In some schools you may be required to cite how you are incorporating state/national standards, and/or your curriculum. This can seem a bit overwhelming for us visual learners, but if you are teaching art with a broad array of supplies, connecting with cultures, careers, history, artists (both historical and contemporary), incorporate some vocabulary, techniques, tools, and student do some writing and reflecting in your practice, you will likely be covering everything in your standards and curriculum.
 
You can gain some ideas for lessons by looking at the state or national standards you are expected to incorporate. I find it much easier to plan a lesson, and then review the standards, and cite them in my written plans should I be required to do so. (In the format mandated by my administrator)
 
For example, in my lesson for Origami Color Wheels (LINK) I know I will connect with many National Standards. For example, Under Create: VA:Cr1.1.8a Document early stages of the creative process visually and/or verbally in traditional or new media. VA:Cr2.3.7a Apply visual organizational strategies to design and produce a work of art, design, or media that clearly communicates information or ideas. VA:Cr3.1.8a Apply relevant criteria to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for a work of art or design in progress. Under Present: VA:Pr4.1.8a Develop and apply criteria for evaluating a collection of artwork for presentation. Under Respond:  VA:Re.7.1.7a Explain how the method of display, the location, and the experience of an artwork influence how it is perceived and valued. Under Connect:  VA:Cn10.1.Ia Document the process of developing ideas from early stages to fully elaborated ideas.
 
You may be required to cite 1 or more standards you connect to. If you use state standards, they may use different verbiage to say similar things. For example, I currently work in North Carolina. So a few standards I might cite are: K.V.1.1 Identify various art materials and tools. K.CX.2.3 Understand that artists sometimes share materials and ideas (collaboration). 1.V.1.4 Understand characteristics of the Elements of Art, including lines, shapes, colors, textures, form, and space. 1.CX.2.2 Identify connections between art and concepts from other disciplines, such as math, science, language arts, social studies, and other arts…. (There are many more I could include) Just site them as required by your administration.

I don't actually write the whole standard in my lessons (unless required) and it will look something like this line added within my lessons plans, with a link to the standards. "NC Standards K.V.1.1, K.CX.2.3, 1.V.1.4, 1.CX.2.2."
 
I once had an administrator who micromanaged lessons plans. They wanted “proof” that I was meeting all the standards by the end of a course. I printed all the state standards, and as I taught and wrote lessons, I cited the standards I used in each lesson, physically crossing them off as I met the standard. Once one was crossed off, I would generally not cite it again. About 2 months into my 5-month course, I had included nearly every standard several times. Those few I did not, I made sure to incorporate those into my remaining lessons to meet the expectations of my supervisor.
 
In my current school I am not required to cite my standards, so I don’t. I know, from my 35 years of teaching, I will naturally cover them all in during my course. It’s nice to be treated like a trusted, certified professional.
 
If this has been helpful and you would like an additional resource to navigate the ins-and-outs of art education, you can read my e-book for free HERE if you have an Amazon account, or buy a physical copy. If you are seeking lessons for levels K-12, you can find all of mine for free on my blog as you scroll, or buy a consolidated book of my lessons. 50 HERE, and 51 more HERE. 

I started this blog because I passionately believe (and have the research to back it up) that Art is THE MOST important class a child can have in school. I KNOW that nearly everything in elementary school can be taught through art, most of middle school too. I know too that art enhances student's understanding of concepts and connections in high school. My students score, on average, 155 points HIGHER on their SAT exams because of my choice-based approach to art education.

I created this blog to post FREE information to art educators to understand their worth and inspire them to be "The best we can be."

I grew up in a very artistic family. My great grandmother painted until she was 102, her daughters were artists of some note, and their daughter, (my mom) was an art student. So creativity was encouraged in my family. With all that promise and support, you would think I loved art classes, but I actually had very bad experiences in elementary school. We were all forced to make the same birch trees, Monet bridges, and vapid cotton ball showmen as if we worked in a third-world sweat shop. Grades were based on how well we copied the teacher's example, so I rebelled and earned very low grades on my cotton ball horse, birch-legged monster, and Monet inspired fireworks. 

Though I have been "criticized" for saying it, I believe the cookie-cutter approach I was subjected to is destructive to our profession and our students. The video I made below explains why and the research that backs it up. It's not a critique, but a call to action, and I provide a path forward that has worked for me for over 30 years! My entire blog is dedicated to sharing my choice-based approach and making it intuitively easier to implement. 

