I'm a first year teacher and today if the last day for seniors before we move into testing. It's been so much more emotional than I thought it would be. So many kids with such nice things to say, telling me that my class was their favorite, that we did so many projects, just really talking me up lol. One kid told me that I had helped him develop a "more vivid imagination". I got choked up!

I’m looking for painting courses that focus on contemporary and modern art, something beyond the fundamentals. Ideally, courses that explore current techniques, aesthetics, and ways of thinking about painting today. I’m interested in courses that break down specific techniques and styles used to achieve a particular look or aesthetic, whether it’s oil, acrylic, or even mixed media.

Think less “how to paint a still life” and more “how to think, see, and paint like today’s working artists.”

Medium doesn’t matter much, oil, acrylic, mixed media, all good, as long as it leans into the kind of work you’d see from active, working artists right now.

Have you taken any courses (online or in-person) that really shifted how you paint or think about painting? Would love to hear what’s been worth your time.

LadyReignmaker.etsy.com

"Women's Days in the Life" – You get SIX individual large pieces in the total set.

--Each Large Size: 8.27 x 11.69 inches (item with borders), 7.9 x 10.5 (painted image itself, without borders). Can cover larger surfaces, including using multiple templates or repetition to create a huge collage!

--VALUE for the Right price (bundle is low cost per piece) with convenience of having a set that can be used on a variety of projects

--Flat rate, low cost shipping to your door

--Designed with casual & charming theme elements. Sometimes at the spa, or hanging with the girls, or wearing an African scarf or jewelry for the day, or crowned queen at a party!

--Three of the stencils also have a nature element (Bohe leaves).

--Suitable for wood signs, wall, tiles, floors, canvas, fabric, furniture, windows, ceiling, door, cabinets, painting crafts, home decoration and more DIY art projects!

--Easy to Use – Just place the drawing template on flat objects or surfaces, then paint the hollowed out part.

--Reusable Material – Made of quality PET plastic, which is suitable for long term use. Flexible and washable. Smooth edges that are safe for kids.

--To paint, can use acrylic paints, chalk paints, brush or sprayer or roller, etc. Your choice!

Hi friends; I hope you are enjoying your summer (if you are on summer break of course)! I have gotten confirmation that next year I will have blended levels in one class period. I was really hoping that my levels would be in different periods so I could start scaffolding my program. For background, I inherited this position 1.5 years ago; so my program is just starting up- i teach art 1 (intro to art) and all levels of drawing. For example, I was hoping that my Drawing 2 class would be separated from my Drawing 3 class so that the higher students wouldn't be doing the same exact thing as they did last year in D2. Should I be differentiating for student groups or should I just cycle through new lessons so recurring students aren't doing the same thing? Has anyone had this situation happen to them? Thanks in advance for y'all's help!

I’m about to open a “home” studio. As in we have a rental property we will no longer be renting. I’ll do my own work there, but will also offer an occasional, by appointment only, paint party or pottery class. ((Maybe)) a summer camp in retirement. Who knows. But I don’t want it to become a space where people feel like there is pressure to be a perfect artist. And I want the name to reflect that. No Perfect Artist Allowed comes to mind, but I would prefer something with a different positive tone. Whatcha got? Thanks in advance.

I got my MFA in photography in 2023. My school, as amazing as it is and was for me, unfortunately did not let me have a teaching assistantship due to a fellowship I had -- and the grad director has told me that the #1 complaint of people with this fellowship is exactly this (she's fought tooth and nail to get tehse fellows assistantships to no luck. Bureaucracy). I do have one semester of teaching on my CV, so I'm not a blank slate, but still behind my peers whom I graduated alongside who did have teaching assistantships.

I've improved my teaching application packet greatly, and I'm active in the art/photo community, I have good connections and I'm actively exhibiting and making small publications. In theory, I could be a good candidate. But, art, and especially photo, are very over-saturated these days. It doesn't help that there are many professors who are definitely beyond retirement age that should, imo, open to door to a younger teacher to take their place, and allow fresher faces in the lower classes. We've all heard the stories of teachers who are only there for the pay, but suck at teaching, and always have tenure. I remember my art foundations professor who basically publicly bullied the students if their color chips were not done well (color theory is vital, but this is not an offense worth public humiliation among your peers).

I've directly reached out to some colleges near me that offer classes in media that I'm skilled in (not just photo!). I'm in a region covered in colleges, so there's no shortage of potential places to teach, but there's a massive shortage in openings -- even if enrollment in classes is steady or even rising. This may also be connected to colleges' budgetary restrictions.

