Wrecked by Art with Cindy Ingram

Imagine that you’ve never experienced a whole lot of grief before. Then something devastating happens to you and leads to something beautiful. It happened to my guest today, Beryl Young. I’ve known her for several years, ever since I first started Art Class Curator at a blogger conference. Before working with teachers and schools on photography curriculum, she taught kindergarteners and 1st graders for 10 years. Listen as she shares the powerful story of how she started her photography business and how it’s evolved.

2:54​ - The painful incident that triggered Beryl's transition from photography hobbyist to entrepreneur

9:29 - How Beryl taught herself photography and what inspired her to create her first class

13:21 - How the pandemic served as a huge catalyst for Beryl to shift her business

21:04 - An overview of Beryl’s approach to the teentography curriculum

26:16 - Why Beryl focuses on making photography as accessible as possible

31:37 - Beryl discusses her teentography and kidtography kits

36:01 - The platform that changed Beryl’s life

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/76

Art as a defensive weapon? It seems strange, but Pablo Picasso demonstrated its power in his painting Guernica. I’ve brought Jennifer Easterling back onto the show for another art conversation, and this time we discuss Picasso’s famous artwork. Both of us had strong gut reactions to it, so in this episode we talk about what it’s taught us and its importance in history.

1:47​ - Jenn recalls her reaction when she first laid eyes on Guernica 

6:02 - I discuss my unexpected emotional experience seeing it in person 

9:10 - Painting a picture of what this Picasso artwork looks like 

14:20 - The diabolical history behind why Picasso created this painting

18:21 - Why we had such a strong reaction to seeing Guernica in person

21:48 - How the pandemic impacted Jenn’s connection with the artwork

25:18 - Legacy of the Jewish woman who secretly taught art to children in a concentration camp

33:06 - What I kept seeing in my mind when I went to view the painting

37:26 - Picasso’s ultimatum and Guernica’s lengthy journey from Paris to Spain

42:22 - Picasso’s view on symbolism in art

44:51 - Discussing the symbolism we see in his painting

48:08 - A difference I noticed in his drawings versus the final painting

54:08 - Picasso’s experimentation with the drawings

56:40 - How our husbands reacted to Guernica

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/75

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Does the idea of writing a grant proposal intimidate you? Barbara Lardner is an art teacher who’s taught in multiple grade levels throughout elementary, middle, and high school for over 25 years. She also happens to be an expert at grant writing for the classroom. So in this episode, I’ve invited her on to share her experiences, tips, and best practices for how you can write a great grant proposal.

2:56​ - How Barbara was granted a trip to Paris

5:14 - Different types of grants offered and where to begin your search

8:54 - Crucial tips, steps, and goals to begin the grant writing proposal process

14:49 - One thing you might need (and shouldn’t put off) when writing your proposal

18:47 - Examples of vagueness, specificity, and clarity in proposal writing

22:49 - Why Barbara missed out on receiving an extra $2,000 for her school this year

24:39 - The kind of assessment requirements you need to follow after you get a grant

28:06 - Advice for making the grant writing process easier and less scary

31:11 - What to do before you finally submit your application

35:50 - Recap and more tips and best practices for writing your grant proposal

38:49 - Biggest piece of advice that gave Barbara the grant to attend graduate school

41:44 - What sparked Barbara’s interest in art as a 4-year-old

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/74-getting-great-at-grant-proposal-writing/

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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What in the world is a SPARKwork? At Art Class Curator, we love to do things differently than what you’ll find anywhere else. Recently, I relaunched The Curated Connections Library with SPARKworks, a new name with new features for an established framework. In this episode, I walk you through what a SPARKwork lesson is, how to follow one step-by-step, and offer tips on how to use these sorts of lessons in your classroom.

3:21​ - Why The Curated Connections Library became more than just about art history

5:21 - Goals of the membership for teachers and their students

10:22 - What a SPARKwork is and where the name comes from

14:22 - SPARKwork step #1 and the 4 Cs to curate a good work of art for your lessons

19:48 - Leading your lesson with art discussion and the goal you should aim for

25:25 - How SPARKworks encourage student engagement and impress your administration

29:29 - Discussing ways to complete the 4th step in the framework

33:07 - New details and benefits of joining the recently relaunched membership

39:28 - Why becoming a member is a preventative self-care gift to yourself

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/73-sparkworks-to-light-up-your-art-lessons/

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Ever since I started Art Class Curator in 2014, I’ve heard a lot of teachers who haven’t tried our lessons tell me that their students can’t do them. They think the lessons are too high-level or their students won’t connect with the works of art. Oh how wrong they are! So today I want to dissolve the myth that your students can’t handle higher level thinking and gain a deeper connection with art in the classroom.

8:18​ - The only difference between age groups during art lessons

9:39 - One of the biggest fears of art teachers and why the worry isn’t necessary

14:32 - Why you shouldn’t underestimate your students’ ability to think critically

16:53 - How haiku and thinking like a math teacher can help you teach art

24:33 - Other ways we can help students engage with art lessons

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/72

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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This year was one of, if not the hardest, for teachers in their entire career. Many reached a breaking point and decided to leave the classroom or retire early. And while it might be better going forward, everything isn’t fixed. The pandemic goes on, and teachers will still face many of the same worries as last year.

The question to ask yourself in preparing for this year is, “How do I get the spark back and re-take power in my classroom?” So I decided to create an empowering program using our SPARK framework to help you do just that. Today the Reclaim Your Classroom free course begins, and in this episode I go through the program, giving you an overview of what you can expect after you join.

