​To be perfectly honest… I'm tired of teaching.
 
36 years and I am looking so forward to retirement. It's hard getting out of bed at 5:15 am and going to work. To listen to the radio on the way in, why we still don't have a pay increase, or how the department of education is going away, or how vilified teachers are becoming...
 
That said, I do like my school, I LOVE that I have 8 sinks, and supplies-a-plenty. When I am teaching, for the most part, I still enjoy it. I also know if I "phone it in" with lessons I have done for the last 35 years, I would rather stick a fork in my eyes.

This is why I push myself to do NEW lessons that intrigue me, like 3D tessellations (pictured above), exploring cubism in new ways, using a sodium lamp so we can’t see colors anymore, painting on skateboards or exploring the off-beat cartoons of Gary Larson’s Far Side. I didn’t choose or design these lessons to meet State or curriculum requirements, I did them because I thought they would be fun. These NEW lessons keep me on my toes. They also provide material for this blog and my books at www.firehousepublications.com as I transition to retirement in 2028 or 2029.
 
I wrote a whole book on art education pedagogy, a synopsis of my 30+ years of teaching art, and in it I stress that teaching art is not about having fun, it’s hard work… but here’s my unwritten caveat for senior teachers like myself… If you have been teaching for a long time, and it’s difficult to come in every day, it is time to find the fun again.
 
Ditch the curriculum, and lean into “what would I want to creatively try?” Is it sewing, knitting, stained glass, encaustics, tie dye, puppetry, book-making, pinhole photography? What is some niche you’ve always wanted to play with but have not yet done. When you lean into that, then you have the motivation to come to your “school studio” and experiment, play, explore, create, and discover. When you come in with THAT energy, it is infectious. Your students will be excited as well.
 
Be candid with your students. “I want to try something I’ve never done before, but I think it will be fun. If you show me you can handle it, we can give it a try together!” As a seasoned educator you know that every project you do will essentially cover the major portions of your curriculum anyway. If lesson plans are required, enter the perfunctory information, but remember, you’re near retirement. Don’t sweat it. You know what you’re doing. Reward yourself with something fun, new, and motivates YOU.
 
That’s how I am making these last few years bearable, if not exciting!

​Students often come to me with fears about their skills. This is usually about realism, and getting it to “look right.” What if instead of diving deep into portraits or still lives, we dip our toes into realism in a fun way. I even allow students who struggle to print and *gasp* trace their contours. I let them know those who don’t rely on tracing will exceed expectations and get closer to a 100% on their grade, but tracing is a tool that is available if you need it (and addressed in my rubric)
 
I start with a bit of homework. Bring in 2 objects, or photos of two objects that are personally significant for you. You will have to draw them at some point, so be thoughtful in your selection. If one is really complex, then it’s okay to make the second one simpler.

I made some suggestions for objects students could focus on. Like something that represented early childhood, and another representing a career you hope to have one day. Maybe something you use to like has changed into a new passion. This way, the objects tell a story. 
 
I open with a slideshow and an introduction to M.C. Escher’s Metamorphosis image. I focused on his smooth transitions from one image to the next. Then I showed some 4 and 5-step transition examples. I note how the first and last images were the only ones that were realistic. The rest had to be made up.

We worked in scale sketches, the same size as our final paper in case their sketch came out very well, this gave then the ability to transfer it easily to better final paper. I always give students 3 items they must include to meet expectations and earn an “A” or 90%, and 3 more things they could do to exceed expectations and get closer to 100%.
 
Musts:
5-step metamorphosis
First and last image must be as realistic as possible
Include some unifying background element to tie the work together.
 
To exceed expectations they could…
Do more than 5 steps of transition.
Do detailed backgrounds
Incorporate gradients, shadows, and realistic textures
 
3 important tips for success.
A: Always start with the first and last image, leaving room for the middle three. B: Then do 1-step toward the middle with only small changes that imply the other image. C: The last image is the middle one.
 
This process helps the images retain a smoother transition. If you go from left to right, steps often get too big or too small and the transitions feel jarring.
 
Only if time allows do we address the background in detail or look to push the level of detail, gradients, shadows, etc. This keeps everyone on task. Those who work fast can be pushed to shade, add texture, or enhance their backgrounds.
 
Though this is not a new project for many readers, my approach may be.
Using realism as a smaller component
Using a detailed background to keep high-flyers on task
Incorporating personal student items helps with student buy-in.  

​If you like this lesson and would like more for any level K-12 THIS book will be helpful. It is organized by art elements and principles.  (A follow-up expansion edition is HERE.) It comes with the rights to make copies for your students, and if you have a special needs middle schooler, you can give them the elementary version of a lesson. Alternatively, if you have one that’s especially advanced, they can be given the high school version of the same lesson.

“My students are just not interested anymore.”
“I can’t get them to stay focused.”
“They rush through just to be done.”

These are common complaints I hear from art teachers across the country, and were my own frustrations as a new teacher following “the curriculum.” It’s discouraging to pour time and energy into a lesson only to watch students tune out, slap down the bare minimum so they can move on to something else, or worse, dump two weeks of hard work in the trash can on their way out!

