Eva Marie Kirby from Tennessee dreamt of being an art educator since graduating college, but marriage and raising a family put her dreams on hold.
Fast forward twenty years, Eva Marie steps into the art room and finds herself in charge of 800 children ages four to seven.
Her story is absolutely delightful, and will inspire anyone who has waited before putting their career goals into action.
Eva Marie is our Sparkler Spotlight of the Month for April. She’s one of the first to comment and ask questions in our private Facebook group, and is always there to support others. At the end of the episode, Eva Marie asks me two questions about suitable art activities for children with learning differences and how to establish a clean-up routine.
1. What was your path to becoming an art teacher?
I studied art and education in college, with a desire to pursue graduate studies in Art History and become the children’s program art educator in an art museum. The first day of graduate school, I was offered a kindergarten teaching position and my parents advised me to take it. Instead of continuing my art education, I spent five years in a classroom with children. After I married and had a baby, I retired from teaching and raised our three children. Twenty-two years later, I got the opportunity to take two different art teacher interns in one year. When one of these art teachers retired in the same year, a permanent position opened up for me. I finally landed my art educator job! Not in a museum, but in a wonderful primary school.
2. What do you feel is your best attribute or strength as an art teacher?
My best strength as an art teacher is my passion for art and my desire to share knowledge with my students. I get very enthusiastic when I share an artist’s work or a new technique. The students enjoy it with me!
3. What do you do well in the art room and how does this benefit your students?
I relate every aspect of a project to the appropriate elements and techniques of art. This benefits my students by giving a common framework of terminology to discuss artworks with. I also try to be encouraging and fun.
4. Why do you feel teaching art to kids is important?
Teaching art, or at the very least, offering free choice art opportunities for children, is so extremely important. Kids are under pressure to perform well in their academics, where there is a right or wrong answer. The art classroom is that incredible space where the creative mind can create and explore. The end product is always “right” for the student.
I love to see children flourish in the art room, but seeing a struggling student feel free and excel when handed a paintbrush or scissors brings me a special joy! There are so many art related jobs in the world — kids need to explore their creative side.
5. Why did you join the Sparklers Club and how did being in the group help you?
I joined the Sparklers Club after spending my first month creating lesson ideas and writing them down on color coded note cards for each grade level. I was having to dream up the supply list, make a sample, and guess how long it would take. I saw an ad on Facebook and joined the Club for a month to try it out. After seeing the EPIC curriculum, I was hooked and upgraded to the yearly membership. Having the lesson plans to choose from is a huge time saver!
Besides the well planned lessons, the Facebook group is great. I feel like I am not alone in the art room, but part of a group of art teacher friends all working together.
My husband says it’s the best money I could have ever spent on my first year back in the classroom, and I have to agree!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
- Eva Marie’s earliest dreams for her career in art and the path she took to return to the classroom
- What she does to reward behavior and effort in her classroom and how she gets the children excited about art
- How she’s implementing what she’s learning in The Sparklers Club into her teaching
- Our thoughts on making lessons accessible for students of all abilities and what I recommend she can do to make after class clean-up easier
LISTEN TO THE SHOW
My best advice for teaching art to kids.
Eva Marie Kirby from Tennessee dreamt of being an art educator since graduating college, but marriage and raising a family put her dreams on hold.
Fast forward twenty years, Eva Marie steps into the art room and finds herself in charge of 800 children ages four to seven.
Her story is absolutely delightful, and will inspire anyone who has waited before putting their career goals into action.
Eva Marie is our Sparkler Spotlight of the Month for April. She’s one of the first to comment and ask questions in our private Facebook group, and is always there to support others. At the end of the episode, Eva Marie asks me two questions about suitable art activities for children with learning differences and how to establish a clean-up routine.
1. What was your path to becoming an art teacher?
I studied art and education in college, with a desire to pursue graduate studies in Art History and become the children’s program art educator in an art museum. The first day of graduate school, I was offered a kindergarten teaching position and my parents advised me to take it. Instead of continuing my art education, I spent five years in a classroom with children. After I married and had a baby, I retired from teaching and raised our three children. Twenty-two years later, I got the opportunity to take two different art teacher interns in one year. When one of these art teachers retired in the same year, a permanent position opened up for me. I finally landed my art educator job! Not in a museum, but in a wonderful primary school.
2. What do you feel is your best attribute or strength as an art teacher?
My best strength as an art teacher is my passion for art and my desire to share knowledge with my students. I get very enthusiastic when I share an artist’s work or a new technique. The students enjoy it with me!
