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 teachers, classroom teachers, and art volunteers is setting expectations for your art program. This is an often overlooked part of your program and if not addressed early on, can lead to some very uncomfortable conversations.
And believe me, I've had a few.
If you struggle with any of the above, then I'm happy to say that the solution is easy. Today, I'm sharing how a communication plan will empower you with a clear message that will virtually eliminate any confusion with parents, teachers and your administration. Download my worksheet below that will help walk you through each step of your communication plan.
"When you are confident in your approach, art philosophy, rules and procedures, you can bet others will be confident in YOU." - Patty Palmer





WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- How to draft an effective communication plan
- Why it's never too late to send out a communication letter to the parents
- How you can use social media to get your message out
- Why this practice has been a positive experience for me
- What can happen if you delay sending this information
- Which topics to cover in your communication letter





LISTEN TO THE SHOW:







LINKS & RESOURCES:
Click the yellow button below to download my worksheet to help you draft your own art program letter:




 


You can visit Patty through Deep Space Sparkle on Facebook and Instagram
Facebook
Instagram
For help contact: support@deepspacesparkle.com

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

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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 next? That depends on you... today on Art Made Easy, I help you outline the best clean up routine for YOU.







That little phrase always puts me in panic mode. Why? Because I didn't have a system... at least, not one in which I identified as sound.



I've always been honest about this failing of mine. I like to create not clean!



This use to worry me and make me feel like a fraud. Real art teachers know what to do! They have their classroom procedures used control.



What I know now that I didn't know then...



But lucky for you, I have a few strategies that will help YOU identify the best clean-up routine for your art room.



There are three phases of clean up:



1. Getting Attention: How do you transition from actively working on projects to stopping? Do you ring a bell? Play a clean up song? Yell? Dim the lights?



2. Cleaning Up: What do you want the kids to do? Why? What will help you the most?



3. Exiting: Do you need time to offer rewards or calculate class points after the clean up? Exit games? Or do you just need them to get out.



All three parts are unique to you. YOU get to decide how each phase looks for your classroom. The kids will respond to whatever YOU decide.



The real trick is to do it consistently.







I've found that there are 4 different styles of teaching art.



Figuring out which style fits your personality can help you decide on a way to get your students' attention, and that style will flow into the rest of your clean up routine. It’s all about knowing what is best for YOU and sticking to it.



The Manager:



This is the art teacher who manages every minute of an art session: entering, transitioning, demonstration, creating, etc.



They often use repetition as their classroom management tool—few bells and whistles.



This is the teacher who thrives on managing expectations by never deviating from the plan.



Clean up for the Manager often looks controlled, orderly and efficient. In fact, a good allotment of time is spent on transitions.



The Manager does this systematically, so notes or complex charts are often not needed.



The  Minimalist:



This is the art teacher who likes to keep things very simple: as few steps as possible.



1. Art on Rack



2. Brushes & Paint on Sink Counter



3. Tools in Tray



4. Recycle paper



The Minimalist gives the students simple tasks and oversees the execution.







The Counter:



This is the teacher who incorporates countdowns into every facet of the art sessions.



Counting how many paper scraps children pick up or counting down to get kids to pay attention.



There may be overlaps between the Manager and the Counter personalities, however the counter uses numerically based tactics.



The Performer:



This is the teacher who relies on fun antics and high engagement to get their kids excited about clean-up.



There may be a song, dance moves, hand drawn clean-up posters, and/or props to get the party started.



There’s often a reward system to motivate the students.



This takes a lot of brain power and work if you aren’t naturally gifted in this area.



I have included a helpful poster that may work for you and your class room. You can find the poster at the end of this blog post as a free PDF download.











THINGS YOU’LL LEARN: 



 - How different clean up methods work for others in their classroom



- The three phases of a clean up routine



- Four teaching styles and different strategies that work for them



- The importance of finding your style and fitting it into every aspect of your teaching method







LISTEN TO THE SHOW

















LINKS & RESOURCES:



Download your free cleanup checklist poster by clicking the button below.



Add your name and email and we’ll email it straight to you...