But here’s the important truth: students don’t actually hate art. In fact, I firmly believe every student has a natural interest in art. Watch a kindergartener with crayons, or a middle schooler sketching their favorite anime character in the corner of a notebook, or a high schooler carefully curating their outfit for self-expression. The creative impulse is always there.

So where did it go wrong in the classroom?

The issue might not be student disinterest; perhaps it’s disconnection. Sometimes lessons are designed from a top-down approach: dictated by a strict curriculum, or rooted in what we—teachers of a different generation—think students should want to do. We love art, and we expect them to love the same kinds of art, in the same way. But the truth is, our passions don’t always translate.

Just like when art teachers sit in a long faculty meeting covering the data from the last State Test scores, or the newest push for technology in core classes, we “tune out.” When projects fail to connect with students’ lives, they disengage too! They rush. They “just meet expectations.” It looks like apathy, but what it really is, is irrelevance.

And here’s another hard fact: fewer than 2% of our students will pursue art-related careers. If we design lessons aimed only at creating future artists, we’re catering to a very small slice of the room. The other 98% are left wondering why it matters, and checking out when they don’t see a connection.

The challenge isn’t whether students care about art—it’s whether we, as educators, are willing to meet them where they are.

All Students Are Interested in Art When…

​Every student has an interest in art. The trick is tapping into it. Students rarely disengage because they dislike creativity itself—they disengage because they don’t see themselves reflected in the lesson.

Think about it: the things that capture their attention outside of school—Social Media trends, anime, sneaker design, video games, music videos—are all built on artistic foundations. Visual culture surrounds them. They already engage with art daily; they just don’t always recognize it as “art” in the traditional, museum-on-a-pedestal sense.

When we create projects that strictly reflect curriculum or what we may have experienced—say, endless still lifes of fruit bowls, or copied portraits of artists from centuries ago—we run the risk of teaching art as something frozen in the past, detached from student realities. And while some will enjoy those projects, many more will disengage.

Students light up when lessons connect to their world. When they get to design their own sneaker line. When they can remix Van Gogh’s Starry Night into a scene from their favorite video game or insert themselves into a Frida Kahlo-style portrait. When they see that the tools of art can help them express what matters most in their lives.

That’s the turning point: interest doesn’t magically appear—it emerges when we offer choice, relevance, respect, and connections. (MORE HERE)

Generational Disconnect

Another reason students disengage is that what excites us as teachers doesn’t always excite them. Most of us grew up in a different time, with different cultural touchstones. We may be passionate about Renaissance masters, Bauhaus design, or the precision of academic drawing—or even our own teen heroes from 20 years ago… and while those are valuable or personal to us, they can feel distant and irrelevant to a teenager whose cultural world is saturated with memes, K-pop, digital art, or esports.

Too often, we think we know our students and share interests simply because we empathize with them or think “we’re hip.” We plan projects around what we think is meaningful, only to be frustrated when the class groans or rushes through. The truth is, what feels timeless and profound to us may feel boring, forced, or disconnected to them.

This doesn’t mean we abandon foundational skills or historic art entirely. But it does mean we have to act as translators. Our job is to build bridges between the old and the new, between what excites us and what excites them. 

​The Spectrum of Teaching Approaches

When it comes to art education, there isn’t just one right way to teach. The spectrum—from tightly structured, teacher-directed proposals to fully open, student-driven projects—can be navigated effectively by striking a thoughtful balance.

On one end, the traditional, teacher-directed approach provides clear expectations and consistent structure, but often limits students to producing similar-looking outcomes that might stifle personal expression. The worst examples of these are “copy me” projects or exercises (I call them cookie-cutter projects). More on that HERE.

On the opposite end, the TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) or choice-based model invites students to act as artists—selecting their subjects, media, and methods—with the teacher offering mini-lessons, resources, and encouragement. This model maximizes engagement but may overwhelm students without some scaffolding, leading to shallow artworks that waste vast amounts of supplies.

The sweet spot for most classrooms is a balanced, scaffolded approach: teach essential skills and content while allowing room for personal expression and relevance. (More HERE. How I plan my year HERE.)

Examples include:

- International Names Project: Students create artworks where each letter of their name reflects personal interests, plus a twist using a non-Western language. LESSON LINK

- Nature Weaving: Students collect natural materials to build sculptures inspired by artists like Andy Goldsworthy, brainstorm ideas, and peer-critique works in progress. LESSON LINK

Practical Strategies to Boost Engagement

It’s one thing to talk about philosophy—it’s another to walk into class tomorrow and actually make changes. Small shifts in mindset and lesson design can have a big impact.

1. Start with Student Interests.
2. Use Contemporary Connections.
3. Scaffold Choice.
4. Elevate Reflection and Critique.
5. Show the Bigger Picture.