3. What do you do well in the art room and how does this benefit your students?
I relate every aspect of a project to the appropriate elements and techniques of art. This benefits my students by giving a common framework of terminology to discuss artworks with. I also try to be encouraging and fun.
4. Why do you feel teaching art to kids is important?
Teaching art, or at the very least, offering free choice art opportunities for children, is so extremely important. Kids are under pressure to perform well in their academics, where there is a right or wrong answer. The art classroom is that incredible space where the creative mind can create and explore. The end product is always “right” for the student.
I love to see children flourish in the art room, but seeing a struggling student feel free and excel when handed a paintbrush or scissors brings me a special joy! There are so many art related jobs in the world — kids need to explore their creative side.
5. Why did you join the Sparklers Club and how did being in the group help you?
I joined the Sparklers Club after spending my first month creating lesson ideas and writing them down on color coded note cards for each grade level. I was having to dream up the supply list, make a sample, and guess how long it would take. I saw an ad on Facebook and joined the Club for a month to try it out. After seeing the EPIC curriculum, I was hooked and upgraded to the yearly membership. Having the lesson plans to choose from is a huge time saver!
Besides the well planned lessons, the Facebook group is great. I feel like I am not alone in the art room, but part of a group of art teacher friends all working together.
My husband says it’s the best money I could have ever spent on my first year back in the classroom, and I have to agree!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Eva Marie’s earliest dreams for her career in art and the path she took to return to the classroom
What she does to reward behavior and effort in her classroom and how she gets the children excited about art
How she’s implementing what she’s learning in The Sparklers Club int…
LINKS & RESOURCES
Join the Sparklers Club waitlist and get the free GREEK VASE DESIGNS lesson that’s in our Ancient Greek & Roman Art Bundle
Books mentioned in this podcast: The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt & The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
Cassie Stephen’s Blog: Art Teacherin’ in Tennessee
Arte Made Easy 56: Teaching Art to Children with Special Needs
You can visit Patty through Deep Space Sparkle on Facebook and Instagram
Patty Palmer At Home Instagram
Join the Sparklers Club waitlist HERE
support@deepspacesparkle.com
My best advice for teaching art to kids.
Yes, the day has come!
After a long time deciding if, I finally said when.
Thank you SO much for your encouragement, show suggestions and help getting Art Made Easy off the ground.
Many of you were so pumped about this show but confessed that you had no idea what a podcast was. I love you guys for your unbridled enthusiasm.
Here’s a quick definition of a podcast & what to expect from Art Made Easy:
A podcast is a free radio show. The host (me!) interviews guests or talks about a favorite subject. You get to listen through your computer, laptop or smart phone. I like to listen to my favorite podcasts in my car during long travel days or on my walks via set of ear buds and my iPhone.
You can subscribe to the show via iTunes and Stitcher radio. The benefit is that your free podcast ap on your iPhone will automatically be updated with all the podcast episodes from any show you subscribe to.
Go ahead and give it a try!
To listen on your laptop or computer, just click the play button in the colored box below.
To listen via iTunes, click on the “play in iTunes” banner and click subscribe.
And now onto the show…
For my first show, I wanted to tell you my story of how I became an art teacher. We all have different paths and this one is mine. I’ll share advice to those who are just starting out as an art teacher and some of my best tips for teaching art to kids.
This episode is for anyone who thinks they may not have the qualifications to be an art teacher. Teaching art to kids doesn’t have to happen inside a classroom. You can teach art at home, at a summer camp and even as a volunteer (like I did).
If you are an art teacher just beginning your journey, I’m sharing my best advice to get you through that tough first year. Download my free handout and keep it in your teacher planner and refer to it when you have a tough day.
LISTEN TO THE SHOW
SHOW NOTES:
Drawing With Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too
Art Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Adventures in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Paper, and Mixed Media-For Budding Artists of All Ages (Lab Series)
National Art Convention
CreativeLive- free online classes
Art Teachers Facebook Group
Website: Painted Paper in the Art Room (Laura Lohmann)
Website: Art of Education
Book: Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers
PS – Please leave a review on iTunes!
Art Made Easy is now live on iTunes! Subscribing to the show and leaving an honest review really helps the show gain visibility and allows me to tailor the show to your needs.
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Episode 131 and 132 are not showing up in the iTunes podcast app or in stitcher ?
Thank you Amy…we’ll look into it. Appreciate the head’s up!