Art Ed Radio

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?

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.

• • 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.

• • 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!

• • 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