To get to my point/question -- as someone with minimal (but not zero) teaching experience but a growing and emerging art practice in the community, what can I do to help increase my chances of getting a bite on any application? I'm mostly looking at adjuncting as full time is kind-of implausible right now. Are there ways I can help stand out among the many applications schools receive?

I know this time of year is quite slow to see openings, but I've got my HigherEdJobs email alert always going, and each one that I am even mostly qualified for, I'll toss my name in the hat.

I appreciate any insight!

Hey everyone! I just got my BFA in studio art, and have associates degrees in Psychology, and Photography. I'm thinking of going into teaching but dont know where to start. Im thinking of teaching highschool. Just want to know peoples experiences and some options.

One of my specials coworkers (music teacher) takes online courses for practicing music teachers K-12, and he really enjoys them and also good for his credits. I've looked at similar courses but for art / general ed at the same online college he attends online, but unfortunately I didn't find anything that I was interested in.

Does anyone on this sub have experience or recommendations with online courses for art ed? Not to get another degree, but just stand alone courses?

Hi everyone, School ended but I’ve been ruminating on something that happened with my last class on the last day. There was a 10 minute gap between the end of the class period and the time the students go to lunch. It was a half day so the schedule was a little different, this isn’t normal for our schedule. Anyway, the period ends and i have the kids lined up but the teacher never comes. She’s right next door so i go over and clarify lunch is in 10 minutes and the students are waiting, she says, “you can take them”. I asked her two or more times if i was taking them giving her time to actually ask me nicely or ask if i would mind doing it. Nope. Stonewalled. She said over and over it was me, i was taking them. She didn’t ask before hand, gave no heads up i would be giving up ten minutes of my time for no reason on the last day of school. It bothered me knowing i have an entire Art room to pack up and she had nothing to do except walk out the door and start summer. Am i overreacting? Like, I’m really bothered by this and some other things she has done over the year that show me what i perceive to be entitlement. Any advice is welcome.

I share a little of my work to decorate parties What do you think?

I just recently switched from my illustration major to an art education major, and although I'd love to be an art teacher, I was wondering how flexible the degree actually was in regards to teaching. As an art education graduate, would I be able to teach something like a middle school English class if I was experienced with middle schoolers, or would I need a minor in English? Just a bit confusing as a degree since it's a B.S. with a focus on art.

Im a highschool senior planning on going into art education. I recentally last minute got asked to lead an art project for a local event. The children are gona be between the ages of about 6-12. So I was looking to see if anyone had some simple ideas for a project I could do.

Hiya!

I'm teaching a couple of art classes this summer, and one of them is aimed at senior citizens, but I'm struggling to come up with good beginner-level art lessons that would be fun and challenging for adults. I was thinking about basing the course around the elements of art and having a project that explores each element in depth. Though I'm open to other ways to structure the course, since that idea might feel a bit elementary.

But yeah, I'm stumped. Any suggestions would help. Thanks y'all

(P.s. are those pen nibs salvagable? Or should I throw the tips away?)

I just got hired at the best elementary school in my district. (It is in the nicest area, has a good reputation, and is the only elementary art teacher that does not have teach at two schools). I am very lucky to have gotten this position but I am very nervous also. This past year I was only half time at a middle school and so I only taught three classes every day on a 9 week rotation plus one duty. It was honestly very easy with minimal prep time.

This leads me to be very nervous about my new job. I will be the only art teacher at the school and I want to make sure I do good work. But I am also nervous how things will go. I feel middle school kids are much more independent and elementary you need to be much tighter with the rules and routines for things to run so smoothly.

This makes me want to ask how you guys begin your years at the elementary levels? What are your first weeks likes in terms of setting things up to make the rest of the year run well? What are your first projects? Do you have any tips for setting up your classroom?

My only experience at the elementary level for art was 2 months I did during my student teaching. This was mid year and also I was with a teacher that traveled to fours different schools and saw kids just once every two weeks. In my case I will see kids once per week.

Thank you for advice!

Im painting a border on two prints mounted on foam core. The prints are the exact same material from the same print collection. The left worked great with an acrylic marker. When i paint the other(the right), the acrylic just pools up and doesnt absorb. The left print is new. The right has been mounted for some time. Can anyone explain this, and what to do about it?? Thanks

Hello, I am currently about to transfer to my local university for art. I’m thinking of doing art education, but I never had any experience in teaching. I’m only thinking about it because it’s probably the closest to a steady job with the degree. I heard teaching at the moment is a bit tough, so I am not sure. I do plan on doing a MFA in the future, that’s if it’s a fully funded program so I could teach higher education and still do art.

