Art Made Easy

Art Made Easy episodes:

• 05.10.2023

  Clean Up Strategies & Routines for the Art Room: AME 132

  It's 5 minutes before the end of art class, the room is a mess. Some kids are finishing up their projects, others are not. The clock is ticking and you know what comes next... clean up time. What do you do...

  
• 08.16.2022

  Strategies for the First Day of Art Class: AME 063

  Whether you are a brand new teacher preparing for your first art class or an experienced art teacher looking to change things up, knowing what to do on the first day of school can be challenging. We all have questions:...

  
• 06.14.2022

  10 Tips to Make the Most out of Your Summer: AME 095

  Which statement rings true for you: summer is too short OR summer is long enough? If you're like most of us, you probably feel as though it is way too short. By the time you’re back in the classroom in August...

  
• 03.18.2020

  How to Cultivate Creative Thinkers at Home: AME 153

  The Coronavirus is certainly shaking things up. It's early on in the cycle of school closures, social distancing and home-based learning and people are just plain confused. Folks deal with these types of events differently. There is a tremendous amount of...

  
• 03.11.2020

  Your Communication Plan (and Why it’s Never Too Late to Create One): AME 152

  Do you struggle to find the right response when parents complain about your cancellation policy, how you're grading children in art class, or why your art looks the way it does? You're not alone. One of the biggest challenges for many art...

  
• 03.04.2020

  The Secret Benefits of Make-Up Art Days: AME 151

  As art teachers we have BIG goals for our art programs. Extensive year-long themes and curriculums require many class sessions to complete. And the more classes a project requires, the more likely it is that kids will fall behind. And...

  
• 02.26.2020

  5 Unconventional Ways to Connect with your Students: AME 150

  Do you sometimes feel that there is a spark missing from your art room? Maybe your students are acting bored, apathetic or disruptive? Don't throw out your behavior management plan just yet. All you might need is a change in how...

  
• 02.19.2020

  How to Embrace Your Role as a Non-Credentialed Art Teacher: AME 149

  Are you a credentialed art teacher? Or are you teaching art without an art related degree? I'm curious because this topic has been a HOT one in our Facebook groups. And truthfully, if I get hate mail at all, it's usually because...

  
• 02.12.2020

  How to Prepare for a School Art Show: AME 148

  Hosting an art show is undeniably the best way to celebrate your student's year long efforts in art education. But the logistics of an art show can be overwhelming. Whether you're excited to put this together (or expected to) it's always...

  
• 02.05.2020

  Nailing Your Art Demo: AME 147

  When you demonstrate a project, your goal is to communicate the process in a way that connects to the students. A demo lays out the steps, so each student can fully understand the steps and complete the lesson. The question is...

  
• 01.29.2020

  The Art of Slowing Things Down: AME 146

  I read so many comments from teachers in our Facebook Groups expressing how their students behavior has changed. Some teachers feel like kids aren’t able to work on the same project for extended periods of time — even as little...

  
• 01.22.2020

  The 5 Stages of Art Teacher Growth: AME 145

  When I was getting started as an art teacher, I was excited. But, I didn't really know what I was doing. I had little to no experience - a few sessions in my kid's classroom crafting quilt squares, but no...

  
• 01.15.2020

  How to Think Your Way to a Happy New Year: AME 144

  My word of the year for 2020 is: clarity. For most of us, January is all about change: being a healthier, happier version of yourself. But that isn't always the case. We don't have to radically reinvent ourselves in order to...

  
• 12.18.2019

  What Do We Mean When We Talk About Cookie-Cutter Art: AME 143

  In all of my years of teaching, there is one thing that has lead me to scratch my head literally every single time I hear this phrase... and that's "cookie-cutter art". It really drives me nuts. It used to send me into...

  
• 12.11.2019

  The 3 Things that Hold Teachers Back from Loving Their Job: AME 142

  Being successful as an art teacher means more than teaching kids how to draw or paint. It means getting kids to listen and sit and follow directions so that they have the capacity to learn to draw and paint. It isn't...

  
• 08.07.2019

  The Secret Benefits of Reading Aloud to your Children: AME 141

  Janey Strong is the photographer, writer, mother and early literacy advocate behind Darling Readers. Her passion is finding unique ways to encourage parents read to their children - and children are never too young or old! Janey shares strategies on what...

  
• 07.31.2019

  How to Engage and Connect with Children with Emotional Disabilities: AME 140

  Patty chats with Gold Star Sparkler, Jennifer Ford Pace, who was recently named Teacher of the Year in her community of Henrico, Virginia. It’s a dive deep conversation on how Jennifer engages with her emotionally disabled students.  If low attention spans, below...

