Art Ed Radio

When Tim and Amanda put out the call for mailbag questions last week, an overwhelming majority were about simple lessons or one-day lessons to help get through the end of the year.  So in this episode from the archives, Tim shares some ideas for simple one-day lessons that can fill the inevitable gaps when needed. Listen as he talks about how quick lessons can engage students, how you can make those lessons worthwhile, and why it's okay to step back and take a breath every once in a while.  Resources and Links 7 Lessons For When You're In A Pinch Read more about art challenges Jennifer Sell's post on water droplets Check out the Creating Art Outside PRO Pack

In the May Mailbag episode, Tim and Amanda answer a wide range of listener questions, from wrapping up the school year to prepping for next year, handling difficult coworkers, and even navigating retirement. Amanda shares exciting updates about The Art of Ed Community, including Teacher Appreciation giveaways and a special Art Club Live event on May 8th. The duo also chats about Impact Week, their personal gardening adventures, and tips for end-of-year activities, from messy projects and outdoor art to room clean-up strategies. The episode wraps with a fun speed round of listener questions, offering quick ideas and helpful resources for art shows, paint distribution, clay projects without a kiln, and more. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Ask The Experts: Painting and 13 Palette Ideas 40 End of Year Cleanup Jobs for Students Art Show Secrets The Perfect One-Day Lesson Air Dry Clay Ideas and Podcasts

Kyle Wood returns to the show today to talk with Tim about some of their favorite lesser-known artists in art history, and share ideas on why we need to move beyond the traditional art historical canon. Ranging from Abstract Expressionism to Surrealism, Impressionism to Cubism, they pass right by the Picassos and Pollocks and talk about Janet Sobel, Remedios Varo, Charuvi Agrawal, and so many more artists that can expand your students' views on art history. They finish the show by discussing how a more representative set of artists in your curriculum can lead to understanding, engagement, and empowerment for your students. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Listen to Who Arted? and Fun Facts Daily from Kyle Art Ed Radio Ep. 009: No More Dead White Guys! 6 Contemporary Artists Storytelling, Art History, and Student Engagement

Community manager Jen Leban joins Tim today to talk about the importance of spring cleaning and the Art of Ed Community challenges that have helped teachers get their rooms in order. Their discussion highlights the importance of decluttering supplies, tells a few stories of bizarre items found in classrooms, and stresses the balance between being resourceful and hoarding. They urge everyone to start small—even five minutes a week—to create a more organized, functional space in the art room. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Art Room Makeover View the community discussion on strange discoveries Tips and Tricks to Match Your Organization Style

Author and psychologist Sheila Sharpe joins the show to talk with Tim about her new book, Artist, Lover, Forger, Thief. After sharing some early career stories from her time in the classroom, Sheila talks about her painting career and her time as a psychologist. She then tells how those experiences informed the book, delving into art forgery stories, the growing problem of art crime globally, and her goal of weaving an entertaining thriller while also educating readers about this shadowy side of the art world. Resources and Links Find Artist, Lover, Forger, Thief on Amazon Read reviews of the book on Booktopia See Sheila's website Find Sheila on Instagram

Better late than never, Amanda and Tim are back with the April mailbag! They begin with a discussion on their trip to NAEA and interacting with the art teacher community. And maybe a little garden talk because spring is here? They then get into a conversation on how we help kids accept being told no, a discussion on shifting jobs, and follow that with advice on putting together a curriculum and dealing with different expectations when it comes to which artworks are appropriate in your classroom. Full episode transcript below. Resources and Links Be part of the Community discussion on Accepting 'No' 3 Considerations When Taking a New Job Listen to last month's mailbag with a discussion about spiraling curriculum What Do New Teachers Need to Know About Curriculum? Join the Art of Ed Community