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

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: Do you create art right away or do you establish a management plan? You may wonder what projects to do or what supplies to prep. This episode offers a few ideas to think about as you start to plan for your big day back.



Download the First Day of Art Class Freebie and Back to School Guide, and start planning your awesome week!



IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 




How deciding what you want your students to experience when they step into your art room is a great way to begin your year



What painted paper is and how children can have fun with it.



Why I created student portfolios and the best system on how to do this.



How line drawings can be used as a project technique (and may be the most effective one)



How self-portraits can be a great option for demonstrating student improvement in art throughout the year








LISTEN TO THE SHOW

















DOWNLOAD THE FIRST DAY OF ART CLASS FREEBIE



 Download our back to School Guide | Resources to help kickstart your art program.It’s a 3-part strategy on how to use the Elements of Arts when planning your art curriculum including ordering supplies, a grade level checklist for the scope and sequence of K-7 Elements of Art and What I’ll Learn in Art Class posters.







SHOW NOTES



 PDF – First Day of Art, with lessons and resources



How to Make Painted Paper



Dot Day on Sept. 15th



THE DOT by Peter H. Reynolds 



AME:013 Scoping the Sequencing on Portrait Making



Managing Artwork with Student Portfolios



Watch this video to see how to make painted paper

Strategies for the First Day of Art Class: AME 063

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 or September it can feel as those past two months was just enough time to catch your breath, but not enough to fully recharged and get aligned.



So how do you make the most out of your time? 



Do you tackle all the stuff on your to-do list early on so you can relax later? Do you completely veg and catch up on Netflix?



Our summer plans feel differently for all of us, because we are all unique in how we restore ourselves. 



If you’re coming off a chaotic teaching season into a chaotic summer, an introverted teacher can feel completely overwhelmed. 



If you have nothing on your plate and your days are unstructured, an extrovert may feel completely unfulfilled. 



It’s also possible for both personality extremes to overestimate what you can accomplish in this relatively small parcel of time. 



Introverted and extroverted personality types may require radically different summer agendas, so keeping in mind both personalities...



Here are my top 10 tips for making summer feel restful, enjoyable & energizing —







WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:



- Why learning new perspectives is the quickest way to become happy



- How you can recognize the small happy moments that occur every day



- How to choose one goal you want to accomplish



- Why we need to schedule alone time, become more active and in the process, gain more energy



- What to do if you are not getting enjoyment out of what you are doing







LISTEN TO THE SHOW

















Download my free Summer Planning & Creating Guide PDF by clicking the white box below. Enter your name and email and we'll send it to you!







 







LINKS & RESOURCES



16 Personalities Test



The Enneagram Test



(one of Team's Sparkle's favorite personality test)



You can visit Patty through Deep Space Sparkle on Facebook & Instagram



support@deepspacesparkle.com



Our 2018 and 2019 Online Workshops are on Sale for your all your Summer creative PD hour needs —

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

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 pressure to stay put, not travel, hoard toilet paper and stock up on Chardonnay. So I thought it might be helpful to offer you a permission slip to slow down, calm down and take this pandemic day by day.



There are so many opportunities lurking behind every bored moment, teaching challenge and frustrations. You never really know when you'll hit your stride of capturing moments for your students and children during this disruption.



This episode shares insights on how boredom is the biggest precursor to creativity. How pulling back maybe the best way to ignite children's creativity.







WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:



- What I did to develop and nurture my own creativity when I was a child.



- How giving your child unstructured time to think about what they like will lead to so many good things



- A simple exercise you can start using today with younger students



- Why you don't need a lot of tech or equipment to connect with your students while they're at home



- What possibilities exist when children are home for an extended period of time



- What I recommend you do (and don't do) while home during this time







LISTEN TO THE SHOW:









LINKS & RESOURCES:



How the Enneagram Broke Me Wide Ame: AME 130



www.deepspacesparkle.com/enneagram-broke-wide-open-ame-130/



The Art Pantry Website



www.theartpantry.com/diy/e-guides/



You can visit Patty through Deep Space Sparkle on Facebook and Instagram



Facebook



Instagram



For help contact: support@deepspacesparkle.com

How to Cultivate Creative Thinkers at Home: AME 153

Art Made Easy

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

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