Art Ed Radio

We all know art teachers need to actively look for ways to promote our programs. We have to show off all the great things we’re doing or we run the risk of being easy to cut when budgets get tight. A great way to advocate for your program and reach students and the community at large is by adopting social media in your classroom. In this episode, Andrew brings on his good friend and teaching soulmate, Ashley Cardamone, to discuss ways you can leverage the power of social media to best promote your art program. Andrew and Ashley go over some practical tips and tricks for choosing the social media platform that’s right for you and your classroom (8:15). They discuss possible pros and cons to using social media during the day (13:00), and finally, some time-saving tips and best practices to make sure sharing doesn’t become too time-consuming in class (14:30). Resources and Links: Teach Your Students to Use Art as a Tool for Social Advocacy The Art of Creating Digital Citizens 5 Instagram Hashtags to Use in the

We do so many superfluous things as art teachers--what can we get rid of? Tim and Andrew talk about the best ways to turn down requests when necessary and to focus on what we need to do to be great teachers. They discuss dealing with the politics of your building (8:15), focusing on your passions in teaching (11:15), and the best way to deal when you NEED to say yes (14:30).   Resources and Links: Andrew's Article on Saying No Avoiding the 'Disease to Please' How to Say No to Taking on More Work

What do you do on the first day of class with your students? Why not start creating? Rules, procedures, and expectations are undoubtedly important, but so is making art! Janine Campbell, one of the best middle school teachers around, joins Tim to talk about the ins and outs of starting your year the right way. They talk about why Janine breaks out clay on the first day of school (5:00), why we need to avoid the "sit and get" syllabus (9:30), and why it's always important to try something new (16:30).  Resources and Links: More Ideas for the First Day of School Check Out Janine's Blog on First Day Activities

Why would we want our students to think like artists when they could think like designers instead? Andrew talks about how to get students into this mode of thought by incorporating more design thinking and design curriculum in the art room. Kathryn Rulien-Baries, from the Wisconsin Visioneers program, joins Andrew to discuss modifications and alterations teachers can do right now to be more design inclusive. They talk about what makes design curriculum unique (6:45), art-making with a purpose (11:00), and whether art teachers are the most qualified to embrace design thinking (13:15). Resources and Links: What happens when kids engage in design thinking? Check out the Visioneer Design Challenge

Tim and Andrew take on a question that every teacher struggles with: how important are the Elements of Art and Principles of Design? AOE writer and choice-based education guru, Melissa Purtee, joins the guys to discuss the "E"s & "P"s. They debate whether getting away from the formal focus on the elements affects the quality of students' work (14:00), how to run critiques (17:00), and the essential ideas that should guide our program (20:30).  

Is procrastination an important part of the creative process, or is it simply laziness and avoidance? If it's integral, how do we show students deadlines and time management are important while also allowing students the time to incubate ideas? If it's not important, how do we help students deal with the down time they need to come up with their best ideas? Andrew opens the show by making a great case for why creative personalities need the chance to procrastinate, but then Tim comes on the show to tell him why he's wrong (10:00). The guys also talk about what procrastination looks like in the art room (12:30) and the best strategies for finding a balance between both sides of the argument (19:30). Resources and Links: On the Benefits of Procrastination: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/opinion/sunday/why-i-taught-myself-to-procrastinate.html?_r=0 Procrastination Makes You More Creative: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/opinion/sunday/why-i-taught-myself-to-procrastinate.html?_r=0 No Way, They Were Totally

"Craft" is a contentious word in many art rooms and art programs. Craftsmanship is an important part of what art teachers do, but "craft" is also synonymous with googly eyes and pom-poms. Many parents and members of the community have a negative association with “crafts", so how do we accurately depict what we do while also letting it be known that craftsmanship is important? Tim comes on the show, and the guys talk about the difference between art and craft (8:30), Andrew's problem with craft-based curricula (10:30), and how to turn crafty materials into a viable form of creative expression (16:00). Resources and Links: A great article (and discussion) about art vs. craft A good 5 minute TED lesson that explains the difference Moving beyond Art vs. Craft Why Preschool crafts are a waste of time

AP Studio Art is tough to get a handle on. Questions abound about the best types of work to submit, portfolio scoring, and the role of teachers in helping students develop their concepts and their work. It's time for us to unlock those secrets and start sharing our best ideas on how to teach this class. Jeanne Bjork, a longtime AP Studio Art teacher from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, joins Tim to compare notes on the structure of their AP classes. They talk about building community to start the year (05:45), their best projects and when to teach them (08:15), and what makes for a good portfolio that will score well with the College Board judges (17:30). Resources and Links: The article Tim promised at the end of the episode is here--every AP Studio Art resource you could ever want. Tim has written a few articles on teaching AP. His favorite is called Is Teaching AP Studio Art Really Worth It? Jeanne has an incredible website for her art room that you can see right here.  