  
• 07.24.2019

  How to Grow a Customer Base for Your Art Studio with Meri Cherry: AME 139

  Do you have a studio based art business? If so, my conversation with Meri Cherry will be a game-changer for you. She doesn’t just offer strategies on filling your classes or how to decide what art to create--she goes much,...

  
• 07.17.2019

  How to Approach Teaching Art with a Calm Mind: AME 138

  Kristin is a full-time public school art teacher who is passionate about living a balanced and mindful life. She’s been practicing yoga, mindfulness, and meditation since 2007, and has been teaching it since 2014. Growing up and moving around a...

  
• 07.10.2019

  How One Art Teacher Copes with Anxiety & Depression: AME 137

  Felicia Merrick is a veteran classroom teacher of 22 years before becoming an art teacher. It’s a position she feels embodies all that she loves: creativity and children. But a series of devastating losses lead to a debilitating battle with anxiety and...

  
• 07.03.2019

  Finding Your Voice as an Art Teacher with Cassie Stephens: AME 136

  Cassie Stephens joins Patty for the second time on Art Made Easy. And this time, we’re pulling back the colorful curtain and diving into why she wanted to write a second book, why starting a podcast feels right, and why...

  
• 06.26.2019

  Ways to Make Art a Priority in Your Family with Jean Van’t Hul: AME 135

  Do you ever wonder how the art moms on social media actually get their kids to create art? The photos are beautiful, the kids are engaged, and the materials beg to be used. What’s their secret sauce? Most likely, they’ve been...

  
• 06.19.2019

  Adopting a Growth Mindset as an Art Teacher: AME 134

  Of the many daily challenges art teachers face, adopting a growth mindset may not be at the top of your list. Emily Gould, known as @sierramadres on Instagram, is a K-12 art teacher who has done it all. Throughout her years...

  
• 06.12.2019

  How to Engage Students with Limited English Through Community Connections: AME 133

  Do you have students who speak limited English? Teaching art in a community with language barriers is a ripe opportunity for engagement and connection. You might just need to approach teaching differently. Today's guest, classroom teacher Hannah Coggins, teaches 1st and 2nd...

  
• 04.17.2019

  Becoming an Art Educator After Raising a Family: AME 131

  Eva Marie Kirby from Tennessee dreamt of being an art educator since graduating college, but marriage and raising a family put her dreams on hold. Fast forward twenty years, Eva Marie steps into the art room and finds herself in charge...

  
• 04.10.2019

  How the Enneagram Broke Me Wide Open: AME 130

  I love listening to podcasts and over the past few years, mentions of the Enneagram personality test has popped up over and over again. Last Fall, I decided to explore it further and happened upon a podcast interviewing Ian Cron. I...

  
• 04.03.2019

  How to Rock Your First Year Teaching Art: AME 129

  The field of art education is often overlooked as a viable career in most school counseling offices. Many college students aren't even aware that the profession exists. Today's guest, Kelsi Quicksall declared Communications as her major until a quiet suggestion...

  
• 03.27.2019

  How to Use Mantras to Create Connection & Consistency with Your Students: AME 128

  Do you have a mantra? Something you say out loud before every class? I sort of did. My mantra of every child is somebody's baby was something I thought about before the students poked their heads inside the art room. But it...

  
• 03.20.2019

  Budget Friendly Ways to Cover Art Tables: AME 127

  One of the small details that often gets overlooked in the art room is whether or not to cover your art tables during art class. You might be wondering: What type of placemats work best? Should the whole table be covered...

  
• 03.13.2019

  4 Lessons I Learned About Classroom Management from Years of Subbing: AME 126

  Are your students coming to class attentive, respectful and ready to learn? Or do you spend most of your time battling challenging students? No one wants to admit that there are days - maybe weeks - when the students wear you...

  
• 03.06.2019

  What it Takes to Become Teacher of the Year: AME 125

  Do you ever wonder what it takes to become teacher of the year? According to today’s guest, Barbara Hua, it wasn’t about having amazing art skills or years of experience — she had little of both. Instead it was something...

  
• 02.27.2019

  The Creative Habit: Our First Book Club Pick! AME 124

  I’m diving deep into how to cultivate your creativity with daily practice and awareness by following the exercise in Twyla Tharp’s book The Creative Habit…our first book in the DSS book club! This book isn’t what you think it is. It’s not...

  
• 02.20.2019

  Creating a Community Connection in your Art Class: AME 123

  How would you describe the vibe in your art room? What do you focus on? Art? Classroom management? Colorful decor? Today's guest, Rona Wilcox from New Zealand, claims that her focus is community. And she maintains that the strong community...

