Art Teacherin' 101: Episode 38

Winner of the Growth Mindset Coach Playbook announced at the end of this post! 

Because I'm a world renowned over-sharer, it may come as a surprise that there was a time, not that long ago, when I didn't blog, post videos, share on social media or present...anywhere. I honestly didn't think that what I had to say was important, valid, and/or worthy of being listened to. It wasn't until it was pointed out to me that I should share, that I had ideas, methods and projects that some might find useful, that I finally did. But only after years of folks gently coercing me to do so. If I could travel back in time and have a shoulder-shaking moment with myself, I would say, "just do it! And do it right now!" And I'm here today to deliver that same message to you, if you find yourself on the "should I? or shouldn't I?" fence. Here, let's chat:

Now that I've hopefully got you convinced that you are amazing, you have a voice and you have ideas that need to be shared with the universe, let's chat about some of the finer details:

* Where to Share? That's one that deserves serious thought...and is totally up to you, your time and your favorite means of communication. Are you a visual person? Try an Instagram account for your art teacherin' outlet. Love to chat and interact with other art educators? Twitter might be your jam. Facebook is kind of a combo of both and the most popular...therefore a great way to reach many parents and peers. Make videos for your classes? Consider sharing them on YouTube. Blogging, well, I'm not gonna lie, that one requres a lot of time and effort to reap the reach-of-desired-audience rewards. Be honest with yourself. Do what you know you will enjoy...because that is what you will stick with.

* Give It a Test Run. If you are going to start an Instagram account or dive right into blogging, might I recommend a test run. What I mean by that is this: keep your blog posts or social media accounts private for a pinch. Type up at least four blog posts; line up no fewer than a dozen IG posts and keep them private. Then step away from them for a few days. Did you enjoy typing up those blog posts? Is that something you think you'll enjoy doing on a continual basis? Great! Now you have four posts all lined up and ready to roll out. This will make it so you have some breathing room and don't feel like you have to crank out content and not enjoy the process. As for your social media, like Instagram, look at those images before making your account public. Do your images make sense together? Do they look like they belong with one another? Do they have your "mark", so to speak? It takes time to develop a "look". Be patient with yourself and pursue who you are. This will help you carve out your very own niche. 

* Beware of Being a Lookalike. When I first began blogging, it was way different than the blog you see here. Back in 2007, it was a blog created to sell my Etsy creations (many moons ago, I created ceramic belt buckles), not share my art teacherin' pursuits. I had no idea what I was doing. I had just read on some Etsy forum that if you wanted to sell your wares, you should have a blog. So I had a blog. With no direction, no look, no vibe, no clue. I turned to my favorite blogs for inspiration...which became gentle copying, shall we say. I tried to fit myself and my blog into a box that I thought others would enjoy. Needless to say, it felt unauthentic and I quickly dropped out of the blogging scene. Not until 2012 did the blog you see here come to life. It was at that point, I was ready to be myself and use my true voice. I threw the notion of what other folks might think out the window and just went for it. Staying true to my voice and my interests is what has made me a blogger for the last 5 years. Regardless of what social media path you take, follow your voice. If you feel something is off, if you feel untrue to you, stop. Change it. Be you.

After all, YOU have something to share! So YOU should do it. Present! Post! Do what suits you. Just know that you have something powerful to say. And we want to hear it.

Congratulations to...Kimberly Schultze! Kimberly, please email me at cassieart75@gmail.com so we can chat about getting The Growth Mindset Coach Playbook in your hands! 

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In the Art Room: NAEA in NYC 2017

Don't forget to join me LIVE tonight over Facebook at 8pm CST. We'll be chatting about the following: NAEA in NYC! I'll share when I'm presenting and would love to hear from other presenters and attendees. The topic of organization came up as well as clean up routines. So we'll have a mixed bag! My favorite kind of chats. See you soon!

I'm so excited for the NAEA in NYC next week! I'll be presenting three times and doing a fun little meet and greet with my fellow Art Scouts. If you are attending, I'd love hear from you. If you are presenting, please feel free to share your date and time in the comments so other folks can hear about it. Here's when I'll be presenting:

Friday, 3/3/2017, 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM

Elementary Fabulous, Fun Folk Art! Energize Your Students With Contemporary Folk Artists

Laura Lohmann, Cassie Stephens, Ginger Pacer, Jennifer Alvarado

Four art teachers collaboratively created thematic units based on folk art, exciting their elementary students to create fun works of art. Leave inspired to ignite your art program and your student‘s imaginations! Lecture Sheraton/Riverside Suite/3rd Floor

 
Saturday, 3/4/2017    12:00 PM - 12:25 PM

Creating Engaging Art Videos to Change the Way You Teach

Cassie Stephens

Social media has changed how our students absorb information. We need to follow suit. Learn to create video content that engages, educates and captures the imagination using an easy method with on hand.

Hilton/Concourse B/Lower Level

Saturday, 3/4/2017   2:00 PM - 2:50 PM

Advocacy Using Social Media to Advocate the Arts

Cassie Stephens, Laura Lohmann 

There are so many social media outlets available that it can be confusing for an art teacher. Learn how to navigate and utilize them to advocate the arts and your program, and connect with others worldwide. 

Lecture Sheraton/Gramercy/Lower Level

Immediately following Laura and I's presentation, the Art Scouts will be having a meet and greet. We'll be releasing our summer Art Scouts date for Tennessee. Even if you don't plan to attend our Scouts this summer, we'd still love to have the chance to grab a cup of coffee and chat with you. Link Cafe is at the Sheraton. Laura and I plan to leave straight from our session, join Ginger and Jennifer and meet with y'all then. We're so excited!

See you in NYC, friends!