If we want to offer up choice and student voice in the classroom--which just about everyone agrees we should do--how do we deal with ideas that might need to be censored? Andrew talks about how to know when students are pushing the envelope too far, and how to deal with the issue when they do (4:00). Ian Sands comes on to talk about how student choice affects expression (10:30), what he allows in his classroom (14:45), and what compromises you should be willing to make (20:00).   Resources and Links: Here are two great articles by Ian, and two more that deal with how we deal with censoring artwork. https://www.theartofed.com/2015/04/27/what-happens-when-your-students-work-is-censored/ https://www.theartofed.com/2014/09/02/when-if-ever-is-it-ok-to-draw-a-gun/ https://www.theartofed.com/2016/04/19/april-naked-vs-nude-discussion/ https://www.theartofed.com/2013/09/20/to-censor-or-not-to-censor/ If you'd like to see more from Ian Sands, check out his old articles or visit his website.

Summer offers great opportunities and possibilities to better ourselves as people, artists, and educators. This episode is the perfect tool to help you decide exactly what you are going to do this summer. Holly Bess Kincaid joins the show to talk about her Fulbright-Hays Seminar which allowed her to spend last summer in China. She talks about experiencing educational culture in China (3:00), seeing art from throughout China's history (4:30) and sharing cultural understanding with her own students (5:30). Alecia Eggers also stops by to share her six tips for making the most of your time off (9:15). So what will you do? Learn new media or techniques? Take classes? Spend time with your family? Recharge and relax? Listen to this episode, make a plan, and get the most out of these two months--no matter what you choose to do. Resources and Links: Here are some of AOE's favorite articles about summer: 12 Signs You’re Ready For Summer Vacation 10 Ways to Get Summer Break Started Off on the Right Foot 5 Ways to Get

Contemporary pop artist, Romero Britto, comes on the show to talk to Tim about his life and his work. Britto is known around the world for his colorful, bold, and optimistic artworks drawing inspiration from the joys of everyday life. He believes in art as an agent of positive change, and he and Tim discuss why this positive approach is so important. Britto also talks about his upbringing in Brazil (4:00), his biggest influences (11:15), a day in the life of an artist (15:00), and what he has coming next in his career (17:00). Resources and Links: Take a moment to look at Romero Britto’s website and read a more in-depth biography. If you are interested in hearing more from Britto, make sure you register for Art Ed Now, where he will be a featured presenter! Here are a few articles from AOE to keep that positivity going! Spreading Positivity One Sticky Note at a Time 5 Powerful Tips to Stay Perfectly Positive at Work Positivity Notes

Do art teachers need to be artists? Absolutely! We don't need to be creating work at the highest level, pursuing gallery shows every month, and constantly chasing sales. We do, however, need to be creating in some fashion; the habit of consistently creating artwork makes us better, more engaging teachers. Andrea Slusarski returns to the show as she and Tim talk about making time to make art (8:00), the higher standard to which art teachers are held (11:30), and how being an artist helps inform our teaching (15:45). Resources and Links: Check out Andrea's Instagram page and her website. Read some great AOE articles about making art: https://www.theartofed.com/2014/12/22/making-time-for-making-art/ https://www.theartofed.com/2015/01/06/should-teachers-make-art-during-class/ https://www.theartofed.com/2013/12/06/how-art-teachers-make-time-to-create-art/ https://www.theartofed.com/2015/09/23/how-to-make-art-no-matter-how-busy-you-are/ 3 of Andrea's favorite art-related sites: www.vistaprint.com (A great/affor

Art teachers everywhere can identify with the "penny-pinching blues." It seems every year art budgets are cut. Teachers have to beg, borrow, and get really creative to ensure students have enough quality supplies to last the year. In this episode, Andrew brings up broad strategies for advocating for (and using!) your budget while Tim shares some great classroom hacks to help teachers get the biggest bang for their buck. Listen up and learn how to budget like a boss! Andrew and Tim share some practical tips and tricks for stretching that art budget (14:15). These tips are especially relevant to new teachers or teachers transferring to a new building, Next, Tim and Andrew discuss some common mistakes in budgeting and ordering supplies (19:00). Finally, the guys go out on a limb to discuss how budgeting like a boss can actually add legitimacy to an art program as an advocacy piece (26:00). Resources and Links: 5 Tips to Stretch Your Art Room Budget  Get Art Supplies for Free With This Simple Tip

We've all had projects that have flopped, but how do we transition out of that failure into something meaningful? Andrew joins Tim on the show as they discuss the need to figure out how to make those failures relevant. They also talk about salvaging learning experiences for our students when things aren’t running as smoothly as we had hoped. Tim provides tips on using reflection and discussion as a learning experience (3:00). Andrew shares his ideas about what causes our projects to fail (7:00) and why he purposefully designs projects that force students to struggle (11:45). This episode has great suggestions for trying new projects in your classroom, saving lessons that go awry, and even using those lessons to teach our kids about failure. Resources and Links: https://www.theartofed.com/2013/06/20/when-to-toss-a-project/ https://www.theartofed.com/2013/02/28/cut-your-losses-when-art-projects-flop/ https://www.theartofed.com/2015/02/24/should-art-students-be-allowed-to-ditch-projects/ http://blogs.edweek.org

