New Book Alert: My Art Teacherin' Coloring Book IS HERE!

NEW BOOK ALERT!

I'm SO excited to share my new book: The Art Teacherin' Coloring (And Activity!) Book! 

I never realized just how much I loved drawing and doodling until I wrote my book Art Teacherin' 101. That book is sprinkled with drawings that helped me share my ideas about teaching art with you in a way that felt natural to me. 

I have also created numerous doodle banners for my students to color and paint in and you can check them out here.

I even created doodle rolls for YOUR students to color and paint on and you can buy them here (they are a steal for four HUGE banners!).

So when someone suggested I create a coloring book for art teachers...I thought it was such a great idea!

I printed the book on 70 lbs paper which means you can use markers, color pencils, crayons...and I've even been using my watercolor pencils! 

Some of the pages can be used to color and hang in your art room as either decor or...not so gentle reminders that the art room is not a supply closet (ahem...see below!)...

While other pages are meant for you to jot down funny things the kids say, ways for you to reconnect with your creativity, gratitude doodles and even jotting down your favorite art teacherin' songs. 

I wanted this book to be like a warm hug from a fellow art teacherin' friend. I do hope you love it as much as I did creating it!

For the record, I do think you are much more than OKAY...but this is your reminder that okay is fine too! I know I struggled a lot with having the perfect art room or amazing lessons...it's fine to let that go. Your creativity and rest is just as important! So...it's okay to be okay!

Ahem...said reminder!

Thanks for letting me share, friends! Have a happy summer!

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Dinosaur Week: Pop-Up Dino Eggs!

 Dinosaur Week is underway and yesterday we had so much fun creating these Pop-Up Dino Eggs! If you missed out, don't worry. Just grab these supplies and follow along with me!

 Here's the video!

Want to join the fun today? We'd love to have you. We're going on a Dino Dig! Here's what we're using:

You can join the LIVE art class on my Instagram, my Facebook or catch it afterward on my YouTube channel. New videos added all the time so be sure to subscribe!

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Art Teacherin' Extravaganza!

Hey, y'all! If you follow me on Instagram or you have signed up for my email newsletter, then you've heard the big news: I'm throwing an Art Teacherin' Extravaganza! I'll be sharing more details here but if you just wanna jump on board and reserve your spot, go ahead and do so here!

 I've been working on putting together this experience for the last couple of months although, to be honest, it's been on my mind for years! So often there are not professional development opportunities for art teachers or when we do have them, they don't offer what it is we really need and want: hands-on creating! Here's a little more:

But, really and truly, the real reason I created this extravaganza is that I want to see you. I want to spend time with you. I know in my bones...IN.MY.BONES...how lonely teaching art can be. I spent the first ten years of my teaching career carrying around that shadow of loneliness. I know I've chatted about it at length on my podcast which you can hear here:



Knowing of my experience with loneliness, I wanted to carve out a time for you and me this summer to spend time together, meet other like-minded folks, make new friends and, best of all, create! Here's where the extravaganza will be held:

Montgomery Bell State Park has so much to offer! There's canoeing, fishing, hiking, swimming, horseback riding and much more. This might just be a great little vacation for you and your family this summer. While you are hanging with me, they could explore the park and all that is has to offer. Not to mention that Nashville is just 45 minutes away and is a buzz with stuff to do! For those attending, I'll be creating a list of my favorite things to share with you soon so you can plan your trip!

The Inn at the park has a very limited amount of rooms set aside for attendees. However, there are a ton of hotels just five miles down the road in the town of Dickson. I included a list of those hotels here. I'd recommend getting in on Thursday night so you are ready for everything on Friday morning. I'm working on creating a Facebook group for attendees to chat with friends and meet potential roomies to lower the accommodation costs.

 

I tried my best to think of every question you may have but I am sure I've forgotten something. So feel free to drop me a line! You can email me at artteacherin101@gmail.com. Love to hear from you and, hopefully, see you real soon!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #203

Hello, favorite friends! I hope everyone had a super duper week! Mine was pretty good...got my school picture back! This would explain why the photographer said, "Well, if that's the face you wanna make." IT'S THE FACE I WAS BORN WITH, BUDDY! One only a mama could love. 

Monday! I'm wearing my new Keith Haring shirt from Uniqlo and a skirt from the thrift store!

This week wrapped up our second week of school. We watched our second video...this one titled Art Room Etiquette. I like to meter our my rules and routines to give the kids time to create and not be bombarded with information. After that quick video, we learned about SCISSOR SAFETY with my giant scissors I scored at the flea market!  

 This week I also busted out the Quiet Critters! It was kindergarten's second time in the art room...a perfect time to establish working quietly, staying in our seats and raising our hands. These lil fellas were certainly helpful!

 If you follow me on Instagram, than you know I scored a bunch of artsy shirts from Uniqlo. Their shop and website is full of them! My skirt is from Anthropologie.

We wrapped up our Getting to Know You Sculptures this week and while I love them...they are everywhere!

You can find out all the details on this super fun project here. It's been such a hit with my students and other art teachers. I so love it when y'all let me know that you are using a lesson of mine. Thank you! 

 This week also marked the introduction of two new things in the art room...my mike and my director's chair! Y'all don't even know how much this has made read alouds more fun. I LOVE reading to the kids while they work...this has been the perfect thing!

 In case you didn't know...I'm a bit of a Chuckhead. I counted...I have 11 pairs of Converse. I'm not proud. I just love them so. And these pride rainbow-bottomed ones just had to come to my art room. I mean, c'mon!

 Mission for next week: HANG ALL THESE SCULPTURES. Please pray for me. 

 One of my very favorite dresses because I love the print so stinkin' much! All the details here. 

