at Ideas for Collaboration (Ep. 285)
• How to Help Your Students Collaborate on Big Projects
• Exploring Collaboration Through Writing

Group work can change the class dynamic for the better! Students are often in fresh seats, moving around to different parts of the classroom, and interacting with students outside of their norm. Switching things up in the art studio is necessary for a thriving classroom environment. Whether you group students by interests, randomly, or by teacher’s choice, working together is an exciting challenge that makes the period fly by. Keep exploring new ways to group your students and celebrate the collaborative pieces your students create this year!

What is your favorite way to group students together?

Share a student-favorite collaborative project.

The post 10 Neat Ways to Group Students in the Art Room for Collaborative Projects appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Watch AOEU’s newest mini-series, Art Room Makeover, on YouTube to gain tons of inspiration! If you desire a massive cleanout, we have the decluttering motivation you’ll need. If you need simple and budget-friendly DIY projects for the art room, we have several we can’t wait to show you! If you need some smiles, we have art teacher humor and silly antics from the Community Engagement Team that will get you laughing in no time.

Subscribe and turn your notifications on so you don’t miss future episodes and enter below for an opportunity for YOU to win big for your art room!

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As you likely know from curating and maintaining your own art room and from watching the video above, keeping your space vibrant and conducive to creativity takes work. With a busy art teacher schedule and a long list of responsibilities and roles, cleaning and caring for your studio can easily drop too low on the priority list. The hardest part can be figuring out where to start to get back on track! 

Follow this simple outline for an inspirational art room makeover you can tackle with intentionality:

1. Start with the basics.
2. Upgrade the displays.
3. Cover a wall.
4. Overhaul a specific area.

Mix and match ideas from each section to put together a custom art room makeover plan. There’s a little something for every art room, no matter the time constraints, DIY skill level, or budget.

1. Start with the basics.

Organization is the backbone of a well-functioning art classroom. It helps create a harmonious and productive atmosphere for you and your students. Begin by thoroughly examining your space, reevaluating your storage solutions, and carefully assessing your existing resources. Think of the seemingly simple upgrades you’ve always wanted to implement. 

Add one of these four foundational systems to your plan:

1. Functional Storage
   It’s time to sort through your forgotten cabinets and closets and make your art room storage work for you. Diligently label and organize your art supplies, materials, and tools. Establish designated areas for everything so you have ready access to what you need when you need it.
2. Flexible Seating
   Adaptable seating allows for easy reconfiguration for various projects and group activities. It gives students the freedom to choose their ideal workspace. Design an inviting, flexible art room to keep learning dynamic and interactive for your students.
3. Art Supply Caddies
   Storing frequently used supplies within arm’s reach of your working artists enables your students to take ownership of their creative process. Place crayons, markers, scissors, glue, and other frequently used materials at their tables. Find a caddy that works for you with the video below!
4. Engaging Stations
   Set up stations to support your daily art room needs. Consider a sketchbook station, Supply Shack, or early finisher area. Another option is to take a page from the choice-based art approach and set up medium-specific centers.

2. Upgrade the displays.

How you showcase your students’ work significantly affects how they perceive themselves as artists. Implement interactive and visually engaging displays to celebrate their art and encourage dialogue and appreciation. By intentionally upgrading your displays, you create an inspiring and professional art environment that instills a sense of pride and accomplishment in your students. This small change can profoundly impact your art room’s atmosphere.

Add one of these four display ideas to your plan:

1. Revolving Exhibit
   Set up an exhibition space that allows you and your students to swap out artwork quickly like in the video below. Invest in opening picture frames, framed or matted plastic sheet protectors, or a clipboard gallery wall for a rotating display. Make it easy to change things up!
2. Portable Showcase
   Switch up where you display masterpieces as easily as you swap out artwork. Furnish your room with an easel or mobile display panel. Move it around the room to catch different lighting and angles. Roll it down to the main lobby when the school opens for games, shows, or other events. Keep students guessing where their art will show up next!
3. Ceiling Display
   Remember to look up! Hang pipe cleaner mobiles and paper sculptures from the ceiling to create a captivating visual experience. Use ceiling tiles as a canvas for students to create artwork on to add more permanent color overhead. Get permission from your administration and maintenance team to ensure you adhere to building safety policies. 
4. Gallery Lighting
   Invest in adjustable track lighting to highlight featured artwork and create a gallery-like atmosphere in your room. Again, be sure to clear this update with your administration and maintenance team.

3. Cover a wall.

The walls of your art room are for more than aesthetics. They are a dynamic tool to enhance your students’ learning experience. Reimagine “wasted” wall space and transform it into informative and interactive spaces where students can collaborate, share ideas, and contribute to the artistic atmosphere. Turning your art room walls into educational resources creates an environment that sparks curiosity and encourages your students to be active participants.

Add one of these four wall ideas to your plan:

1. Artist Spotlight
   Feature student artwork along with the artists that inspired them. Incorporate technology and add context by adding QR code-accessible artist statements or Artist Bios, like the ones hosted in FLEX Curriculum.
2. Collaborative Mural
   Turn an entire wall into an ever-changing canvas for you and your students. Paint the wall with chalkboard paint and let students sketch, draw, and write on it. Students can share thoughts, ideas, doodles, patterns, illustrations, and more.
3. Interactive Art History
   Create an interactive timeline of art history with images, facts, and artist quotes. Paint a timeline on the wall and attach magnets or clips along it. Hang printed and laminated elements to help students engage with art history as they walk around your room.
4. Sensory Puzzle
   Dedicate an entire wall to be a DIY sensory area with textured, touchable elements. Include components like sequined fabric, plastic building bricks, or magnets for students to manipulate and arrange.

