I decided to try something different to start the 2020 year.  In the past I have used this blog/website as a self reflective tool for sharing my travel experiences and artwork.  However since teaching is such a passion of mine I decided to share some thoughts on Art Education. So here's an introduction to my journey into education as well as my personal pedagogy. 

When I first started teaching I was overwhelmed and felt isolated like an island in the sea.  I would lie awake in bed the night before wondering if a new lesson was worthy or not or if I even knew what I was doing.  There were many flops with my new ideas but I reflected and used these moments to become a better teacher. I took a couple years but my confidence and routines slowly became more comfortable. The overwhelmed feelings I felt before disappeared as my experience allowed me to process and make quicker decisions.  If you’re reading this and just starting teaching it’s important to remember that you are not alone. 

One of the most difficult challenges I still face and struggle with today is saying no.   The first thing I started saying no to early on was project requests for cute craft projects from homeroom teachers.  I did not go to a University and study art history and the elements of art to make hats with turkey feathers for students.  Yes this still happens at elementary schools in 2020. I have no problem with crafts and enjoy making anything in general outside of school.  As teachers we owe our students more than that in our classrooms. We also owe ourselves more respect which is why as a teacher you are your best advocate.

It’s so hard when by nature I love to appease others.  I can still hear the voices in my head the first year I taught.  Can I please use some paint. Can I please use some paper. “It’s for the students, us classroom teachers don’t get much of budget.” Well guess what neither do Art Teachers.  Those materials are needed for the whole school in Art class. I made the mistake of giving into requests and it became such a slippery slope. The requests increased and word spread like wildfire.  Remember it’s okay to say no! It’s also okay to say no to requests for things that require your time and energy.

When I was in my early 20’s I was hungry to prove my worth to my coworkers.  I was even guilted into thinking because I did not have a wife or family I should devote myself more to spending time at school.  This could be helping making posters for events. It even turned into coaching a variety of sports after school. Although these were mostly positive experiences I believe time is the ultimate gift that you should use to make yourself happy.  I read a quote somewhere that people are not against you they are just for themselves. So that teacher that asked me to draw up their next bulletin board just valued their own time more than mine. I was feeling burnt out and my teaching craft was suffering.  The spark I found that revitalized my inner art teacher spirit came from an unlikely spot. Social Media is how I got off the lonely island. 

I have been a huge consumer of social media since Myspace began in 2004.  With the emergeance in the late 2000s of websites like Pinterest visual ideas became instant and accessible.  I do want to stress to be cautious of the pretty photos and remember you need to deliver content and meaning not just aesthetics.  We live in such a visual world today. I was hooked. It was not until 2017 that I joined the Art Teacher groups of Facebook. These groups are full of humor and memes but also offer tales of struggles and frustration.  This was the first time I really reflected I was not alone. If you are wondering why I did not talk to other art teachers I was the only one in my district. I never had a conference approved to connect with other educators.  My only source of professional development was from these online groups. While there were so many positives of being connected online there were also negatives. The darkside, as many places of the internet lurk, in the comment section.  I have a very open teaching philosophy when it comes to Art. There are classes I teach directed/guided drawing and there are others where I focus on teaching artistic behavior. Instead of celebrating the passion of ideas many choose to fight in comments over these differences.  There will always be criticism so just be authentic to yourself. 

Kindergarten Star Wars characters. Each class created a different one!

In 2018 I discovered the Art Education world of Instagram. Previously I had used instagram to follow celebrities, sports, and a wide variety of humor accounts.  The first aha moment was when I saw Cassie Stephens share the magic of using bingo dabbers with india ink to make outlines. It was a complete game changer. I was discovering all different types of art teacher hacks and ideas so quickly it was overwhelming.  I would describe it as when Neo first plugs himself into the Matrix type of feeling. I was obsessed and to this day it's been one of the most surprisingly positive impacts on my teaching. I just could not believe how many teachers I would connect with social media.  I spent the first few months lurking but soon I started posting more of my students work and projects. A word of wisdom to those who are new to Instagram there is an unwritten rule of etiquette to tag and credit other Art Teachers ideas or lessons you use. I felt so much support from this online community I even started making more artwork of my own.  The ideas for lessons, projects, and techniques had me in full creative mode.

In the fall of 2018 I took my first full time Art Teaching position.  One of the best parts about this district is that the Art classes were an hour long.  For the first time I felt like I did not have to rush student’s creative process. We live in a world where you can’t even pump your gas without a loud commercial video playing.  It’s so refreshing to see kids unplugged from technology painting for a full hour and loving every minute of it. Don’t get me wrong I love technology. I Have a screen projector connected to my laptop allows me to give inspirational videos presentation and expose students to art from all over the world.  At the same time nothing replaces the way clay feels in your hands.  

Having longer classes also really has allowed me to get to know students and create more rapport.  I love to have fun with my students and be silly. Telling lame jokes as they line up or while I am demonstrating.  This year I even started having a student pick a book out for me to read to them on the carpet. Elementary students might act too cool and grown up but they still love being read too.  Especially when you do it in overexaggerated voices. It makes classroom management easier. A general guide I use with classes that are an hour long is to use spacing to create movement every 20 minutes or so.  This could be taking a break to show a different painting technique or doing a soothing yoga pose. Don’t be afraid to try out different call backs and routines for students throughout the year. And above all students are happy when they are with a happy teacher. 

This year I am focused more on positivity than ever.  I truly believe the people you surround yourself with impacts on your mental health and subconscious more than we all would like to admit.  In the fall of 2018 I went to my first Art Education conference. I was alone and did not know anyone. I sat at a table randomly with other art teachers which I was actually already following on instagram but did not even realize it. It was such a fun experience meeting these folks in real life.  We even met to support each other at different school events. Just a year later I was recognized at the next state conference as the Beginning Art Educator of the year. Recently I started filming videos for The Art of Education. This year I am planning my first ever all school Art Show for students.  It’s wild how different life can be in a short amount of time. I hope this blog post inspires you to believe in yourself and know you’re not alone.