Teaching Philosophies

How to Teach Art When You’re Not an Artist

Question. Did the answer come quickly or did you pause? You may think that in order to say Yes you must have had some sort of formal art training. Or at...Learn More

Related categories: How to Teach Art, Teaching Philosophies

5 Painting Tips for the Young Artist

5 Tips for Painting with Kids You’ve all seen the amazing art projects on art teacher blogs and Pinterest. Inspiration and ideas are everywhere. But you may be wondering if you can...Learn More

Related categories: How to Teach Art, Teaching Philosophies, Tempera Paint

Colorful Art Banners for your Art Room

I’ll admit it. My art room is looking pretty darn ugly. The walls are bare, stacks of paper are shoved against the walls and half-empty paint bottles are jammed onto open shelving. It’s...Learn More

Related categories: Teaching Philosophies

Favorite Posts of 2014

2014 has been a great year. That’s not to say that everything went swimmingly, but I crossed stuff off my bucket list and ended the year happy. This site has been a catalyst for...Learn More

Related categories: Blogging, Living the Artful Life, Teaching Philosophies

What to do with Early Finishers

It’s funny how questions come in waves. I just received this question from a reader and within a week, I had two similar questions in my inbox. I guess there...Learn More

Related categories: How to Teach Art, Teaching Philosophies

Does your Paper Curl?

Curling paper is an annoyance in the art room, but can you prevent it? I don’t think you can eliminate it entirely, but choosing the right papers for your art...Learn More

Related categories: How to Teach Art, Teaching Philosophies

My Adventures with Paper Mache

If there were a prize for the best art genre for kids, I’m pretty sure Paper Mache would get the votes. It’s a quintessential art project and most everybody remembers...Learn More

Related categories: 4th Grade Art Lessons, Animals, Paper Projects, Teaching Philosophies

To Spray or Not To Spray…chalk pastels

Spraying Chalk Pastels Chalk pastels are one of my favorite products to use in the art room. They allow a child to lay down a lovely layer of color with...Learn More

Related categories: Chalk Pastels, How to Teach Art, Teaching Philosophies, The Best Art Supplies

How to Get Children to Draw Big

How do you encourage children to produce images large enough to paint or color? It’s a great question, isn’t it? One of my DSS Facebook readers asked this very question so...Learn More

Related categories: Art Lessons by Technique, Art Room Management, How to Teach Art, Pastels & Crayons, Teaching Philosophies