4. Overhaul a specific area.

Your makeover doesn’t have to be large-scale to have a big impact. Select a designated corner to strategically focus on. Consider your specific goals and how to tailor this space to meet them. By concentrating all of your energy on a single corner, you can tackle your room a little bit at a time within a realistic timeframe and budget. 

Add one of these four ideas to your plan:

1. Critique Corner
   Curate a space for self-reflection, peer critiques, and drafting artist statements. Hang student works in progress for feedback. Consider including different seating options, writing tools, and writing surfaces to encourage open dialogue about art in a way that’s comfortable for as many students as possible.
2. Cozy Nook
   Design a pleasant reading corner with art books, soft seating, and plenty of natural light. This can be a safe spot for students to unwind or find artistic inspiration. 
3. Studio Space
   Set up a corner of your art room to be a mini photography or recording studio for students to document their work and creative processes. Alternately, inspire your students by making the space into a personal artmaking corner to invest in your well-being and model artistic growth.
4. Art Garden
   If you have outdoor space, develop a mini sculpture garden featuring students’ 3D creations. Take your students to this spot for en plein aire painting or nature inspiration. Simulate a space like this indoors in a sunny corner of your room filled with potted plants.

Renovate your art room to create an environment that nurtures creativity and inspires the next generation of artists. AOEU’s new makeover series is packed with even more ways to create a classroom to reflect your unique art teacher style while encouraging students to explore, experiment, and discover. Watch the videos, get inspired, and whip up a plan that tackles four areas: the basics like organization, displays to easily showcase recent student work, a wall transformation, and a new classroom corner. Whether your changes are small or large, your students will see and appreciate the investment of time and energy you are making in their learning. Let the makeover begin!

What is your favorite spot in your art room?

Which makeover idea inspires you to transform your space?

The post Makeover Your Art Room to Start the New Year with a Fresh Inspiring Space appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Unveil the Mysteries Inside the Closet

It’s strange but true! All of the things listed below were once discovered in the depths of an art closet. We posed the question to a group of art teachers, “What is the weirdest thing you found in your closet?” and these are just a few of the mysterious answers we received:

• Shampoo
• Police caution tape
• Dental impressions
• X-rays and brain scans
• Ant farm
• Holy water
• Skeleton, bird wings, and other bones
• Bags of beetles
• Dried mushrooms
• Bedroom slippers
• Pancake syrup bottles
• Bicycles
• Bed sheets
• Egg roll wrappers
• Bag of single shoes
• Doll heads

Decipher the Secrets: Identify Your Items

When faced with mystery items in your art teacher closet, be a detective and uncover their purpose. Here are three practical ways to help decode the unknown.

1. Utilize research tools.
   During your investigation, take advantage of technology. Tools like Google Lens can help identify unfamiliar objects by analyzing images or descriptions. Online art supply catalogs can also provide valuable information about unique materials.
2. Seek insight from fellow art teachers.
   Connect with art teachers through email or social media platforms. Share photos or descriptions of the mysterious items and ask for their input. Their experiences and knowledge might shed light on the purpose or history of the supplies. For example, Jess, a middle school art teacher in Connecticut, found four-foot-tall rolls of rubber in various colors. After asking her colleagues, she found out they are for printmaking.
3. Experiment and test.
   Sometimes the best way to understand the potential of a mysterious material is through hands-on experimentation. Take small samples and test them using various techniques or mediums. This exploration may reveal unexpected properties or inspire creative uses. Lee, a middle school art teacher in California, found margarita salt in her art closet. After experimenting, she found it made for great texture in watercolor paintings.

Determine Fate: Keep, Toss, or Donate

When organizing your art closet, you might face two different decision paths:

1. “I must throw everything away!”
2. “I think I have to keep it.”

Finding balance is key. Make informed decisions about each item based on its usefulness, condition, and potential for future art projects or student use. Also, it may belong to the district or school so do not throw it away without going through the proper channels.

Let’s dive into some guidance on how to determine the fate of each discovery you make:

1. Assess the usefulness and condition.
   Evaluate the usefulness and condition of each item. Consider whether it aligns with your teaching objectives or personal artistic pursuits. Assess its condition and determine if it can still serve its intended purpose effectively. Marsha, a middle school art teacher, found an entire garbage bag full of shoulder pads in her closet. The previous teacher used them for a project. Since they were no longer used in the current curriculum, she threw them away.
2. Consider storage limitations and space constraints.
   Take into account the storage limitations and space constraints in your closet. If an item takes up excessive space or doesn’t fit well within the available storage, it may be necessary to part with it. Dawn, an art teacher in Texas, found an entire shopping cart filled with plastic sculptures. This took up too much space and was moved out.
3. Evaluate the potential for future projects.
   Think about the potential for future projects or student use. If an item can contribute to engaging art activities or spark creativity in your students, it may be worth keeping. However, prioritize items that are practical and versatile. One teacher discovered hundreds of shoelaces in her closet. This could spark ideas for weaving, fiber arts, and even upcycled bracelets.
4. Troubleshoot with staff and administration.
   When organizing your closet, remember to troubleshoot with colleagues. If you find art equipment or books that might belong to the county, check if there’s a system to redistribute them to other schools in need. Before getting rid of anything, ask an administrator or your supervisor for guidance. Also, be mindful that certain items need to follow special disposal guidelines. Talk to your custodial staff to ensure safe recycling or proper disposal methods. For example, a teacher in Ohio found a box labeled “Asbestos Squares.” These need to be handled and disposed of by a professional.
5. Explore donation opportunities.
   Consider donating items that no longer fit your needs to other schools or art organizations. Angela, an art teacher from Florida, found over 40 hot glue guns buried in her closet. She was able to donate some to other teachers in her school. This allows you to support the artistic endeavors of others while also freeing up valuable space. Research local organizations or reach out to neighboring schools to find suitable recipients.

