Alexander Calder's mobile sculptures are an engineering delight! They move without effort in dynamic ways that truly illustrates how art can utilize space; a difficult art element to understand for some students. I have noticed too that many Calder's mobiles are fairly straight forward constructions. After several attempts I feel I have been able to break down the process for my students. This is an awesome explorations that is naturally connected to STEAM/STEM ideas should that be desirable.

You can see here that many of his sculptures end in a pair of shapes. Each builds up like a stairway with a few deviations you'd expect from a master. The basics however are not too hard to decipher. ​When creating these, one must always start at the bottom-most parts.

​Over the years I have seen some attempts at mobile sculptures that made me feel disappointed; items dangled from hangers, or two crossed sticks with items hanging from them. These are fine for the very young, but the cascading sculpture can be done with grades 4 and up fairly easily, if done step by step.

Though Calder didn't use string to make his sculptures balance, It is VERY tricky to bend the wire and make everything balance as he does. I have done it myself successfully but it took many tries. Your more experienced high school students might be able to manage it, but getting a balance point ON the loop to the next level is very precise work with no room for error. Strings however are super easy to manage. As long as they are kept short, tangles will be kept to a minimum. 

As I teach the method, I have those who succeed help and teach their peers. The balance portion stumps a few but with many helpers it not a problem.

As for the shapes/forms on the ends of sticks, ANY sculptural kind of item can be used, though obviously light items are easier to manage like cardboard, foamcore, paper mache, plastics, floral foam, foamy clay, etc. The items have to be put at the end of a stick by piercing them tying them, gluing or taping. Make sure these items cannot fall off.

As for the "sticks," I have used dowels, straightened coat-hanger wire, acrylic straws from Nasco, even brazing rods if you have a metals department. Try making one yourself, and you'll see it's not as hard as you may have imagined. 

THIS is the Youtube link to my video tutorial, and here is the video below.

I spell out in many of my posts about how I handle "choice" in my program. You can see some of that HERE and HERE. In general, I find that too much choice can be overwhelming for students. Set up a station full of cardboard, and tell them "make a sculpture," and you'll have students staring at cardboard for an hour, or diving in and wasting materials with  outcomes that lack evidence of meaningful exploration.
 
If instead you give them a problem to solve they have a direction to focus on. In the case of the cardboard scenario, here are some possibilities:

• Make a unique chair that can hold your weight
• Make a mask to show off  your "spirit animal"
• Build a tower 6 feet tall that has a base no larger than a piece of copy paper
• Build a contraption that can launch a marshmallow 10 feet or more
• Give them a list like the above to choose from...

 
Parameters help create focus. As students gain more and more experience, I begin to allow for more and more choices. In the case of my Art 3 students, who have had to pass 2 previous years of high school art, they are given a list of 20 historical periods in art from Byzantine through Op Art. They pick a theme and do some research about the style, define it, find examples from the period, and come up with 3 potential self-guided explorations of their chosen period.

​In the example above, my student picked the Art Deco period, pairing it with a portrait which is 1 of 3 required subjects they must do before the end of the year. She also chose the media from a list of 10 options to explore by the end of the year. Here she used graphite with touches of metallic paint.
 
Each of my 20 students was doing something of their own choice from 20 themes I provided, and choice of media from 10 we had listed. These are significant choices to keep track of. To do so I created a documentation page in my workbook to track their progress. They completed the deadlines portion, and I would initial every few days in their workbook to note their level of progress. 10-20% was in sketch mode. 30-60% while on their final exploration, and the last 70-95% on finishing and detail. If I walked around and saw no progress, we could explore why, consider options, and in some cases, simplify or change the idea to something more realistic. 

​By setting clear goals and expectations students have a better sense of direction and as a teacher I have a better understanding of how my 20 different students are progressing, and documentation to show parents and supervisors how my students are meeting curriculum standards. My students show pride in knowing they have been given a lot of responsibility, and have risen to the challenge. 6 more examples from the same class are above.

We've all had sub nightmare stories, but I have not seen teachers brag about good experiences. So IF you have had a good experience what was it, and what helped make it good? I'd appreciate your thoughts below.

