If we are being honest, all teachers have some biases. What types of students we connect with, who we like to work with, and who we might favor implicitly. And it takes a really strong teacher to be able to recognize these biases and move past them, creating a quality learning environment for all of our students. So how do we get there? Andrew brings Tim on the show to talk about all of these somewhat difficult topics. They talk about the importance of recognizing our own biases (4:45).
Far too often, art gets pushed to the side when it comes to school culture. But if you build your program the right way, the community you create in your room will help your kids succeed in so many ways. And people will undoubtedly notice. In this wide-ranging discussion, Tim talks to Ryan Loeppky about building an art room culture that gets noticed and shared (6:30), what we should be teaching kids (14:45), and why it is so important to make your kids' work visible (18:30).
In this wide-ranging conversation, Andrew talks with AOE writer about all the great (and not-so-great) things that come with moving toward a choice pedagogy. Along with reviewing the history of TAB and some incredible resources, they discuss their personal journeys into choice-based teaching (8:45), Kelly's highlights that come with being a TAB teacher (14:00), and the myth that TAB teaching is "easy" (23:45).
What is the art challenge initiative? It's a great way to get your kids working on their skills dealing with problem-solving, creativity, and higher-order thinking. Today's guest, Elise Weiler-Korb, is a high school teacher that uses a plethora of challenges to help develop those skills as part of her kids' artmaking process. She and Tim discuss the different forms challenges can take (6:00), why developing confidence is vital (10:00), and her best advice on how and where teachers should begin utilizing challenges (13:30).
Tim absolutely loves sketchbooks, but unfortunately, Andrew doesn't share his passion. Instead, Tim brings on Andrea Slusarski to explore how to make sketchbooks a consistent part of your students' artmaking process. Listen as they discuss the types of sketchbooks that are best for your classroom (6:30), why we make modeling artistic habits a priority (13:45), and Andrea's best advice to prioritize sketchbooks in your classroom (17:15).