Moving Beyond “Because It’s Fun”

While art is fun, that can’t be the only justification we give. Students deserve respect and deeper answers:

Art teachers know, when we grid, measure, and draw—we use geometry. When we make sculptures—we use engineering. When we mix colors—we reveal information about physics. When we create illustrations for stories—we learn about literature. When we review the styles of art from da Vinci to Banksy—we teach history. When we teach ceramics—we teach chemistry. When we write about art—we strengthen writing skills. When we create works of art, we solve complex visual problems in creative ways. Art is the meeting place of all subjects and helps students succeed everywhere.

Remembering the 98%

Less than 2% of students will pursue art careers. The other 98% still need art because it strengthens creativity, critical thinking, communication, resilience—and it reinforces core content.

I often integrate literacy into projects: artist statements, reflections, critiques. This practice boosts reading and writing skills. Art also connects to math (geometry in perspective drawing), and science (optics in color theory).

See examples of art-and-literacy projects HERE.

When students see art as a pathway to succeed across subjects—not just an “extra”—they may begin to respect it in new ways.

​Meeting Students Where They Are

If the trash can is full of abandoned artwork at the end of class, that’s a red flag. Engaged students usually want to keep their work, share it, or take pride in finishing it. Too much discarded art is the lesson telling you something: it didn’t connect.

The complaints—“My students are just not interested anymore”—don’t have to define our teaching. What if instead, we reframed the challenge? “How can I make art meaningful for all students?”

That’s the real question. And when we respond with choice, relevance, respect, cross-curricular connections, and cultural translation, disengagement fades, and the spark of creativity shines again.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not that students hate art. It’s that they’re waiting for us to help them see how art belongs to them.

​Every art teacher has met that student: talented, focused, but so locked in the pursuit of perfection that they stall out, grow frustrated, or avoid risk altogether. While we want to encourage focus and craftsmanship, unchecked perfectionism can actually hold young artists back. 

Here are strategies you can use to support your perfectionist students and help them flourish.
 
1. Blind Drawing: Blind contour drawing teaches students to really see. By keeping their eyes on the subject and off the page, they strengthen eye–hand coordination. It’s important to stress this is a training exercise, not a finished product. The point is learning, not polish. HERE is an example of one such lesson.
 
2. Gesture Drawing and Breaking Down Shapes: Perfectionist students often dive into details too soon. Professionals know to capture movement and structure first. Gesture drawing, breaking forms into simple shapes, and building detail gradually teaches them to “think like architects before decorating the house.” HERE's a lesson sample.
 
3. Focus vs. Obsession: Help students understand the difference: focus is productive, obsession is paralyzing. Remind them that professionals work smarter, not harder. Obsession can waste energy that could be spent creating more art.
 
4. Embracing the Organic and Unpredictable: Encourage play with splattering, dripping, fingerpainting, or ripped collage with drawn embellishments. For some students, setting a “permission-based challenge” like “use one drip, one rip, and one smear” lowers the pressure and makes experimentation fun.
 
5. Learning from Expressive Masters: Show them expressive, less controlled works by famous artists—Van Gogh’s brushstrokes, Basquiat’s raw lines, or Matisse’s cutouts. Even better, show sketchbooks or process drafts, so they see that professionals rarely get it “right” the first time. This blog has some helpful expressive lessons HERE. 
 
6. Selective Perfectionism: Help them reframe perfectionism as a training cycle. Just like athletes don’t sprint every day, artists don’t need to pour all their energy into every piece. Suggest reserving perfection for one out of three projects and practicing freedom with the rest.
 
7. Timed Drawings: Short bursts—30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes—break the link between time and quality. These warm-ups prove that not all drawings have to be “precious.”
 
8. Iterative Series: Have them create 10 versions of the same subject. By the 4th or 5th, most students let go of control and start experimenting.
 
9. Ugly-First Warm-Ups: Kick off class with deliberately “bad” drawings. Making messy art on purpose helps perfectionists relax and accept imperfection as part of creativity.
 
10. Process-Oriented Feedback: Design rubrics that value growth, experimentation, and risk-taking—not just polished results. Let students know professional art schools seek breadth and experimentation as much as technical polish.
 
11. Creative Therapy Approaches: Encourage journaling, doodling emotions, or drawing to music. When art becomes about self-expression instead of external judgment, perfection loses its grip.
 
12. Collaborative Experiments: Group exercises like “exquisite corpse” drawings or shared collages spread responsibility across students, making outcomes less intimidating.
 
13. Reframing Mindset: Introduce mantras like “progress over perfection.” If students learn to measure success by effort, exploration, and growth, they’ll gain resilience alongside skill.
 
Perfectionism is often rooted in a genuine desire to succeed—but unchecked, it strangles creativity. By blending skill-building exercises with strategies to loosen control, we help students build confidence, flexibility, and the courage to take risks. After all, the true mark of a developing artist is not flawless work, but the willingness to grow through the process. Below is a free download PDF you can give to your perfectionist students and begin this important conversation. 

For more help with teaching strategies, I have created THIS resource. If you have an Amazon account, you can read the ebook for free. If you need choice-based lessons organized by art elements and principles for grades K-12, I created THIS resource, with a follow-up second edition HERE. You can see a preview of the book HERE on YouTube. All are available with a discount at Firehouse Publications.