Art Ed Radio

Tim had the chance to sit down with author and illustrator Mike Venezia, whose "Getting to Know" series of books are in art rooms around the world. Mike has a great understanding of--and appreciation for--art teachers, and what we do on an everyday basis. This appreciation led to a meaningful and inspirational conversation. Listen as Tim asks Mike about Inspiration and education in art, and how he turned it into a career (3:00), his beginning as an author and illustrator (6:15), and his working methodology when creativity strikes (15:30).

If you want to hear even more from Mike, he will be one of the featured speakers at Art Ed Now, the 2017 Winter Online Conference for Art Teachers. Check out the entire lineup of presenters and register today!

• Check out Mike's website, which features a great bio and all of his work!
• Take a look at this awesome review of Mike's series of books!
• Here are a couple more ideas from AOE to make Art History engaging and enjoyable:
  • https://www.theartofed.com/2017/01/05/surefire-way-make-art-history-less-boring/
  • https://www.theartofed.com/2012/07/31/5-easy-ways-to-add-more-art-history-to-your-curriculum/

It's time for the First Day of School, version 2.0! Whether you had an amazing first semester or an incredibly difficult one, this is your chance to start new. You have a chance to look at classroom management, curriculum, organization, routines, and everything in between. This is also your chance to recharge and redo what isn't working. Andrew asks Tim about his best classroom management advice (8:00), mistakes to avoid (11:15), and how to go above and beyond with your projects in the second semester (16:00). The guys finish the show with a conversation on enlisting your kids to help things run smoothly.

• Tim gave a shout out to Janine Campbell and this episode of Art Ed Radio
• Tim's favorite article on classroom management
• 3 Steps to Fix a Failing Routine
• Some advice on how to teach a new routine

No matter how good you are as a teacher, you undoubtedly are going to have a handful of kids who just don't care. So how do you start trying to get them passionate about making art? How can you create a challenging, engaging environment where students enjoy learning? Andrew and Tim talk about pushing students by tapping into their interests (9:00), building student confidence (12:30), and how to get kids past their apathy without doing the work for them (19:15).

• How to Get Your Apathetic Middle Schoolers Invested in Art
• 5 Strategies for Working With Students Who Hate Art
• 5 Innovative Ideas for Maximum Motivation
• 3 Ways to Motivate Students on Tough Days

For too many art teachers, assessment remains a difficult concept. It's tough to know what's going to work, how it can be implemented, and how it can be incorporated to actually help improve teaching. In this episode, Tim takes on some of these concerns and shares his ideas on making assessment valuable. Heather Crocket, the Educational Director at The Art of Ed, joins the show for a conversation on how assessments can actually affect your classroom (10:00), the best formative and summative assessments for the art room (13:15), and why assessment is so difficult for art teachers (17:45). Most importantly, Heather offers some very specific advice on what we can do as art teachers to take on assessment and make it work for us.

• A Sample SLO for Art Teachers
• 3 Simple Tricks for Tracking Student Growth
• 20 Quick Formative Assessments You Can Use Today
• AOE's Assessment in Art Education Course

Notorious hoarder Andrew McCormick starts the show by sharing some of his thoughts and theories on the amazing things his students can do with the piles of junk lying around his classroom. Tim tries to convince Andrew that it's okay to get rid of some stuff, and Andrew agrees that he might be willing to do so . . . eventually. The guys talk about their favorite places to pick up free supplies (5:30), Andrew's joy when he received comic books and blenders (11:15), and how to turn those donations into some amazing projects (14:00). This episode is filled to the brim with ideas and inspiration--give it a listen now!

• Rethinking the Materials We Use in the Art Room
• 7 Tips to Ensure You Get the Donations You Actually Want
• When Your Art Room Becomes a Dumping Ground
• Budget Like A Boss!

Let's face it--the life of an art teacher is anything but simple. We have to know so much and do so many things on an everyday basis, it can get overwhelming very quickly. Tim and Andrew use this episode to share some of their favorite hacks for the art room--each of which can help make life easier in your classroom. It's worth listening as the guys discuss their best painting hacks (6:00), keeping kids engaged and working (13:45), and teaching students to take on responsibilities to help you as a teacher (20:00).

Teaching Three Projects at Once Keeping Clay Organized Teaching Painting Routines Getting Yourself Organized to Reduce Your Stress

Being able to think creatively is a vitally important skill to every area in education, and of course, art teachers do it best. Art is the vehicle for training students' brains to be passionate about learning, creativity, and leadership. Andrew brings on an important outside voice, business leader Mike Wagner, to discuss arts and the ability to create innovative leaders for the future. Listen for their discussion on embracing divergent thinking (6:00), the meaning of innovation (12:30), and most importantly, how to advocate for the arts and creativity (17:00).

• Mike's TEDx talk--The Positive Power of Being Strange
• How to Teach for Creativity
• Thinking About Design Process Thinking
• Take a look at AOE's Project Based Learning course

The Project Doctors have returned! Back by popular demand, Andrew, and former AOE writer, Alecia Kaczmarek, team up with Tim to answer mailbag questions on classroom management, teaching different media, and even how to make writing in your classroom interesting and exciting. Listen for their open and honest discussion on why you need to keep your cool in tough situations (2:45), the importance of writing in your classroom--and how to make it interesting (14:30), and learning to love projects you can't stand teaching (21:00).

Resources and Links:

Inexpensive Sculpture Ideas Andrew's article on writing about art Tim's favorite writing activity Simple Watercolor Techniques

Special needs students are an absolute joy to teach, but it can undoubtedly be a struggle at times. Andrew brings on AOE writer and friend of the podcast Abby Schukei to talk about the best ways--and best reasons--to make accommodations for all of your different students. They discuss why teachers are so poorly prepared to differentiate our instruction (3:45), specific strategies to find success with students with special needs (9:30), and the difference between inclusivity in your standard curriculum and a curriculum specifically written for an adaptive art class (15:00).

• Resources and Links: Here is Abby's article that Andrew mentioned in the opening
• 3 Ways to Better Work with Teaching Aides in the Art Room
• 5 Adaptations You Can Make for the Art Room TODAY!

What exactly can you get away with in your art room? Tim and Andrew dish about the dangerous things they've done in their classroom, and why taking risks can lead to better learning and even more artistic results. The guys discuss safety, supervision, and the importance of pre-teaching when you use these materials (7:45). They also address when to take risks and when to play it safe (12:00), as well as balancing the benefits of dangerous artworks vs. the drawbacks that come with risk-taking (14:00).

• Luke Nielsen's video that Tim mentioned on Painting with Fire
• How to Throw Things at Your Students (And Get Away With It!)
• A Guide to Hazardous Materials in the Art Room
• Creating Space for Risk