Make smart decisions about what to do with the items you find in your closet. In doing so, you ensure the closet becomes a curated space for creativity and organization for you and your students.

Unleash the Magic: Mastering Art Closet Organization

Creating a well-organized space for your art supplies is essential for a smooth workflow and easy access. For easy strategies to help organize your art closet or cabinets, start by watching the YouTube mini-series, Artfully Organized. Join Paula Liz as she tackles labeling, budget bins and caddies, storing art resources and supplies, and more!

Establish an inventory system to keep track of your art supplies. This does take a little legwork up front but it really helps to steward your supplies and budget well over time. It can be as simple as maintaining a spreadsheet or using inventory management apps. Note the quantity, condition, and location of each item. Add a product URL so that when it’s time to reorder, all you have to do is click the link and add it to your cart. Use a student assistant to regularly update the inventory. This allows you to know what you have and when it’s time to restock.

As an art teacher, you have a unique artistic perspective. Embrace it and let it shine through in your organizational approach. Think outside the box and find unconventional and personalized ways to arrange your supplies. Create custom dividers, use decorative boxes or baskets, and incorporate elements that reflect your artistic style. Repurpose and upcycle unused materials to add a touch of creativity. Even transform your closet into a mini gallery by showcasing examples of past art projects. Let your closet become a vibrant display of artistic achievements to remind you why you do what you do!

Get ready for an exciting journey into your closet’s depths, where organization and creativity intertwine! Unveil hidden treasures and decipher what unusual and new items are by snapping a photo for Google Lens or asking other art teachers. Determine the item’s fate: will you keep it, toss it, or donate it? Then, unleash your artistic magic, and add a personal touch. Use color-coded systems, artistic displays, and repurposed materials to create a captivating space where creativity thrives. Let your art teacher closet become a place that supports artmaking magic and allows art to take center stage!

What were the spookiest things you found in your closet or cabinet? 

Share a strategy that tamed the terror in your art closet.

The post Art Closets of Curiosities: Rare Mysteries and 4 Ways to Tame the Terror appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Let’s get out our magnifying glasses and take a closer look at eight common art room mysteries!

1. How is there STILL glitter everywhere?

You used glitter for a project two weeks ago and you thought you thoroughly swept up every speck. In spite of this, you’re still finding glitter on the floor, on the chairs, and even a piece or two on your face at the end of the day! You can vacuum the floors and wipe the tables, but there’s no answer to how it keeps coming back. Next time, try out these strategies for containing the glitter!

2. How long have I been walking around like this?

It’s the end of the day and you finally get a bathroom break! You look in the mirror, and to your horror, you see a streak of orange paint, a few specks of glitter in your hair, and dried clay on your pant leg! The mystery isn’t really how it all got there. The mystery is why no one bothered to tell you! You had lunch with coworkers, an after-school meeting, and your principal passed you in the hallway earlier. Not one person told you your clothes looked like a Jackson Pollock canvas!

Is it because you’re expected to wear art supplies as a part of your wardrobe when you’re the art teacher? Do coworkers and students want to save you from embarrassment by not pointing it out? Do they secretly have a bet going on about how many art supplies you can get on your face by the end of the day? I guess we’ll never know!

3. Who left the dirty palette and dead paintbrush in the sink?

Here’s a mystery no one wants to fess up to! There’s an ooey-gooey paint-filled palette in the sink. When you ask the class who left it there, they look at you with innocent eyes and claim, “It wasn’t me!” When threats of dusting for fingerprints don’t sway their claims of innocence, it might be time to wave the white flag and come up with a better sink management system.

4. What’s that smell?

Sometimes the smell goes beyond the general odor of middle schoolers after gym class. Every once in a while, you have to ask yourself if the body odor smell is getting worse or if something is rotting. Time to follow your nose to find the source of the mystery smell! When you find it, you may wish you never did. It could be rotting food shoved to the back of a shelf or expired tempera paint. It might be a job for a nose plug and some disposable gloves but your classroom will smell much better after you’ve solved this mystery!

5. Whose artwork is this?

Ah, the age-old no-name mystery! How many times will art teachers have to solve this one? If there was only one artwork without a name, we could easily do a process of elimination. But what if there are multiple no-namers? It’s time to put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and start analyzing! Will you solve the mystery with a handwriting or artistic style analysis? Will you resort to simply asking the class? The real mystery is when no one claims the artwork. Why is someone okay with a zero in the grade book when they did the project? Teachers may never solve this mystery!

6. Where did the art supplies go?

You started out the year with a beautifully organized and labeled classroom. Everything had a place, and everything was in place! You’re not alone if supplies slowly start to disappear. Did someone come in and take them when you weren’t there? Sometimes they reappear in different areas of the classroom and other times you decide they must have sprouted legs and walked out!