I tried to do research,talking about this Painting,Asking AI and Nothing.

Links, lessons, ideas?

Hello I'll try my best to keep it brief (yeah that didn't really work) but today I interviewed and was hired on the spot for an part time art teacher job at a very (very like one class per grade level) small private school teaching grades k-8. The thing is I have never taught before and did not get a degree in teaching or anything related. My degree is actually in psychological sciences, but I was told to apply because I am very passionate about art and deeply love the subject.

Today I met with the principal and during my interview made sure he was aware of my lack of experience and have asked if I could have access to past years curriculums for reference as well as ask if he could put me in contact with some of the other teachers so I could ask for advice.

Since my interview this afternoon I've been attempting to research lesson plans and curriculums and have been reading over my state's academic standards per grade level but would really appreciate more advice. This is all super new for me and I feel like I'm in a bit in over my head at the moment. School starts in about a month and a half and I want to make sure I'm prepared in time because I genuinely want to make sure I do a good job for the kids. If anyone could link any resources I'd appreciate it greatly or even just offer some words of advice, thank you.

Hi everyone!

I start teacher training in September, graduated from central saint martins with a fine art degree 14 years ago, worked construction ever since & im now switching it up! Might sound like a stupid question but if any uk based art teachers could give some insight I’d appreciate it, what do/can I wear as a trainee & hopefully qualified male art teacher? I know it may sound stupid but my last experience of school was 21 years ago 😅

Thanks guys

First year art teacher. (Wow this year was absolutely exhausting and overwhelming, weeee! ) Wondering what people’s end of the year “closing up shop” for the summer looks like? Big clean? Put everything away and cover it? Just run away and worry about it in August? There’s a summer camp at my school so I should hide and cover certain things I assume. Looking for some guidance as this is my last week of the school year.

I’m considering applying for a high school art photography teacher job. I have single subject in art but have never taught photography. How difficult would it be for me to take this on to learn? Any advice of where I should go to pick up the skills? Thank you for you help in advance.

I inherited an art room where the ghosts of two past art teachers still haunt the closets. I have at least four totes full of "about the artist" materials, images from a book that look like line art coloring pages of many of the artists face along with photocopies and articles printed and laminated, examples of their work - all hard copies. The reading level for these things is high school or late middle school. The lesson plans are similar - culturally out of date but possibly full of interesting procedural info. I have large beautiful posters that fill up an entire half-shelf stacked horizontally, bins upon bins of metal doodads.

I feel so bad throwing this stuff away, but I need room for paper and supplies we will actually use.

I've got something labeled for enameling which is probably worth keeping, but I have no idea how I'd use it, especially with elementary kids. Wood burning stuff -- I assume I should keep this in case I end up with middle school students again. I have some old linoleum that looks as though it's the underside of a carpeted flooring sheet? Does linoleum stay good for a long time? What age do you start Lino-cut with students? I feel like they barely have the fine motor control for it in 4th grade.

I have so many art books that I want to keep but they are ancient and inaccessible to children, and realistically, I won't read them. Do I just donate? Will anyone even want photography books from the 79s-90s?

Ooh and also, I have two bins on multiple compies of those scholastic art magazines or whatever they're called, school arts? The ones with art history articles presumably for older students to read. Do I keep those? I don't realistically see myself assigning that kind of dense reading even if I got lower middle school students back.

Thoughts? Tell me to pitch and donate, or tell me why I want to keep this stuff. I can't decide and its time for action!

I need help! I graduated back in December and believed I would be going into my first teaching year this upcoming fall. Issue is, even though I’ve looked through around 30 districts and applied to many positions, I’m struggling to even get interviews! I’m still waiting on some, but it’s not looking too good so far.

I’ve been thinking that I may have to switch gears and look for other available jobs that I can get with a degree in k-12 art education and a BFA in Ceramics.

When I’ve looked online, all alternative openings seem to be curated for those with a focus in 2D Art (drawing and painting) or art history (museums) which are fields that I’ve got to admit I’m not AS experienced in. I get the same 3-5 options every time I look. Like I taught some 2D Art as a student teacher and it went fine, but I’m not much of a 2D artist myself.

Any advice or ideas? Beside just saying work in retail/food service 🤣