For me, if I am out for one or two days, and know I will be out, I leave clear sub plans in 3 places.
1: In the main office where subs check in.
2: On my whiteboard with big arrows pointing to them.
3: On my demonstration table I've cleared off and cleaned.

My sub plans usually include the sub playing an art history video from my library and students completing 20 facts about what they saw or heard that is graded when I return. You can download my video notes handout HERE. Instead of keeping your absence a secret, sometimes it's good to give your students a pep talk the day before and outline your expectations. I do think that any work you leave them should be graded, if only a small grade, so they feel invested in the work. Conversely, some students will take the news you will be out as a chance to skip class. You know your students best, and I always refer students I suspect of ditching class to the office. It's rare, but does happen.

If I am at school, and feel like I might be getting sick, I set up as if I will be out, and about 50% of the time, I am. In these 2 cases I lock up all my supplies. Whenever I struggle with cold-like symptoms, I am ready with a sub plan.

If I am unexpectedly out, I have 5 days of sub plans in the main office. I have only needed to use those once when my father passed. We are fortunate at my school to have a good set of 5 permanent subs, so they have a better working knowledge of the kids and school procedures, but my sub plans are almost written like a script.

The left image below is a sample script I used while I was at the NJ Art Teachers Convention, and the right image is of a book I created with about 100 of my sub plans, knowing other teachers might find them helpful. I have MANY FREE sub plans HERE.

These are some tips and advice from other art teachers on Facebook.

Parker N stresses the need for explicitly clear directions for subs. I agree and as you can see by my sample above, it's practically a script. Assume nothing when leaving plans. We breath art daily in our rooms, what is obvious to us (Like allowing nearly 10 minutes to clean up from a painting assignment) may be completely foreign to a sub.

Nicole C likes to leave a printed slide show of directions that are easy to follow, and a seating chart with the kids faces. Visual clues can be very helpful. I put post-it notes on many items so that the sub can find the volume button on my video player, or know which video to show first.

Seating charts are also important. I put plastic over each classes chart so I can write notes in a dry erase marker but still make adjustments underneath. Here is the one I am currently using, and it's easy for the sub to do attendance on it.

Emmett R says that they are better at writing lesson plans because they have done sub work in the past and know the pitfalls and what a sub needs. In my school, as part of our contracts, we can sub for each other if the school is short handed. We are paid for that time, but it also gives us a moment to step in as a sub. We have the benefit of the students already being fairly familiar with us, but kids are kids and do push boundaries when they can. Sub experience is a good learning tool.

Cami S makes a concerted effort to connect with the sub before she leaves to be certain everything is understood. If this is possible, it's a great piece of advice. We take the time to make the plans, and sometimes the office knows who will have our class when it is a planned absence. Having a short conversation with your sub, can be a big bonus.

I hope this post will be helpful to others. Please add your own advice or experiences below. If you are interested in the Sub Plans book, remember you can get 30% off by ordering directly from Firehouse Publications.
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Bullying is an ever present cancer in  school. It is one thing you must address as it happens... and it does happen in school, out of school, and on social media. Many schools run anti-bullying weeks, some give it just lip service. Whatever is being done in your school YOU control what happens in your room.

Some bullying might be related to what kids hear about, like political talk of deporting immigrants. Though free speech is something that is in our constitution, as teachers, these protections are limited. We, rightly so, are not allowed to push any political ideal. We will have ALL kids in our school. Sons and daughters of police, military, farmers, bankers, realtors,  teachers, and more. All may have very different environments at home. Some conservative, liberal, atheists, ultra orthodox, Klan members, and "Black Lives Matter" protesters, all under the same roof. When divisive chatter perks up, my advice is to stop it in it's tracks. "You are welcome to have your own thoughts and feelings at home, but here in my room is a safe space that is free of bias." Your example sets the tone.

When bias based bullying happens, DO NOT IGNORE IT. It must be reported, and I always tell my student teachers to do it by email which is admissible in court. To also always let an administrator know with a call, meeting, or form. If it can be proven you knew of bias speech in your room (Bullying based on someone's differences, perceived or real) you can face legal action for your inaction. 