7. How is the glue disappearing so fast?

The jugs of glue you bought just a couple of months ago are emptying at an alarming rate. Why are students using up so much glue? You might solve the mystery by catching students as they spread layers of glue on their hands. While you can’t really blame students for giving in to the satisfaction of peeling dried glue from their hands, it’s not the best use of art supplies. What’s worse is when you find fresh glue sticks detached from their containers or left without caps on. It had so much life left but it was cut off prematurely! Who would do such a thing? Since none of the students admit to it, it must have been the art room ghost! While you’re hunting for the guilty ghost, give students some other creative ideas for using glue.

8. Who is stealing all of the artwork?

Students sometimes take one glance around the room, and if they can’t find their artwork, they claim it was stolen! You bite your tongue and refrain from saying their pieces wouldn’t be lost if they had simply put them where they are supposed to go. Instead, you turn to investigative mode! Where did they have it last? Did they put it on the drying rack? Did they stick it in the wrong portfolio? You can usually find the “stolen” artwork in a matter of minutes, much to the surprise of the students! If you need more tips on how to organize and manage classroom supplies, watch the Artfully Organized mini-series on YouTube.

Mysteries run rampant in the art room. Glitter and dirty palettes materialize out of thin air. Art supplies attach themselves to you without anyone (including yourself!) knowing how long they’ve been there. Inexplicable smells occasionally permeate the atmosphere. Glue, other art supplies, and artwork—vanish. As the art teacher, you’re tasked with solving these puzzles to keep the art studio clean, organized, and conducive to learning. Fortunately, the artmaking process has honed your critical thinking skills and these mysteries are no match for your deductions. A detective hat is one of many hats you have to wear as an art teacher and you wear it well!

What is your biggest art room mystery?

The post 8 Art Room Mysteries All Art Teachers Want to Solve appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Take your organization game to the next level and sort, discard, arrange, and store those resources!

For more clever ways to tackle the complex nature of art room organization, watch AOEU’s newest YouTube mini-series, Artfully Organized. Join Paula Liz as she brings together several art teachers to tackle labeling, table caddies, learning target walls, and more. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future videos!

Maybe you’ve seen the classroom poster, “Please excuse the mess, we’re learning!” We’ve all shoved resources in a pile instead of putting them back in the appropriate place. Teaching art comes with a ton of messy art supplies, mediums, artwork, and handouts. Art is often considered a right-brained field because creativity and imagination flow from this side of the brain. The left side of the brain helps order the creative chaos. Consider how you can merge both sides of your brain to be a powerhouse of creative organization! Organizing the resource chaos will allow you to pivot a lesson in an instant, decrease stress levels if you have to unexpectedly move classrooms, and set a guest teacher up for success.

Here’s a list of common teaching resources to consider:

• Handouts and worksheets
• Exemplars (two and three-dimensional; physical and digital)
• Art reproductions and posters
• Books
• Lesson plans
• Artist biographies
• Binders
• Vocabulary cards
• Websites and video links

Follow the short step-by-step guide below to begin organizing your resources.

As you go through this process, remember just that—it’s a process. It will take time and you will not get it done in one planning period or day. Tackle one pile or digital folder at a time. The steps below are a guide and starting point. As you dig into your resources, consider your needs and the needs of your students to determine what you should toss and how to organize what you keep.

Step 1: Embrace the mess.

Just like with any art project, things usually get messier before they get better! With that mindset, find a cluttered spot (any spot!), embrace the mess, and start! If you feel anxious as you look around at the clutter, savor the feeling and tuck it away. Pull that feeling back out when you’re at a museum about to grab a pamphlet to throw in your desk drawer—”just in case.”

Consider if you really need that freebie by asking yourself the following two questions:

1. What will I use this for this school year?
2. Where will I keep it?

Step 2: Decide if you will go physical, digital, or a combination of both.

There are perks to both physical and digital resources. Digital resources are much less cumbersome to take with you if you’re planning on moving rooms or switching schools. They’re also great if you are a traveling art teacher! Digital resources allow you and your students to work easily from home as long as there is access to the internet and technology. Physical resources give students a break from screens and provide them with something tactile to hold and inspect. Displayed resources decorate the studio walls and indirectly reinforce concepts and inspire new ideas. Watch the video of Marina Alfera below to learn how this traveling art teacher keeps her digital resources organized.

Who says you have to pick just one? You can do a combination of both physical and digital resources for the best of both worlds! If you decide to do a hybrid, a pro tip is to label your physical bins and folders the same way you label your digital ones. This consistency will make it easier to find what you need when you need it.

If you’re tired of sorting through physical resources and spending hours planning lessons aligned to standards, go the minimalist digital route with FLEX Curriculum! FLEX has searchable filters and editable PDFs, so you can kiss the papercuts goodbye. There are thousands of resources and everything is printable; if your substitute needs a paper copy, you’re all set. Search FLEX by Subject, Theme, Medium, Elements & Principles, Movement, and Connection (from other content areas.) If you’re interested in getting FLEX for your school, fill out this quick contact form.

Step 3: Assess storage spaces.