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In the Art Room: Super Star Sub Plans and my NAEA Presentations

Hello, friends! I've been packing and preparing for my upcoming trip to Chicago for NAEA and I'm so excited. While I do love me some art teacherin' conferencing, I don't love the multi-day sub plan preppin' it entails. The subs I've lined up are super-fab and I know they will have fun creating with the kids. However, they aren't art teachers by trade so I do like to have sub plans that are not only easy for them to follow but ones they can do with all my classes. This means less confusion for them and less supply prep for me! I think I've come up with a plan and I thought I'd share it with y'all in case you wanna use it too.

It's an autobiographical three-dimensional star! Our school-wide art show is coming up and I love to have the kids do a little writing about themselves. What better way to let their star's shine than with this fun project? 

I mean, check out that three-dimensional star, y'all! I created both a sub video AND a photographed step-by-step. This way, if technology-town decides to be uncooperative, my sub-o can use the visuals. I'm printing each of the following photos with directions and plan to have them posted for both the students and the sub to refer to. But, before I get to all that...LET'S TALK ABOUT NAEA 2016! 

I'll be presenting a handful of times and meeting y'all at the AOE "Meet the Bloggers" event! Here are the deets...

* "Come Blog with Us - Three Art Ed Bloggers Share Tips" 
Thursday, March 17th // 12 - 12:50pm
McCormick Place, North Building, N426c, Level 4
A presentation I'll be doing with some of my fave bloggy friends, Laura Lohmann and Phyllis Brown! Thursday, March 17th // 12 - 12:50 // McCormick Place, North Building, N426c, Level 4

* "Dress Like a Masterpiece: Needle Felting Wearable Art!"
Thursday, March 17th // 1:30 - 3:20pm
McCormick Place, Lakeside Center, E272b, Leve 2
PLEASE NOTE: This is a ticketed event. It is currently sold out. Sorry, buddies! 

* "Leaving a Legacy Without Losing Your Mind"
Friday, March 18th // 8- 8:50am 
McCormick Place, North Building, N227a, Level 2
I'm so excited to present with Janine about something we are both passionate about: school-wide collaboratives! For some reason, NAEA has me listed as Cassandra Stephens (which, technically, is my name but I ain't fancy so I never use it!). 

* "Meet Your Fave Art Teacherin' Bloggers!"
I'm super excited to meet y'all and my fave art bloggers! Here are the deets in a super cute graphic that I didn't create (thanks, Alecia and AOE!)...

I'm seriously cannot wait to see/meet/chat/high five all y'all! But until then, let's sort out these subbie plans, shall we? Below is the video I am leaving with the sub. I don't anticipate that she'll get thru the entire lesson while I'm away. However, this will be a super great way for me to ease back into things, what with the kids all working on the same project. I like a mellow-comeback after being gone for a spell, don't you?

Here's a wee list of supplies used in this here art makerin':

* Copy paper cut to a square 8.5" X 8.5"
* Sharpies
* Markers
* 12" X 12" black construction paper
* Metallic markers 
* Glue
* Chalk

This project was inspired by my current obsession with Sly and the Family Stone and the song Everybody is a Star. Take a look-see!

And here's my sub plan video! (By the way, in case this sub plan doesn't suit your fancy, check this one. Also, I'm always sharing video'ed plans here so you might wanna subscribe). Sidenote: I am going to have my sub create a stockpile of these stars for my kindergarten friends and for any kids who have a hard time following the directions. We don't wanna leave any artist behind!

(Please ignore the crazy image...and the fact that I have blue chalk smeared on my cheek for about 1/8th of the video). In case the video isn't the best format for y'all, I also snapped step-by-step photos because I'm such a giver. Here you go!

1. Fold copy paper square in half. 

2. Be sure to press the fold down firmly. 

3. Each corner has been labeled (my apologies for the blurry photo). 

4. Take corner C and bring it to the middle of the line segment between corners A and D. 

It should look like this. Press the fold firmly. 

 5. Then bring D up and fold a small triangle. 

Press firmly.

 It should look like this!

 6. Now bring the left hand side over to the right. 

It might be difficult to fold all of those papers. Be patient with yourself and your paper!

 It should look like this. 

 7. Now, using a pencil, put a dot in the corner of the two angle lines on the left side...

and another dot on the other side just a little below the middle of that line segment. 

 Like this!

 8. Connect the dots with a cut line and...

Snip!

 9. Open it up and you are now the proud owner of a three dimensional star! Congratulations!

10. Now, using a Sharpie, start in the middle of your star and trace each creased line that you made with all of that folding. 

You'll end up with ten sections to your star. Each section you can decorate with a different pattern and design.

 Here are some ideas for you!

 11. Draw your designs in each section. 

12. Use markers to add color. 

13. Once you are finished, place your star in the middle of a piece of black paper and trace it. 

 Your pencil lines will be barely visible and that's perfect!

14. Let's write about what makes us a star! As you write, be sure to hop over the outline of the star. You might want to begin each sentence with "I am a star because..."

 Fill up that whole page!

15. To get your star to pop out, all you have to do is fold along the long lines of the star. 

The long lines of the star should be folded up (that's called a mountain fold) and the short lines of the star should be folded down (that's called a valley fold!). 

16. Add a tiny dot of glue to each tip of the star. 

17. Press each tip of the star and hold for about 10 seconds to get it to stick. 

18. Use chalk to color on your pencil line of the star. 

 Which should look a little like this when you are done. 

19. Use your finger to push the chalk away from the star. 

20. Let's do the same thing to the outside edge of the square! Color... 

Then smear and viola! You are finished and YOU are a STAR!

Art teacherin' friends, I do hope to see y'all real soon! PLEASE feel free to use this lesson. I'd love to see what your kids create. You can always snap a pic and share it on instagram (you can find me here) with the hashtag #everybodyisastar. 

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