  
• 02.13.2019

  Tips on Running an After-School Program: AME 122

  Have you ever wanted to start an after school program? Today's guest, Pamela Saunders from Washington, D.C. was motivated to teach art when her children entered elementary school. Like many school districts, art was not offered, so Pamela took it...

  
• 02.06.2019

  How One Art Teacher Overcame Debilitating Challenges to Achieve Her Dream: AME 121

  Have you ever considered what it must feel like to be overweight? Most of us can understand how it feels to be 20 pounds over-weight and even underweight, but weight on a grander scale - like 100 lbs. might be...

  
• 01.30.2019

  My Mini Burnout and How I Plan to Recover: AME 120

  It's the end of January and while many of you are well on your way to integrating new year's resolutions into your life, I feel like I'm lagging. Two months of family, work and holiday bustle has left me worn...

  
• 12.12.2018

  The Surprising Benefits of Asking for Help: AME 119

  Do you suffer from chronic overwhelm syndrome? Or as I like to say, do you know how to ask for help? If you’re like most women, the thought of placing a burden on someone else is downright unthinkable. Or, you may...

  
• 12.05.2018

  Dealing with Disrespectful Students: AME 118

  Do you deal with disrespectful students and general low engagement in the art room? If you just raised your hand, you are not alone. There has been a flurry of advice-seekers in our Facebook group recently that are struggling with...

  
• 11.28.2018

  The Importance of Cultivating a Community: AME 117

  Do you have an art degree? What about a teaching credential? I'm always surprised at how many of us have found our dream job of teaching art to kids by tapping into our creativity and allowing our intuition to lead...

  
• 11.21.2018

  The 5 Step Framework That Will Transform Your Art Room: AME 116

  Are you looking for ways to cultivate creativity, choice and personal expression in your art room? Today's guest, Kat Clarke shares the five questions she asks her students as they work through an art project. If you need an injection...

  
• 11.14.2018

  The Inside Scoop on Running a Full-Time Art Studio: AME 115

  Many art teachers dream of running their own art studio. The freedom, the creativity and the chance to impact children on a deeper level appeals to many of us. Maureen Marks, a member of our Sparklers Club, shares how she...

  
• 11.07.2018

  Behind The Sparkly Curtain: AME 114

  While I've been asked a hundred times, I rarely go out of my way to talk about it. Mostly, I'm afraid of the unwanted attention it would create. Or the feeling that I was abandoning my art teacher identity or...

  
• 10.31.2018

  How One Art Teacher Raises Funds with Art Auctions: AME 113

  Krista Hilmen is a former high school English teacher turned art teacher at her children's charter school. Learn how Krista raises funds for her art program through a successful art auction. She shares what the most popular projects are, how...

  
• 10.24.2018

  The 6 Stages of the Creative Path with Nicholas Wilton: AME 112

  Do you dream of the day when you can spend all your time sipping tea and working on your art? For most of us, it’s a long-term goal and one in which Nicholas Wilton is far to familiar with. Nicholas...

  
• 10.17.2018

  Turn Your Art Room into Your Dream Art Space: AME 111

  Need a little art room make-over? Yvette Ackerman is passionate about making her art room feel like home. By using warm, textural elements and a strategy for student inspiration, Yvette's art room is a dreamy example of what's possible. Yvette...

  
• 10.10.2018

  Draw, Paint, Sparkle Book Chat – Why I Don’t Use Pencils in the Art Room: AME 110

  Today on AME, I’m continuing with my series: The Draw, Paint, Sparkle Book Chat, where I read sections of my new book and give you extra insight to how my teaching philosophy has worked throughout the years and how it...

  
• 10.03.2018

  From Dance Instructor to Art Teacher: AME 109

  Are you a relatively new art teacher who’s trying to figure it all out? Guest teacher, Tamara Evans shares her how she gets her students to help with prep and clean up. And it’s pretty easy! Tamara Thomas Evans, teaches K-8th...

  
• 09.26.2018

  Do You Feel Like A Machine? AME 108

  Do you have enough time to prep? Are you able to enjoy your job? When do you sit and breathe? I teach over 850 students at my school. There is little time built into my day to lesson plan, grade, hang/take...

  
• 09.12.2018

  Draw, Paint, Sparkle Book Chat – How to Host Art Sessions in Your Home: AME 107

  Today on AME, I'm continuing with my new series: The Draw, Paint, Sparkle Book Chat, where I read sections of my new book and give you extra insight to how my teaching philosophy has worked throughout the years and how...

  
• 09.05.2018

  Draw, Paint, Sparkle Book Chat – All About Directed Drawing: AME 106

  Today on AME, I starting a brand new series: The Draw, Paint, Sparkle Book Chat, where I read sections of my book and give you extra insight to how my teaching philosophy has worked throughout the years and how it...