Art teachers often have creative lives outside the classroom. Exhibitions, trips to museums, outside creative projects, artful experiences, state or national art education conventions; are all things we can talk about with our students. Sharing these experiences can be a great motivator.
Outside my school day I run a small gallery, I write, illustrate, and publish books, teach privately, I sometimes paint commissions and work for my own pleasure, and I love to travel. I share these experiences at the local, state, and national level through professional development conferences. I have also shared some of these experiences with my students so they understand that it's not just something I do from 7am to 3pm, but it's how I live my life.
Art teachers are rather unique in this way. I am not sure as many math or science teachers go home and do more math or science, some may, but I don't think it's the norm. Art teachers often do creative things outside the normal school hours.
This past week, I was invited by Lindsey O. to speak to her art students at the Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Delaware. My focus was on sharing my creative journey into publishing my award winning book series that begin with the title, "If Picasso..."
I used Google Slides to walk through the process of getting an idea, working it through, seeking help and collaboration from peers, the process of writing, publishing, and ultimately selling the series. I shared my goals to make sure the books represented a broad selection of artists both male and female, and of different cultural backgrounds. I also was looking to make connections to poetry, rhyme, alliteration, animal conservation, geography, even world languages as in the final book of the series.
At the end, students had an opportunity to make their own work of art or write a poem based on a work I presented in my slide show. I'd encourage you to do the same, and when appropriate, share what you do with your students. Career readiness is certainly a topic in your curriculum, and sharing what you do as a professional ties in well.
Outside my school day I run a small gallery, I write, illustrate, and publish books, teach privately, I sometimes paint commissions and work for my own pleasure, and I love to travel. I share these experiences at the local, state, and national level through professional development conferences. I have also shared some of these experiences with my students so they understand that it's not just something I do from 7am to 3pm, but it's how I live my life.
Art teachers are rather unique in this way. I am not sure as many math or science teachers go home and do more math or science, some may, but I don't think it's the norm. Art teachers often do creative things outside the normal school hours.
This past week, I was invited by Lindsey O. to speak to her art students at the Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Delaware. My focus was on sharing my creative journey into publishing my award winning book series that begin with the title, "If Picasso..."
I used Google Slides to walk through the process of getting an idea, working it through, seeking help and collaboration from peers, the process of writing, publishing, and ultimately selling the series. I shared my goals to make sure the books represented a broad selection of artists both male and female, and of different cultural backgrounds. I also was looking to make connections to poetry, rhyme, alliteration, animal conservation, geography, even world languages as in the final book of the series.
At the end, students had an opportunity to make their own work of art or write a poem based on a work I presented in my slide show. I'd encourage you to do the same, and when appropriate, share what you do with your students. Career readiness is certainly a topic in your curriculum, and sharing what you do as a professional ties in well.
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