Once you know if you’re going the physical, digital, or combo route, assess the space you have. Take a quick mental inventory of your closets, cabinets, drawers, bins, boxes, portfolios, external hard drives, and cloud storage. You don’t need to go out and buy fancy flat files or plastic tubs. Check with your cafeteria, office, and maintenance staff for free cardboard boxes and paper boxes. These make great bins to store your resources in until you know you have a system that works well. Your space will do a good job of dictating how much to keep.

Then, reflect on the courses you teach and your teaching approach. For example, if you teach an art history course and you move through the curriculum chronologically, you may want to organize your resources by time period and art movement. If you spend a month on each time period, it may make sense to store the resources deeper in your closet. However, if you move through time periods fairly quickly, you may want to keep the resources more easily accessible, perhaps in a cabinet near your bulletin board. Let’s look at another example. If you post vocabulary words by unit for each individual grade level, keep labeled envelopes of pre-printed words for each unit in a drawer close to your word wall for easy access.

Step 4: Inventory, purge, and organize resources.

If you have the time and space to do all of your resources at once, it can be extremely helpful to see what you have. Dump everything on tables and start sorting by the courses you teach and your teaching approach. This is a good way to see how many multiples you have and the sheer quantity of resources you have for a particular artist, topic, or unit. Purge any extra items you don’t need, haven’t used or displayed in the past 3-5 years, or don’t have the physical storage space to keep. If it feels too wasteful to recycle, see if any other art teachers in your building or district want the items.

Doing all of your resources at once may not be feasible. Tackle small piles or bins, one at a time. Ten minutes here and there will add up quickly! If you organize one drawer or one digital file folder a week, by the end of the year, you’ll be well on your way.

Here are some tips as you take inventory and decide what to keep or toss:

• Handouts and Worksheets
  Keep one blank example to photocopy or print and one completed example as a reference.
• Project Exemplars
  These can be quite cumbersome especially if you’ve been collecting artworks for years and have a lot of three-dimensional pieces! Some artworks do not translate well through a photo, so physically keep only the best exemplars. Snap photos of the rest to share digitally. If you have space, it can also help to keep one set per lesson of artwork at each stage of the process.
• Posters
  If you’re short on flat file space, roll them up and secure the ends with paper clips. Label the back edge with the name and a small picture so you can quickly see what each one is without unrolling it.
• Books
  Many districts have virtual art textbooks. If you have stacks of old textbooks, ask your department chair or district art supervisor where to move them. For individual art books, keep the ones you reference each year. For the books you haven’t cracked open in 3-5 years, donate to your school library.
• Lesson Plans
  Most lesson plans are digitally stored. Whether you prefer old-school printouts or typed lessons, add the date and class/period you last taught the lesson to at the top to help with future planning.
• Artist Bios
  Print a copy of each artist bio and slide it into your folder or bin for the unit or lesson it’s a part of so you don’t forget! Find hundreds of detailed student-facing artist bios in FLEX Curriculum.
• Pamphlets, Postcards, and Miscellaneous Papers
  If you rediscover a resource, consider if you will use it this school year. If not, toss it! If yes, store it with the unit, lesson, or artist it fits with so you don’t forget about it again. Most information can be found on the internet, so it’s not a huge deal if you toss it and then realize you need it later.

Doesn’t it feel good to pare down and purge? Again, assess what you teach and your teaching approach. This will dictate the best way to organize the resources you will keep.

Here are some common ways to organize your resources:

• Topic
• Artist
• Time period/art movement
• Medium
• Grade level
• Elements & Principles

For example, if you decide to organize your resources by topic, you can have an Architecture bin. It can include the following resources:

• Blueprints of your school
• Grid paper
• Iggy Peck Architect book by Andrea Beaty
• Books and 3-D printed models of Egyptian pyramids
• Frank Lloyd Wright’s artist bio from FLEX Curriculum
• Books about Chinese pagoda buildings
• Posters of Greek column designs
• Lesson plans from the Exploring Architecture FLEX Collection
• Student exemplar of an upcycled sculpture of the Taj Mahal

Step 5: Label resources.

Once you have what you’re going to keep, it’s time to label them. It may seem pointless because you’re going to remember where everything is. This is probably true, however a guest teacher, the teacher after you, parent volunteers, student teachers, or student helpers will not!

Labeling also helps to keep your storage spaces tidy because everything will have a home. Labels do not need to be expensive either. Simply print large signs on copy paper and stick them on your boxes with masking tape. Sticky notes are great for color coding and labeling; use the same color sticky note per unit, grade level, etc. If you keep resources in multiple spots in your room, having a color-coded system can be helpful.

A great end-of-the-year job for responsible students is to make labels for your resources. Your bins get labeled and students learn about the content in each container, practice hand lettering and typography, and gain ownership of the art room.

Organizing all of your resources does not have to be done all at once! Take it slow and start by carving out 10 minutes a week from your planning period to organize resources. By the time the year ends, it will be finished! Organization that lasts is a marathon, not a sprint. Embrace the inevitable mess and dig into your pile (or mountain!) of resources. Follow the five steps above to keep you focused and make the process manageable. Once you get into the organizing groove, you’ll experience a shift in mindset. As you pass your next table of conference freebies, you may find yourself thinking, “Do I really need that? Where will I put it?” You will be well on your way to curating the best resources for your students and being a more efficient and less stressed art teacher. Get your organizing caps on—it’s time to sort it out!

How do you organize your art resources?

Describe your organization style in three words!

