There are exactly one trillion fancy, cute and colorful ways to manage your art room. I love them all but cannot for the life of me maintain any of them. Instead, I got one little thing that's cheap and easy (like me in high school) that works fabulously to redirect, remind and reteach my students. I'm sharing what it is with you today and all the reasons I use it and love it. 

Lookie, here y'all. When those sweet little artists disregard your rules and routines, the very ones you've established to help you create this beautiful masterpiece of an art room for said sweet little artists, then it's time to talk consequences. They don't have to be big or scary. They aren't mean. They are a necessity in the art room to maintain a creative environment for your students. Today I'll be sharing my three little consequences that I introduce on the very first day. 

Okay, so that title is a bit misleading as there are MANY reasons as to why our students might be misbehaving in our class. But I have managed to whittle it down to my top four. Our students might be misbehaving and disregarding our rules and routines because they are feeling a lack of something in our art room. What could our amazing art room possibly be lacking? I've got four things...but you'll have to take a listen to find out what they are and how you can remedy the situation. 

My second book, Stitch and String Lab for Kids comes out on July 23rd! I'm so excited about it. I've learned many things on my book writing journey...and one of them is that many folks have the desire to write a book too. I know it was on my bucket list in 2007! I'm spilling the beans with you all today, sharing my honest journey into book writing adventureland. It may not be all that you dreamed it is. I know it certainly wasn't for me! 

For years I just borrowed rules from other art teachers and classroom teachers without giving much thought to what I wanted mine to be. Rules are the broad brush strokes of the art room masterpiece you are trying to create for your students. What should they be? This is another podcast that might require you to pull out a sheet of paper and work. Think about your vision for your art room...and cultivate your rules from there. Let's go!

ROUTINES, y'all! In my art room, my routines are the key to my sanity. In this episode, I'll share some nightmarish stories from my first year teaching where I thought RULES were where it's at. Did you know there's a difference between Rules and Routines? I didn't! I learned real fast that rules are the broad brush strokes of the masterpiece of an art class you are trying to create while your ROUTINES are the finer details. They are truly what will bring the vision you have of your art room for you and your students to life. In this episode I'll be sharing my acronym for remembering my first day routines: W.E.L.C.O.M.E. 

I spent year and I do mean YEARS discovering this answer to this secret...and I am excited to share it with you. Mostly because I don't want you to lose years from your art teacherin' and art makerin' career not knowing what I know to be true. Take a listen...and spread the word. THE SECRET IT OUT, Y'ALL!

This is my first ever MAKE AND TAKE kind of podcast! I encourage you to grab some a sheet of paper, some markers and pull up a chair. We are going to be working our way through some very serious questions that will hopefully help you discover your WHY. Why do YOU teach? What do you want your students to LEARN, DO and KNOW! I think you'll learn so much about yourself in this episode...and just in time to head back to your classrooms in a matter of weeks. I hope you'll join me and I'd love to see what you create. 

Since being on Season 3, Episode 3 of the Netflix show Nailed It!, I've gotten a ton of questions. What was it like? How was I chosen? Is Wes really as hot in person as he is on the show? (DUH. YES.) I decided to wrangle all of these questions up and do my best to answer them in this here podcast. There is a big take-away that I do want to stress...JUST SAY YES. Yes! to what scares you but intrigues you. Yes! to opportunities that you might never have again. In the end, it may not take you any closer to achieving your goals...but it just might allow you to learn a couple things about your awesome self. Have fun listening! 

Discovering who you are as a person is a lifelong journey, I think. Discovering who you are as an art teacher is similarly difficult. In this episode, we're gonna chat about all the things that make up your art teacherin' DNA and define you, and ONLY you, as the art teacher you are. It's a rough road and it's not for everyone but YOU'VE.GOT.THIS.