Unwarranted Jealousy or Feelings of Inferiority
Illustration based on my article by ChatGPT
When teachers post student artwork on social media, you're often only seeing a carefully curated glimpse—not the full picture. This can leave others feeling like they don’t measure up or that they’re somehow less effective as educators.
Remember: we don’t all teach in the same environment, with the same student population, or with similar per-pupil budgets. I work at a trade-based high school with a largely blue-collar student body. I’m fortunate to have a decent budget, but in the past six years, only one of my students has seriously pursued a fine art career. My student work will naturally look very different from that of a neighboring arts magnet school.
That doesn’t mean I push my students less or lower my expectations—it simply informs how I plan my lessons (more on that here). Even with over 35 years of experience, I sometimes feel a twinge of envy when I see incredible student work posted by others. But I also know that I’m not seeing the whole class’s output—just the highlights. We all tend to post the hits, not the misses.
In my own classroom, while I display everyone’s work at school, I don’t post every single piece online. Still, by the end of the year, every student will have created something they—and I—can be proud of.
Let me share a story. One of my students, Kenny, struggled with drawing—his 2D skills were at about a six-year-old’s level. He came from a farming background where art wasn’t valued or encouraged. One day, after finishing a drawing early, I handed him some clay just to “play with.” When I circled back, he had sculpted a perfectly proportioned cow. It was fantastic. I gave him more clay and asked if he could try a dinosaur, since I knew he loved them. Later, I returned to find a beautifully crafted stegosaurus. Kenny had found his medium. His work was proudly displayed in our school, even the superintendent asked for a piece.
I aim to offer enough variety in my curriculum so that every student will leave with at least one project they’re proud of (hopefully more of course). My teaching isn’t strictly academic—I take a personalized, choice-based approach you can read more about [HERE].
All of this is to say: don’t stress over the polished samples others post online. Use them as inspiration—glean ideas and motivation wherever you can.
However, if you consistently find your students’ work lacking in engagement, craftsmanship, or personal connection, it may be time to look inward and reflect. Ask yourself:
If any of these questions hit home, consider making some changes. Reach out to the teachers whose work you admire—our community is, in my experience, generous and supportive.
You're also welcome to explore my blog, where I share lessons that have worked well for my students. And yes—sometimes I post everything. But, like many others, sometimes, I only post the best examples.
Below are VERY old examples of student work, side by side, same exploration, different results. All work "successful" but you can see some met the basic expectations, while others exceeded them.
Remember: we don’t all teach in the same environment, with the same student population, or with similar per-pupil budgets. I work at a trade-based high school with a largely blue-collar student body. I’m fortunate to have a decent budget, but in the past six years, only one of my students has seriously pursued a fine art career. My student work will naturally look very different from that of a neighboring arts magnet school.
That doesn’t mean I push my students less or lower my expectations—it simply informs how I plan my lessons (more on that here). Even with over 35 years of experience, I sometimes feel a twinge of envy when I see incredible student work posted by others. But I also know that I’m not seeing the whole class’s output—just the highlights. We all tend to post the hits, not the misses.
In my own classroom, while I display everyone’s work at school, I don’t post every single piece online. Still, by the end of the year, every student will have created something they—and I—can be proud of.
Let me share a story. One of my students, Kenny, struggled with drawing—his 2D skills were at about a six-year-old’s level. He came from a farming background where art wasn’t valued or encouraged. One day, after finishing a drawing early, I handed him some clay just to “play with.” When I circled back, he had sculpted a perfectly proportioned cow. It was fantastic. I gave him more clay and asked if he could try a dinosaur, since I knew he loved them. Later, I returned to find a beautifully crafted stegosaurus. Kenny had found his medium. His work was proudly displayed in our school, even the superintendent asked for a piece.
I aim to offer enough variety in my curriculum so that every student will leave with at least one project they’re proud of (hopefully more of course). My teaching isn’t strictly academic—I take a personalized, choice-based approach you can read more about [HERE].
All of this is to say: don’t stress over the polished samples others post online. Use them as inspiration—glean ideas and motivation wherever you can.
However, if you consistently find your students’ work lacking in engagement, craftsmanship, or personal connection, it may be time to look inward and reflect. Ask yourself:
- Are my lessons connected to my students’ interests, or my own?
- Is my curriculum a rigid plan or a flexible guide?
- Does student work feel uniform and impersonal?
- Am I emphasizing technical exercises over creativity and self-expression?
- Am I rushing into materials without giving students time to explore them meaningfully?
If any of these questions hit home, consider making some changes. Reach out to the teachers whose work you admire—our community is, in my experience, generous and supportive.
You're also welcome to explore my blog, where I share lessons that have worked well for my students. And yes—sometimes I post everything. But, like many others, sometimes, I only post the best examples.
Below are VERY old examples of student work, side by side, same exploration, different results. All work "successful" but you can see some met the basic expectations, while others exceeded them.
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