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.

• • 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. 

• 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.

• • 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.

• • 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. 

• • 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.

• • 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.

• • 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.

• 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.

• • 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! 

• • 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?