The post Organize Your Art Lesson Planning Resources Like An Expert appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Nothing quite says, “Pay attention!” like gigantic art materials! Compile and construct a collection of giant art supplies to make art class extra memorable.

1. Show an oversized ruler to introduce rules and expectations.

Make setting rules and expectations more exciting by incorporating a giant ruler. Challenge the whole class to put one hand on the ruler and repeat after you the rules, values, and expectations of the studio. To involve students in the process even more, separate them into groups. Each group will devise their own rules and expectations. Then, have each group hold the ruler while they present to the class.

Here’s how to make your own giant ruler:

Materials:

• 1”x 12” x 96” wood board of your choice
• Laminated giant ruler templates
• Wood stain 
• Pencil
• Oil-based black marker

Steps:

1. Cut out the giant ruler template pieces.
2. Lay the first template on the wood board and trace the lines with a pencil.
3. Repeat tracing with all the template pieces.
4. Stain the board.
5. Trace over your pencil marks with a black oil-based marker.

2. Bring out giant scissors to talk about safety procedures.

Demonstrate scissor safety with maximum impact. Your students’ eyes are bound to widen when they see you holding these! After you teach proper scissor safety, have a student practice in front of the class. Select wisely because this student volunteer will likely go on to become your “scissors police!” Purchase giant scissors from an online retailer or search local thrift shops.

3. Use extra jumbo crayons as a classroom reward system.

Implement a crayon reward system in your art room where students work together to meet and surpass expectations. Each class earns a set number of points for every period each month. Track the points and give out giant gold, silver, and bronze crayons as prizes for first, second, and third place. They get to keep their crayon trophies all month! Purchase your giant crayons from an online retailer or consider the DIY options below.

Here are three options to DIY a custom giant crayon:

1. Follow this guide to make crayons with pool noodles.
2. Use a 3D printer with this guide and crayon wraps.
3. Experiment with sewing to construct your crayons.

4. Provide easy access to daily supplies with a large pencil.

Set up your tables with giant hollow pencils to house frequently used supplies like… normal-sized pencils and erasers. Now your students have access to what they need when they sit down. They will enjoy dropping their supplies back in the big pencil at the end of class. Students can take turns being the pencil keeper, ensuring supplies are organized and put away properly. Make your giant pencils with pre-fab cardboard tubes like chip cans, paper towel rolls, wrapping paper tubes, or pool noodles.

5. Display a gigantic eraser to remember a growth mindset.

Encourage a growth mindset in your art room by using a giant eraser. The eraser is a visual reminder that it’s okay to make mistakes. Integrate a call and response cued by holding up the oversized eraser. You can say, “Big mistakes,” and your students can reply, “Makes big growth!” Follow this sequence whenever someone tries to tell you they can’t do something. Purchase your giant rainbow or big mistakes erasers from an online retailer or find them in your local craft store.

6. Demonstrate with a colossal watercolor palette to visualize color theory.

The nature of color theory is visual but you can also make it interactive with a jumbo watercolor palette. Stick your giant palette to a prominent classroom surface and use hook-and-loop fasteners to attach the color wells. Students can easily move them around to make different color combinations, such as warm or cool schemes.

Here’s how to make your giant watercolor palette and brush:

Palette Materials:

• White trifold posterboard, foam core, or paper
• 1 pack of self-adhesive hook-and-loop fasteners
• 6-9 heavy paper plates
• Acrylic paint
• Plaster or paper mache paste

Palette Steps:

1. Cut the foam core or paper into a large rectangular shape for the palette. Alternately, splice the trifold together with duct tape and cover it with plaster.
2. Paint each plate with one color of acrylic paint and let dry. 
3. Separate your hook-and-loop fasteners and place one on the back of each plate and one in each well. 

Brush Materials:

• 1 cheap mop
• Plaster or paper mache paste
• Aluminum foil or silver tape
• 1 paper or plastic cup
• 1 pool noodle 
• 1 can of black spray paint

Brush Steps:

1. Remove the mop head, cover it with plaster or paper mache, and shape it.
2. Set aside the mop to dry on a plastic surface.
3. When the mop is dry, spray paint it black.
4. Optional: Dip the “brush” tip in a paint color.
5. Cover the cup with aluminum foil or silver tape and push it down the mop stick for the ferrule.
6. Slide the mop stick into a pool noodle for the handle.

7. Upgrade your color wheel with massive paintbrushes.

A giant paintbrush wheel puts a fun twist on the traditional 2D color wheel. This makes for eye-catching decor and plays on novelty to work its way into students’ long-term memory. You can permanently display your jumbo paintbrushes or store them as props to segway into visualizing color in 3D. Follow this video tutorial to make alternative giant paint brushes from wooden oars.

8. Exhibit work with enormous rainbow paper clips for an art show parade.

Organize a quick and easy celebration of your artists with an art parade. Distribute these giant colorful paper clips to your students and have them select one artwork to fasten to their clip. Assemble the students in a line and parade past a pre-determined group of spectators. Purchase giant rainbow paper clips at this online retailer.

9. Highlight giant colored pencils for engineering connections.

Bring together the revolutionary fields of art, technology, and engineering with these giant colored pencils. Ask students what materials were involved and what they think the process was. Before you reveal the steps, issue a design challenge where students devise a plan to make an enormous art supply of their own.