I have this talk with my students early in the year. They know I raise my voice for only two reasons; safety or bullying. I was bullied as a student, I know what that is like. I am lucky to have had a supportive family when I was going through that because I came very close to suicide, a real potential outcome for some bullied students.

The images above are from a bullying unit I have done and share with you. Students work in teams and create posters for different populations of students. They research each topic and find out real information to share. I find that when people understand differences, they are less likely to bully. Bullies often attack what they don't understand or what they fear in themselves. Below is a free hand out you may use if this project appeals to you. It is a selection from my book, The Art Student's Workbook at Firehouse Publications.

Here are some videos you may find helpful in broaching this subject:

To This Day - 7.36 m. Poetry and animation. (middle school and up.)

Caught in the Crowd - 3.39 m. Music video, a bully's apology. (MS/HS)

If you are in a Shell - 3.12 m. Color and Dance Theme - Advice for the bullied. (MS/HS)

Bully Dance 10.23 m. No words, great for discussions with smaller children K-4th.

Middle School Football 3.41 m. Uplifting video for MS students.

To This Day, by Shane Koyczan is a very powerful video that features the work of 12 animators, supported by 80 artists. It may not be suitable for very young audiences. 

I have been using a STEAM method of art education from the very beginning of my career in 1990, long before STEAM was ever a “thing.” When I began to hear about STEM/STEAM education my frank thought was “big deal.” I had no idea others were not doing that, except for the few I knew were doing the cookie cutter stuff. I asked my guidance department to track my students and they found my kids averaged 155 points higher on their SATs than their non-art peers did. It was proof that what I was doing had a more broad benefit.
 
I do have a more broad definition of arts integration. STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, but most exams like the PARCC, HSPA, or GEPA, focus 50% on writing, so to me it’s a no-brainer that STEM is still lacking and imperfect. I even consider world cultures and languages under my educational umbrella. What I do like about STEM, and even more with STEAM, is that there is finally an understanding that integration works better than treating subject like islands.
 
We 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 write about art—we strengthen these skills. When we create works of art, we solve complex visual problems in creative ways.

Below are some images of my STEAM connected art explorations. When you hover your cursor over the image, the intercurricular connections will show. You don't need to spend very much time to showcase the STEAM connections, sometimes it's a few seconds. When talking about color, bring out a prism. When working with clay, speak briefly about how iron in the clay makes it reddish, or cobalt makes glazes blue. 

If you are new to teaching or would like a STEAM based art education resource, I collected many of my integrated lessons into a book titles "Art at the Heart" which you can get on Amazon or HERE for 30% off.

We are already making connections in the art classroom, we just need to take a short breath and point them out as we teach, because after all...
We ARE STEAM Experts!

In my summers I teach an art camp program that somewhat resembles a one room school house. I hire an aide and work with about 20 children. I can't possibly be expected to do a different lesson for each age group, that would be too chaotic. We all use the same media, I have an over-arching theme to explore that I know all ages can work with. My lessons are choice-based, meaning students decide how they will work within that theme from personal information. I do not do follow-along lessons for more reasons than I can express, but you can read about it HERE.
 
So for example, If we did an lesson based on cartooning, where students create an illustration of a joke, they would pick the joke and their characters, maybe even based on family members. This way each project would be unique and personal. I think we can all agree that every age level can handle such a lesson.
 
As a teacher it helps me use a specific set of supplies. My preps are more smooth, and I don't feel crazed going from painting, to clay, to drawing, to paper mache. 
 
But how do we do it in such a way that each grade can participate and be challenged. Differentiation is really key. Below is my unfolding project detailed HERE.  You can see the elementary version on the right has been simplified to just four panels, the middle school sample has 9 panels with a riddle theme, and the right image is by a high school student who was challenged to make sure the image was cohesive when the whole work was opened to be read. 

When I was teaching in a school based k-12 program, I taught 4 lessons on a rotation. So if cartooning was one project, I would do it with k, 4, 8, 12. I would do something else with my other classes.
 
I did not do clay with the other classes when I did an illustration project. I actually did drawing projects for all classes during that week, but did very different ones with the other classes.
 
Alphabet or name illustrations for 1, 5, 9. Tessellations with 2, 6, 10, and grid portraits with 3, 7, 11 for example.
 