Andrea Slusarski returns to the show today to talk with Tim about creativity, pop culture, and making connections in the classroom! They begin with a discussion on how pop culture and visual culture can be used to connect with students in the art room, and how pop culture can inspire our creative endeavors. Listen as they talk about ideas on how to connect when we don't understand our students' cultural interests, the touchstones that we share across generations, and how what kids are seeing every day can lead to deeper discussions about art and art history. Resources and Links Challenges to Foster Creativity Cultivating Creativity in Our Students Listen to Slu on being a teaching artist Join the Art of Ed Community

In today's episode from the archives, Tim is joined by educator Yunga Webb to talk about her role and efforts at the North Country School in upstate New York to help students find their place and belonging through the power of the arts. Listen as they discuss the programs at her school, the activities she does to foster belonging in her classrooms, and the work we can all do to create a community and a space that offers belonging for all of our students.  Resources and Links Take a look at the North Country School A Simple Way to Increase Student Engagement Learn more about AOEU's NOW Conference  

Continuing on with the Youth Art Month discussions, Tim invites the stars of AOE's Art Show Secrets on the podcast to share some of those secrets and their ideas for putting together a successful show. First, Jenn Russell talks about how to feature more students' work, as well as how to make your art show more interactive. Then, Sarah Krajewski talks about her prep work, her strategies for engagement, and how students can help run the show. Both interviews share ideas on how to highlight your students' art, advocate for your program, and help your community be part of the show. Resources and Links Watch Art Show Secrets on YouTube Get Ready to Wow: Tips for Your Art Show Secrets to an Epic Art Show Listen to Lindsey Moss and Sarah discuss Drive-Thru Art Shows Hear Jenn talk about how she teaches drawing Join the Art of Ed Community

In this episode from the archives, Dr. Theresa Haugen, curriculum specialist and associate professor at AOEU, joins Tim to discuss the importance of advocacy in art education. Listen as their conversation covers how we can make our programs visible, the connections we can build within our school and our community, and how advocacy can benefit both students and teachers. They also spend time talking about The Center for the Advancement of Art Education (CAAE) and give advice for finding resources that can help make advocacy an ongoing habit. Resources and Links Take the 2025 State of Art Education Survey See the 2024 survey results and listen to the podcast Tim mentioned See more about the Center for the Advancement of Art Education (CAAE) Read the Visual Arts Advantage report More Advocacy Resources from AOEU

Amanda is back for the March mailbag today! As always, she and Tim take listener questions and share some of their best advice. The show starts with an introduction to Tim's dog rating scale and a story about Amanda's prolific baking experiences (for an art show, of course!). They discuss helping students in creative ways, moving classes outside, dealing with parents, and then close the show with a long discussion on curriculum.  Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Check out the Art Ed NOW Conference Read the Community discussion on misophonia Try this podcast (or this one!) about making art outdoors Amanda's scholarly research on curriculum Check out Curriculum PRO Packs Explore FLEX Curricula See the Designing Your Art Curriculum graduate course

Tim talks today about the joy of trying something new, and the importance of continued exploration of unique mediums and materials for us as art teachers. He also gives suggestions for several ideas for new art-making processes to explore, including alcohol inks, gel printing, cyanotypes, encaustic painting, and needle felting, and the show notes connect with resources that can help teachers dive into each of those processes. He closes the show with the idea that trying new things, even in small ways, can transform your artmaking environment and help with student engagement and problem-solving. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Caitlyn Thompson on Experimenting with Alcohol Inks 5 Remarkable Gel Printing Techniques Teaching with Cyanotypes Getting Started with Encaustics PRO Pack Discovering Felting FLEX Collection Everyday Art Room Podcasts about Needle Felting (Part 1 and Part 2)

After watching the Lisa Frank: Glitter and Greed docuseries, Abby and Amanda join Tim to break down all 4 episodes and reminisce about Lisa Frank. Listen as they discuss their experiences with Lisa Frank, their thoughts on what was revealed in the show, and the nostalgia they have for art room experiences and supplies. Resources and Links Watch Lisa Frank: Glitter and Greed on Prime Video Jezebel.com: Inside the Rainbow Gulag Follow Abby and Amanda on Instagram Join the discussion on the Art of Ed Community