Here’s how to make giant colored pencils:

Materials:

• 3D printer
• Oversized colored pencil guide
• 3” x 36”x.08” mailing tubes (2 per pencil)
• Acrylic paint
• Rolls of paper
• Epoxy glue
• Clear packing tape

Steps:

1. Follow the instructions in the oversized colored pencil guide to print the top and bottom of the colored pencil.
2. Dip the pencil point in paint and use the same color to paint a small circle centered on the bottom for the colored lead.
3. Set your 4” support 2” inside each mailing tube and secure it with epoxy glue.
4. Cut rectangles from the paper rolls to measure 6” x 80” and laminate them.
5. Wrap the laminated paper around each pencil and secure it with clear packing tape.
6. Pop the top and bottom on the pencil and adhere with epoxy glue, if needed.

Take it one step further and turn giant art supplies into your art show theme.

Keep the novelty of jumbo materials going all year and choose giant art supplies as your art show theme. Experiment with different mediums throughout the year in structured and unstructured projects. Scaffold your guidance to match each grade level but leave plenty of room for your students to take ownership. Finish the year with a huge display of oversized art items that not only scream, “We love art!” but showcase valuable artistic skills, mediums, and techniques. 

Giant art supplies help you win big in the art room. Taking an everyday item and making it extraordinary through a simple shift in scale can really engage your artists in their learning. Fashion a ruler to start your year with rules and expectations, set up a reward system with gigantic crayon prizes, or invest in a big eraser as a visual reminder to promote a growth mindset. Whether you purchase or make your giant art supplies, rest assured you will supersize both your students’ learning and their materials!

Which giant art supply will you add to your art room first?

Do you use novel and fun props when you teach art?

The post The Greatest Giant Art Supplies to Super Size Your Artists’ Learning Today appeared first on The Art of Education University.

If you don’t know where to start or you want to revamp your process and make things more efficient this year, the first thing is to assess your space and configure your room in a functional way. Take the ideas below and adapt them to what will work for you, your artists, your style, and your classroom.

Work in Progress

Work in progress (WIP) are projects students are in the middle of creating. The video below includes a great compilation of how to store in-progress works including two- and three-dimensional artworks and sketchbooks.

1. Folders and Portfolios

At the beginning of the year, have students make their own folders. These can be standard-sized or larger for DIY portfolios! Use a piece of manilla paper folded in half, old file folders, two pieces of cardboard, or even paper taped together. Label each folder with the student’s name, class period, and/or homeroom teacher. That way, if students forget to put names on their artwork but store them in their folders, you will still know whose they are! The folder can also double as a spot to store graded work, handouts, small collage pieces, and more. Watch the video below to see how Mariana VanDerMolen uses folders in her elementary art room.

2. Shelving with Boxes or Bins

Finding sturdy shelving is a must. Place a class set of artwork in individual boxes or bins to stay organized. Check out the copy room for empty paper boxes, groceries stores for larger heavy-duty cardboard boxes, and the dollar store for affordable plastic bins or paper trays. Depending on the dimensions of your boxes and bins, you can store two- or three-dimensional work this way.

A flat file storage system is ideal for large two-dimensional work. However, if you cannot get your hands on one and you are handy, you can make your own like in the tutorial video below.

Because many sculptures take up extra room and are hard to stack or consolidate, space is usually an issue. But do not let storage challenges deter you from bringing sculpture to your students! In a pinch, any empty cart, shelving, top of cabinets, or window sill will work.

Watch the video below to see how Keisha Casiano got amazing rolling storage racks from her PTA and local businesses.

3. Drying Racks, Window Sills, and Clotheslines

Storing wet work like paintings or sticky projects can get messy. Coordinating the timing of drying projects and swapping them out for the next class can be tricky, especially if you have back-to-back or multiple classes. This can get even more complicated if projects require extended drying time, such as overnight.

Having multiple drying racks is ideal. If you are storing multiple classes’ work on one rack, use masking tape to make “flags” and label where one class starts and ends. This way, you can easily keep class sets together and you don’t have to sort through piles of artwork the next day.

If drying racks are not an option, opt for a window sill or flat space that can handle the work for a day. If you have a large classroom, lay out some bulletin board paper or a disposable tablecloth and place the work on the floor to dry! A thrifty idea is to hang a clothesline in your classroom and use clothes pins to hang the work. Just be careful using this method with extra drippy projects!

Watch the video below to see how Andrea Wlodarcyzk reimagines her existing wire shelving to store two- and three-dimensional projects!

4. Sandwich Bags and Envelopes

Never underestimate the power of a sandwich bag or an envelope. They’re not just for storing PB&J sandwiches or mailing letters! Both store lots of small parts, cutouts, or pieces. Adhere the bag or envelope to the inside cover of a sketchbook or folder so it stays put to reuse all year. Baggies are also perfect to send small artwork home, such as pinch pots, and you can buy them in bulk!

Finished Work

Finished work is artwork students have completed. You probably have piles waiting for grades or graded work waiting for display space. You can showcase work in your classroom or school halls. Branch out and display work in your district office building, town hall, or public community spaces. Check out the video below for clever ways to exhibit finished artwork.

1. Cork Strips and Bulletin Boards

Cork strips are convenient because work can be quickly stapled or thumb-tacked in place. These are great to hang in smaller spaces, such as above lockers in main hallways.

Bulletin boards are the most common space to display two-dimensional work, salon-style. If you don’t have any in your classroom, you can DIY boards on a thrifty budget, like in the video below. Make it even more cost-effective and ditch the fancy frame in lieu of foam core backing.