K-6 were on a daily rotation, so their cartoons were "one and done" affairs. We would do one-day illustration explorations for 2 weeks. Grades 7 to 12 were seen daily, so they might spend 2 weeks on a single project depending on how challenging I wanted the exploration to be.
 
My goal was to make sure they had fun, and I didn't go crazy flip flopping  media and waste my sanity and time on prep-work. I generally like to start the year drawing and getting them use to my expectations. After a few months I allow messier media like pastels, charcoal, and non-clay sculpture. About the 3rd quarter we are painting, and by the end we'll have done clay. I go from neat to messy as they show me they can handle themselves and display appropriate studio habits. (I always do neat stuff again the last two weeks of school so I can tidy the room for the following year.)
 
What if you teach several classes like Sculpture, Photography, Graphic Design, etc? There again you can find themes to explore that are similar so that at least your lesson planning is easier. For example, if I am doing abstract mobile sculptures with my 3D students based on their family member personalities, I can explore the same idea as a drawing project with my 2D class like the samples below.

Teasing out similar ideas or media can really help make your planning and prep easier. When you are happier, your students will see your calm, and mirror that as well.

If your day is split in such a way that you can do two very different things within the same day, that's great. Right now I teach sculpture my first two periods of the day, and then a prep period right after. So I can make the switch from clay to drawing for the rest of the day more easily. I just know though that not all schools "think" about their art teachers when scheduling.
 
4 keys to differentiation:

• Media
• Depth
• Complexity
• Interest/Theme

 
Once you have decided on the "essential bit" to be learned, you can vary the media, depth, complexity, and theme to meet each level's needs and abilities.
 
Media is easy: It's more about safety and your mess tolerance.
For a safety example in sculpture, where kinders might rip or use precut paper, elementary students will use scissors, and your upper grades might be allowed to use exacto blades or even power tools. Another media example would be crayons, markers, ink and brushes, and the use of dip pens. If I handed my high school kids crayons, they'd think I was punishing them, and I would certainly never give a kinder class dip pens and India ink.
 
As for depth, when I do an illustration that includes steps or panels. (Like a poem, joke, or story) I would do just 4 steps for the younger students, 6-9 for the middle years, and 9 for the high school adding a compositional component to the work. (I showed this above.)
 
If the topic was perspective or space, elementary age students could begin to learn about horizons, and making things larger or smaller to create the illusion of depth. They may even be able to do some rudimentary perspective by 4th grade, but one point perspective should be held for the middle school years, and multiple point perspective for the high school students.
 
In complexity, I think about what will challenge but not frustrate each grade level. Lowenfeld's levels of development can be helpful.
It might be fun to have your kinder-kids do perspective, and if you take it step by step, they will follow your directions and make something that looks like they may understand it. But the fact remains, most, if not all, will not. They can emulate some tricks, copy some formula, but they will not understand in any meaningful way. It's a waste of your time and there's. Their brains are simply not ready to process that information. There may be a rare savant that can, but it's not true for the population. The same is true having older students do work that is really meant for lower elementary. They may have fun, fingerpainting, but they will be learning very little because they have not been pushed.
 
As for interest, what grabs their attention? What holds their interest? Would you explore horror themes with kinder students allowing illustrations of Pennywise the clown from the movie It? Of course not. Learning what interests each grade level allows you to create lessons that will hold their interest. You might even want to speak to other teachers of that grade to see what they are exploring with their students. If the 4th grade does a unit on Egyptian history, it would certainly be in your own best interest to explore something related to that in your class.
 
For one thing you don't have to re-teach the content, they come to you with a base of knowledge, and now they can apply it to an art exploration which will be all the richer with the additional information.
 
Lower grades could explore making their name in hieroglyphics. Middle schoolers could make their own death masks, high school students could make a canoptic jars to house their entrails with a figure head they feel expresses their inner spirit animal.

Below are more art experiences by my students, grouped horizontally, with the elementary version on the left, middle school in the middle, and high school on the right. Nearly any project can be simplified for lower grade levels (Or for special needs students), and made more challenging for older students, when you root out the target of what you wish to teach.