It's not "reinventing the wheel" but adding wings!

I know that funding for some art programs is non-existent, so this blog gives you everything I know and have learned through trial, error, and collaboration for FREE. You can even follow me in YouTube for free as well.

If however you seek resources in print, I have many books that consolidate what I have shared here into a form you can use in your classroom. Nearly every book comes with the rights to make copies for YOUR students. My workbooks even come in student editions if you have a generous budget and would like to give students individual copies to write and sketch in to become a kind of portfolio. You can find all my books at www.firehousepublications.com  If you click on any book cover, it will take you to the book on Amazon, or you can order 2 or more books directly from the publishing website at a discount.

If you need professional development, I have several hours of resources HERE. You can view them ALL for free. If you want a certificate, I ask for a small donation, just check ahead of time if your district will accept it.

I passionately believe in the power of art education. We ARE the solution to failing schools in America. I have had some amazing successes in my program, and this entire blog is dedicated to sharing all of that with you, for free, before I leave this earth. Thank you for visiting. I hope you find something helpful, inspiring, and worthwhile. 

Join my Facebook group HERE to get the latest updates and "free stuff" I make available to my followers. You must answer the 3 questions to get in. This helps weed out bots and spam.

Consider chaperoning a small school trip, and go for FREE! 

Do your students love all tings Japan?

• Video Games
• Manga & Anime
• Martial Arts
• Robots & More?

I actually lived in Osaka Japan for a year an exchange student for my junior year of college at Kansai Gaidai University. This summer I had a chance to return and share an adventure with my spouse. My students overheard me and asked why I had not organized a school trip to Japan?
 
I assumed it would be too expensive, and when I looked at the pre-packaged tours, I was not thrilled with the stereotypical options. I lived there, and knew there was a richer experience to be had. I contacted E.F. Tours, who have been in the school tour business for over 50 years and asked if a custom tour could be arranged. Lucy Baldiga of EF Tours got back to me and we worked out a special tour that cobbled some of their best options with some I knew about that they had never heard of, like an Authentic Spy (Ninja) Meeting House.
 
We created a tour that would tap into all the best of Japan, from the shrines, castles, and gardens, to the Disaster Prevention Park where students can experience an earthquake simulation, and then visit the Miraikan Science Museum to see advanced robotics and STEAM Technology. There would be immersive art experiences at teamLab Planets Tokyo, and animation experiences in Harajuku and Shibuya, as well as an opportunity to collect the newest Manga, origami books, or resources about Japan in English at Kenokunia bookstore, Japan’s largest! We will have a cooking lesson, and learn to play Taiko drums. They will learn about the horrors of Hiroshima, and lay a wreath of 1000 cranes at the foot of the children’s memorial. THIS was the kind of tour I could get behind and am excited to do in 2026! I have made sure to coordinate our trip for the week of July 17 so we can witness the Gion Festival; Japan’s Largest and oldest festival with dozens of wooden floats, many 10 stories tall!
 
By planning 2 years in advance, students can save up over time with smaller monthly payments, and because EF Tours is private, well regarded in schools, parents and family can join in, making chaperoning the trip less stressful. For every 6 students that sign up, a teacher can come for free. We have, so far, 18 students and family members signed up, so our librarian, another teacher, and myself go for free. EF Tours also gives each student a fundraising page, so family members and friends can make donations for their trip in lieu of birthday or holiday gifts. For many, this will be a graduation gift for themselves. I have also set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for my students to help alleviate some of the cost. 
 
In preparation, I will be hosing a once-a-week Japanese language and culture club for all students, but will focus it on the students who have signed up to go. We will fold origami cranes for our donation, and make hand-made books to collect free Landmark Stamps sound at major destinations and many train stations all over Japan. I will also show them how to hand-sew some traditional sketchbooks too, this way we will all have treasures to take home, even if we spend no money on “stuff.”
 
I am retiring shortly after this trip, so it has additional meaning for myself. But if this sounds like something you’d like to explore, contact Lucy Baldiga, mention my name, and ask her for the same custom itinerary. It is NOT ANYWHERE on their website. Her email is [email protected] . If you would like to explore the possibility of leading an art education tour to any country, let them know I sent you with this LINK. eftours.com/invite/5pB8Eza

Below are my photos from my recent trip and a video I made about Nijo Jinya (The Spy House in Kyoto).