In today's episode from the archives, Tim welcomes art teacher Stephanie Zeiler for a wide-ranging conversation. They begin by discussing visual journals and how they can make journals more engaging and more meaningful for students. They then talk about creating a welcoming classroom community, how we help kids find what they love, and how we can find joy in our teaching careers. Resources and Links Creating a Welcoming Environment Visual Journaling, Artmaking, and Creativity Listen to Tim's interview with Michael Bell

Amanda Heyn joined Tim in Chicago to record this mailbag episode as they were preparing for the NOW Conference. As always, they take listener questions and share some of their best advice. Tim starts with stories about his favorite custodian before the conversation moves to how we can help our students experiment and how we can deal with all of the requests that come our way. Finally, they wrap up with some advice on the best (and most colorful!) shoes when you are teaching art on your feet all day. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Art Lessons Inspired by Jim Dine Top 5 Hearts from the Tate Museum Art of Ed Community: The Best Shoes for Art Teachers Are you ready for the next NOW Conference in August?

With the 2025 Winter NOW Conference happening THIS WEEK, Janet Taylor joins Tim to talk about the highlights of the upcoming event.  This includes their excitement about everything coming the next 3 days, the wonderful keynote presentation from Carrie Mae Weems, and how teachers can make the most of their professional learning on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Join us at the NOW Conference January 31st, February 1st, and February 2nd, where we will share three days of PD that will have you inspired and excited for the rest of the school year!  Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Find everything you need to know about the NOW Conference Listen to Tim's interview with presenter Abby Houston What Do You Want From Your Art Teacher Community?

Abby Houston (@abbypainterart) joins Tim today to talk about education, artmaking, and the joy of creating within a community. After discussing the beginning of her career as a teacher and art therapist, the conversation moves on to the value of a sketchbook practice and how she stays consistent with her artmaking routine. She also talks about her upcoming presentation at the NOW Conference, gives advice on how teachers can find time for artmaking, and plays a round of This or That: Sketchbook Edition. Resources and Links Follow Abby on Instagram Join the Art of Ed Community Find everything you need to know about the NOW Conference What Do You Want From Your Art Teacher Community? Balancing Teaching and Artmaking

Joel Scholten joins Tim today to talk about making connections and building community among art teachers. After discussing the upcoming NOW Conference, Joel shares his experience creating artmaking presentations for the conference, his experiences with a large social media following on Instagram, and how connecting can make us all more successful as teachers. Resources and Links Follow Joel on Instagram Join the Art of Ed Community Find everything you need to know about the NOW Conference What Do You Want From Your Art Teacher Community? Finding Your Art Teacher Community

We are rolling into the new year with the January mailbag, and Amanda Heyn is back with Tim to answer listener questions and offer advice. They begin with a discussion on holiday gifts from students (or the lack thereof), then move on to a conversation on how to implement reward systems for positive behaviors. Finally, they wrap up with some talk about observations, how to deal positively with administrators, and the best ways to make sure students actually write their names on their artworks! Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community The Benefits and Challenges of AI How to Teach Responsible AI Use in the Art Room Using AI for Planning and Assessment How AI is Changing Photography, and How to Embrace it in the Art Room  

As we approach winter break, Tim takes the opportunity to discuss the different types of art teachers and how they approach their time away from teaching. He asks the question--what type of winter break art teacher are you? An Overachiever, a Relaxation Specialist, or a Creative? He says teachers may exhibit a mix of these traits, and asks you to reflect on which type you identify with or which type you may want to be. He closes the show with book recommendations for relaxation specialists and creatives, as well as insights into how famous artists may approach their winter breaks. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Creative Exercises and Prompts Mindfulness Ideas from AOEU The Art of Doing Nothing Art Before Breakfast