In this episode, Andrew brings up a topic that we all agree happens on a daily basis: student immaturity. It's a topic we don’t always feel comfortable sharing as somehow confessing this is an admission of classroom management failure. If creativity is the currency of art teachers, immaturity is the currency of our students. Be it fart jokes, sexual innuendo, or “that’s what she said” remarks, students revel in immaturity. Teachers deal with these antics in their own ways. Some see them as inevitable and harmless little quips that can lighten the class mood or build rapport. Others see them as a huge distraction that can completely derail your class and undermine everything you’re trying to do as a teacher. Andrew and Tim begin by sharing some memorable stories of how student immaturity reared it’s head in their classrooms. You won't want to miss the epic fart story that Andrew tells (7:45)! They then discuss tips and tricks to deal with or circumvent immature and offensive behavior (11:30). And finally comin

In this episode, Andrew shines a light on a pretty serious and worrying thought… the death of art education. While this may seem a bit melodramatic, there are serious shifts underway that are undermining and changing the status quo of art education. Right off the bat, Andrew brings on special guest Danny Gregory whose blog post, “Let’s Get Rid of Art Education in Schools,” had the art teaching world all worked up. Love it or hate it, the article brings up some interesting points and got Andrew and fellow Art Ed Radio podcast host, Tim Bogatz, thinking about the current reality of art education (7:30). Tim and Andrew discuss advocacy strategies and how art teachers can take a stance in the face of shifting paradigms to champion our programs, whether these programs are more traditional or new and more inclusive to the world outside art (13:50). Resources and Links: Let’s Get Rid of Art Education in Schools San Diego Unified Looks to Move Beyond Art for Art’s Sake How to Revamp Curriculum to Meet the National V

In this episode, Andrew will shed some light on new acronyms from the art ed world including STEM, STEAM, and PBL. He'll share how to start incorporating these teaching philosophies into your classroom in order to get your students thinking like designers. He'll even talk about why having the STEM vs. STEAM debate isn't worth your time. Joining Andrew will be his longtime friend and colleague, Ryan McInry. Ryan is a fellow Iowa art educator and a bonafide STEAM expert. Andrew and Ryan discuss the unifying threads of STEM, STEAM, PBL and art and why these new paradigms don’t have to be a source of fear or confusion for art teachers (16:00). They also talk about how STEAM and PBL can lead art teachers to collaborate with other teachers in the building (21:00). Finally, Ryan and Andrew discuss how art teachers can be leaders when schools start adopting a STEAM or PBL approach (24:00 ). Resources and Links: How to Keep the Integrity of Art in STEAM Why Art Teachers are the Leaders of the Future A Case for Hoardi

Art clubs always start out with a sense of excitement and passion, but that feeling rarely continues all the way until June. How do we keep our students interested and our art clubs productive throughout the school year? Tim and Andrew get together for a great discussion on these topics, offering some specific takeaways that can keep your art club going strong. The guys talk about new ideas for scheduling your activities and keeping the excitement going (8:00), Andrew shares his ideas about letting students use catapults to launch pianos across the room (11:00), and they both talk about why it’s a good idea to let students take the initiative (14:30). Tim closes the show by sharing his 3 tips to keep your art club not only surviving, but thriving. Resources and Links: More tips from AOE on successful art clubs: https://www.theartofed.com/2012/11/12/5-steps-to-making-your-art-club-a-success/ https://www.theartofed.com/2013/03/12/trade-in-your-art-club-for-saturday-school/ Ideas for incredible projects: http

A classroom where every student is intrinsically motivated is an art teacher's dream, but it's rarely a reality. In this episode, Tim brings back AOE writer Abby Schukei to continue their discussion from Episode 002 on how to best motivate our students. This time, they are also joined by art teaching superstar Nic Hahn, author of the blog Mini Matisse. The three discuss how we can teach students to value their work (12:30), whether students have the ability to develop intrinsic motivation (15:30), and how to work with students that don't like art (17:00). The show raises important questions to help all art teachers reflect on what they do for their students and why. Resources and Links: 3 Ways to Motivate Your Students on Tough Days 4 Innovative Ways to Display Your Students' Work

Too often, art teachers rely on the canons of art history when introducing the subject to their students. This episode is here to tell you there's a better way! Tim shares some of his best resources and reasons for teaching contemporary artists (listen for a cameo from the great Don Masse). Andrew comes on the show and he and Tim discuss their favorite contemporary artists (4:00), what art history looks like in their classrooms (8:30), and why we need to get away from those dead white guys (17:00). Tim closes the show by talking about the power of contemporary art to help develop thoughtful, inquisitive, and engaged students in your classroom.