2:14​ - A quick overview of the 5 steps in the SPARK framework

5:32 - What to expect when you first sign up for the program

6:59 - How to take inventory of what’s going on with you right now

10:57 - The emotional exercise to expect on Day 2 and the tool that can help

14:52 - The simple, cool tool and method you’ll use for completing step 3

18:41 - Taking the A in SPARK and using it twice

20:39 - Bringing it all together for step 4 to start moving toward where you want to go

22:48 - What the K stands for this time and how to create your battle cry for this year

24:27 - Reading the manifesto I wrote for Art Class Curator

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/71

The personal connection you have with works of arts--what it does for you and how you use it in your life--rubs off on your students too and impacts their lives and those around them. Author John Butler once said, “Art changes people and people change the world.” How? I did some research to discover what looking at art does for us as people and the countless ways art can change you.

In this episode, I discuss how it benefits the broader spectrum of humanity physically, mentally, emotionally, and more.

5:38 - Hormonal and other health effects that just 30 minutes of art gazing has on your body

9:16 - How art rescued me during an emotionally vulnerable time on a week-long retreat

10:55 - How art alleviates feelings of isolation and increases empathy, tolerance, and compassion

18:56 - Why engaging with works of art makes you more insightful and creative

24:22 - Ways in which looking at art can transform and improve your thinking skills

29:32 - The impact of art connection on your relationships, communication, and emotion

31:46 - How seeing Picasso’s Guernica reflected in a real life event shifted my inner kaleidoscope

35:06 - Why yawns are contagious and what they have in common with looking at art

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/70

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Jenn Easterling is back on the show today! She’s been in the classroom for 11 years teaching grades K-12 and has taught drawing, painting, and a little art history in her studio. Jenn joins me to talk about how learning and teaching art powers personal connection

We also talk about some of the lessons offered at Art Class Curator as well as the fun, impactful insights and conversations those lessons sparked in our students and ourselves personally. 

7:01​ - Jenn’s emotional perspective on teaching Art Class Curator lessons

10:23 - How teaching works of art fuels your personal connection

15:20 - Why using the same art work lessons for multiple grade levels still works

20:52 - How looking at artwork impacts students’ art creation in the classroom

24:52 - A lesson that bridged the gap between the art and the personal for Jenn’s students

34:58 - Why you don’t need to worry about bringing any works of art to your students

38:34 - What you’re not doing when you’re looking at and talking about a piece of art

40:22 - How students often have way more interesting interpretations of art than the official story

44:13 - Examples of fun lessons for Jenn’s students that also encouraged art connections across campus

49:19 - Ways that teaching art can instigate outside-the-box thinking

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/69

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Believe it or not, the pandemic had its bright side. During this tumultuous year, we’ve had so many teachers across the nation successfully use our SPARK Hybrid curriculum. They're sharing amazing stories about how they are SPARKing interest with art students and connecting with works of art. Today, I interviewed one of those teachers, Staci Sterenberg, who’s taught grades K-8 at a Chicago parochial school for 19 years.

Staci Sterenberg is a teaching artist living in Chicago. Her work as an art educator has brought her into classrooms and learning spaces for all ages and her art practice ranges in media from mosaic to sculpture to crochet. Her mission as an educator is to promote and value the creative experience while facilitating exploration in a variety of media. Her perfect world is a place where curiosity and creativity are free to discover and where mistakes are detours and not dead ends. Staci holds a Bachelor's in Studio Art from Michigan State University and a Master's of Art Education from the School of the Art institute of Chicago.

In this episode, she and I discuss her feelings about being an artist, how the Coronavirus impacted her classroom, and the unexpected gifts she received from the pandemic. We also dive into some of the amazing lessons from SPARK that her kids participated in and greatly enjoyed this past school year.

4:18​ - How Staci’s history lead her to teach art

6:19 - How SPARK influenced Staci’s education philosophy in the classroom

8:27 - Why Staci felt with her district and administration at the start of the school year
13:09 - A SPARK lesson that went particularly well with Staci’s 4th graders
17:24 - What made the lesson Staci found for her 7th and 8th grade classes so timely

23:01 - The art piece that proved to be a misstep for Staci’s e-learning students

30:23 - How the art teacher community online came together at the start of lockdown

32:16 - Staci’s big, one-word takeaway from this year to use in future years

35:54 - A false belief many people have about being a good artist

38:29 - How art got Staci through the pandemic and her identity crisis as COVID hit

44:42 - The blanket decision that prompted Staci to leave her school district

47:13 - A life philosophy that Staci learned from an old boss and wants to pass down

Transcript at https://artclasscurator.com/68

This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Like I said in last week’s episode, this summer, we’re focusing on getting a good feel for what teachers have gone through this year. What struggles you’ve had, and we want to acknowledge you for the work you've done and empathize with you for how hard that was. We also want to celebrate, but right now doesn’t feel like the right headspace for that. So this week I want to encourage you to take stock of the year.

In a survey we did, many shared that this year was a wake-up call, but they weren’t sure what they were waking up to. I think a lot of teachers are waking up to the fact that teaching has become toxic, that teaching has become too much to handle. They are expecting too much out of teachers, they are not respecting the work that we're doing, and they are not giving us the support that we need. This year, I heard story after story about districts giving webinars on self-care, telling teachers, “Don't forget self-care,”

And this summer, taking stock is a great way for teachers to practice self-care. 

3:01​ - Ways toxicity in public education took its toll

9:46 - Long history of lack of support for teachers boiling over

14:40 - Reflecting on your wake-up call from this year

19:53 - Positives that came out of the pandemic for educators this year

23:14 - How to make next school year different

Transcript at artclasscurator.com/67