2. Hanging Ladder and Clothesline

A fun and makeshift way to hang work on a cinderblock wall is by using a hanging ladder or clothesline. Rig one out of string and use clothespins or paper clips to hold the work in place. Watch the video below to see how Sarah Krajewski made a hanging ladder with free paint stir sticks. Or, string a clothesline in front of a window and hang double-sided work for twice the display space.

3. Display Case or Window Sill

For three-dimensional works, a display case is an ideal choice because it protects the work. Unfortunately, not every school has a display case or there are very few due to cost and space. Another great place to exhibit sculptural pieces is on top of the short bookshelves in the school or public library. Reinvent an old book or media cart for a display case on the go, like in the video below! Cover with colored bulletin board paper or give it a quick coat of spray paint. Place the work on the shelves and roll it into place.

Whether your students have work in progress or completed pieces, choose the best way to store and exhibit art that works for you, your artists, and your classroom. The good news is, there are so many options and they don’t all have to break the bank! Although it takes time and space, it is always worth the extra effort to display student work. It advocates for your program, gives the students a sense of pride and accomplishment, and beautifies the space it’s in. Get a headstart this school year—select some methods from the list above to implement now so all you have to do later is add a few clips and staples for a fabulous and professional-looking display!

What is your best hack for hanging artwork?

How do you handle work in progress in your classroom? 

The post 7 Nifty Ideas for Storing, Hanging, and Displaying Artwork appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Keep reading for genius options to reimagine both teacher examples and leftover student art!

To keep or not to keep? What are the pros and cons?

Many art teachers are proud to be the hoarders of the school. We tend to collect random objects because we might use them in the future. Many of us tend to look at leftover work and agonize over keeping it or throwing it away. Let’s emphasize this first: do what is best for your situation. If there is not enough room, don’t feel pressured to keep artwork. Or, if you have lots of room, don’t feel pressured to throw things away because you see someone else filling the trash can at the end of the year.

Here are three reasons to keep artwork:

1. Reduces waste.
   Throwing away artwork contributes to unnecessary waste. Find new ways to use the artwork to promote sustainability.
2. Records student and teacher growth.
   Save artwork over time to reflect on both your and your students’ progress.
3. Inspires and motivates in the future.
   Repurpose artwork as a teaching tool or display it in galleries to motivate students to continue exploring their artistic abilities. Sharing samples can also save valuable planning time for other art teachers in your building or district.

Here are three reasons not to keep student artwork:

1. Reclaims valuable space.
   Create more space in your classroom for supplies and other materials.
2. Protects student information and privacy.
   In some cases, artwork may contain personal information or sensitive material. It may be appropriate to dispose of the work.
3. Makes room for more relevant works.
   Some artwork may become outdated or lose its relevance over time. Get rid of the artwork to make room for fresh projects and ideas.

Let’s look at 24 ways to reuse teacher examples and left-behind student art from this past year!

Once again, the main goal is to do what works best at your school, in your classroom, and with your students. We will share creative ways to use and repurpose artwork below, but don’t feel boxed in by these ideas! Experiment and tweak as you see fit.

1. Decorate the school’s halls, classrooms, or library over the summer.
2. Donate the artwork to local hospitals, nursing homes, or community centers to brighten up the walls.
3. Hold an art sale or auction to raise funds for art supplies and equipment.
4. Gift artwork to family members, friends, mentors, or favorite teachers.
5. Store the artwork for future exhibitions or competitions.
6. Use the artwork as a resource for future lessons or projects.
7. Cut or tear the art to use in collages.
8. Post a digital archive or presentation on the school’s website and social media accounts.
9. Laminate the art for colorful and unique individual or whole table “messy mats.”
10. Collaborate with local businesses to showcase students’ work in public spaces.
11. Use the artwork as part of a traveling exhibit to share with other schools or community organizations.
12. Create a scrapbook of the students’ work to commemorate the school year.
13. Cut small strips out and laminate them to form custom bookmarks for your library.
14. Compose a permanent installation or mural on school grounds.
15. Organize a trade or exchange program with other art teachers to share ideas.
16. Offer the artwork as prizes or incentives for art contests or challenges.
17. Rip the art into pieces to use for colorful papier-mâché.
18. Cut the art into strips to make paper weavings.
19. Fold the pieces into cards, write encouraging notes in them, and drop them off at a local hospital or nursing home.
20. Include the art in an online art course or tutorial.
21. Roll the art into long “coils” and hot glue it onto a board to form a relief or wrap it to form a vessel.
22. Tear the artwork into pieces by color and blend them into paper pulp to create new paper.
23. Cut the artwork into long triangles and roll it into paper beads for jewelry making.
24. Add photos of the work to your professional teaching portfolio.

The end of the school year is a time to reflect on the artistic accomplishments of your students. Their artwork is a unique representation of their creativity and dedication. While it can be tempting to throw or pack it all away, there are many rewarding ways to give old artwork a new purpose. For instance, brighten up a community space, inspire future artists, gift the artwork, or pass it along as a prize. Consider the ideas above for your leftover student art to maximize what you have. Who knows? You may just find a new way to continue the creative process even after the school year ends.

Do you toss or keep artwork at the end of the year? 

How have you creatively reused leftover artwork at the end of the year?

The post 24 Genius Ways to Use Leftover Student Art at the End of the Year! appeared first on The Art of Education University.