Now that the sculptures are done, we are ready to move on to bigger and better things...which means supply prep! I spent my Friday afternoon trying to wrap my head around everything that I would need to have ready for the kids. Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted on what we'll be up to!

 Feet up Friday was lookin' SOUPer with these Chucks! 

 Friday! Top from Uniqlo and skirt from the flea market!

 Folks been asking me, "where you keepin' all those sculptures while the kids work on them?" ALL ALONG MY MILE LONG CABINETRY. It's insane! There are so many of them! I'm surrounded!

Friday afternoon, nearly every surface of mine looked like this. The kids managed to clean their tables so that part looked great! Meanwhile, over on my desk. Ah! Sorry of my life. I hope y'all have a great upcoming week!

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In the Art Room: Finding Your WHY

 Howdy, friends! I've been busily plugging away, getting my art room ready. My students will be here in just three short weeks...which I know sounds like plenty of time. However, I go back in two weeks (and two days, but who's counting? ME, THAT'S WHO) and have decided not to come in at all next week. That leaves just this week to get my room ready...and I decided to only allow myself two days. If you follow me on Instagram, you were able to see my progress. I drank two pots of coffee AND GOT SO MUCH DONE! Proper room tour to come...once I clear the hot mess off my counters (like, did an art supply store bomb go off over there or what?!)

 In case you didn't know, I've got a book club happenin' over on my IG and my FB pages. Every Wednesday evening, I've been going LIVE around 9:15pm CST to chat with y'all about The Wild Card, our current teacherin' read by Hope and Wade King. Recently, in the book, they mentioned finding your WHY...why do you teach? During our chat, we had the idea to each come up with our own WHY (if you don't know it already), put it in kid-friendly terms and make a work of art out of it! Here, lemme 'splain:

Clear as mud?

Easy enough, right?

Sound good? Great! Even if you can't join the fun, be sure and tag me, I'd love to know your WHY! It will surely inspire others. 

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Art Teacherin' 101, Episode 42:Grab and Go, Sketchin' Sticks!

 Hey, y'all! As apart of my mission to get my art teacherin' life together (the never-ending quest, I swear!), I'm trying to manage my Early Finishers. I've chatted many-a-time about my fast friends here and here. However, sometimes, sending my EFers off on a fun and far-away adventure can serve as a distraction to my Pokey Lil Puppies (aka HOW ARE YOU STILL WORKING ON THIS PROJECT WE STARTED IN SEPTEMBER?!). For that reason, I've decided that SOMETIMES, my EFers will work in their sketchbooks. And, instead of just assigning the usual "free draw", I decided to take a page from my friend Kaitlyn's book and create Grab -n- Go Sketchin' Sticks! Here's more:

I mean, after all, what do our kids need to do more? DRAW! What are they usually doing? PLAYIN' ON THEIR MAMA'S PHONE! My kids were thrilled to draw with these...it was like a novelty. I was like, y'all know you can draw anytime, right?!

 I just so happen to keep my Grab -n- Go's in a cute container but it's totes not necessary. This ole flower frog finally came in handy! It's from TAG but several years old...so if you really want one, check ebay.

Here are just a few of my drawing prompts. I made them double sided so the artists can pick their favorite idea. If you need more prompts, just google "drawing prompts" and you'll find a never-ending list of fun.

 With these sticks, my students have options. They can use my drawing books. I keep them as organized as I can in these color-coded bins. I spray painted the binding to further color code them. 

They can also use my still-life drawing objects like my wooden mannequins, plastic dinosaurs, 3-D forms and flower pots. I love the incorporation of the mannequin in this prompt!

Kids also know that they can add color with color pencils, markers, oil pastels and more. Whatever is available on the shelf is fair game. Thanks for letting me share, y'all!

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In the Art Room: Lesson for Evaluation!

Howdy, friends! I thought I'd share a lesson I recently did with my kiddos that I used during my evaluation. I THINK it was successful, as far as my eval goes, but I KNOW it was a hit with the kids. There are a lot of details to this lesson that I'm calling The 100 Color Challenge. So many details that I think it's best I 'splain it to you via video. Mostly cuz I'm too lazy to type up all dem word thingies. Here you go:

By the way, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT WALL BEHIND ME?! I mean, pretty sweet, right? If you follow me here, then you are familiar with the massive art room transformation I've been doing. I'll be certain to share more details soon! In the meantime, I'm so happy everyday that I have the privilege to teach in such a space. 

Okay, back to the lesson! I mention in the video that these students have just finished creating their paint tube sculptures. Here is what they did the previous art class:

They'll be painting their tubes next...but first, they had to come up with their own unique color, write out a recipe and give their color a name. BUT FIRST...they had to at least attempt the 100 Color Challenge!

 Here's why this lesson is great to use during your evaluations: it provides a pre/post assessment; it is cross-curricular in that you can mention science, literacy, math and creative writing. It's highly engaging and FUN! Not to mention, the kids learn so stinkin' much.

Now...I only had a couple of kids finish the challenge....and I don't plan on returning to this lesson. I feel like it would start to get stale and redundant. BUT...I do foresee it being a great way to introduce multiple media. After all, its the 100 Color Challenge...so perhaps next up will be watercolor, color pencil, pencil with a value scale to wrap up the 100 squares. 

 Their papers are so stinkin' pretty. 

 As were their palettes!

 I think this would be a GREAT teaching tool at the start of the year...or each time a new media was introduced. What a great reference sheet for the kids. I think this will have to be added to next year's sketchbooks. 

 My favorite part of this lesson was when the kids excitedly shared their color mixing recipes. This was a great opportunity for my principal to see the discovery and the interaction of my students. 

 I loved this lesson so much, I even sat down and worked on my own color mixing sheet!

I know I'm not the only one who has done this lesson...I'd love to hear from you and how you used this lesson in your art teacherin' world! 

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