Author: Kathleen McGiveron

My Name is Kathleen McGiveron and I am an Artist and the creator of Ms Artastic (Art Education Resources). My favorite art medium is clay!
Top 5 Tips for New Art Teachers
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Top 5 Tips for New Art Teachers

Find the ULTIMATE Top 5 Tips for New Art Teachers to help you navigate and focus your new career teaching art to kids. Art Education is an amazing opportunity to share to young minds, but it isn’t without its challenges that comes with the job of teaching. Find the 5 best tips for new art teachers, first year art teachers, or anyone looking to become an art teacher.

The BEST Advice, Ideas, and Resources for New Art Teachers
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The BEST Advice, Ideas, and Resources for New Art Teachers

Find the BEST Advice, Ideas, Tips, and Resources for New Art Teachers and those who are in their first year as an art teacher or are looking to become an art teacher. Being an Art Teacher can sometimes present its own challenges or difficulties so read to find some advice for traversing this amazing journey of teaching art education to kids.

How Artists Get Ideas for Making Art
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How Artists Get Ideas for Making Art

In this blog post, we’re going to explore how artists get ideas for making art with kids for the purpose that as teachers, we are guiding kids through being creative thinkers and teaching them to be artists themselves. It is important to teach them about how artists get ideas and inspiration for their artworks so they can apply this to their own creative process whether when making art or sketchbook explorations or with choice-based learning ideas. In this blog post I will talk about how artists get ideas, where artists get ideas, art inspiration, where artists source subjects, and how to get inspired.

5 Valentine’s Day Directed Drawing Tutorials for Elementary Students
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5 Valentine’s Day Directed Drawing Tutorials for Elementary Students

Let’s explore 5 Valentine’s Day Directed Drawing Tutorials for Elementary Students that require no prep and can allow you to give students the choice of picking something to draw with and something to color with or draw on. These video tutorials are perfect to use as easy directed draws for Valentine’s Day for kids and can be used as drawings, turned into artworks, or drawn onto cards to give to families or kindness cards to fill buckets.

Christmas Santa Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Christmas Santa Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson Plans

Kids get pretty excited as the days inch closer to Christmas so to help them explore art making but keep them engaged, I will provide you with a simple yet effective Christmas Santa art lesson to get students exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring a Santa Claus. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Winter Snowman Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Winter Snowman Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson Plans

I love seeing kids make snowmen on the playground (even when they pick up rocks) so I will provide you with a simple yet effective art lesson to get your students in exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring a winter snowman art project. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Winter Snow Kitty Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Winter Snow Kitty Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson Plans

I love teaching kids how to use soft pastels so in this art lesson tutorial I will provide you with a simple yet effective winter snow kitty art lesson to get students in your classroom exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring a cute cat in the snow. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Winter Landscape Art Project for your Classroom with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Winter Landscape Art Project for your Classroom with Printable Art Lesson Plans

Winter is almost here so to inspire your students, I will provide you with a simple yet effective Winter Tree Landscape art lesson to get kids exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring winter evergreen trees. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Autumn Harvest Art Project for your Classroom with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Autumn Harvest Art Project for your Classroom with Printable Art Lesson Plans

I love Autumn, Fall, and all things Harvest so in this blog post, I will provide you with a simple yet effective art lesson to get your Elementary students exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an Autumn or Fall art project featuring a cute Harvest Fruit and Veggies Artwork for Kids. Read on to learn how to create the art project and find the and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Halloween Jack O’ Lantern Art Project for Elementary with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Halloween Jack O’ Lantern Art Project for Elementary with Printable Art Lesson Plans

Halloween is my favorite holiday and it is a great opportunity to experiment and get creative in your elementary classroom so in this blog post, I will provide you with a simple yet effective art lesson to get students exploring art making mediums and making a Monochromatic artwork with simple strategies to create an art project featuring a Jack-O-Lantern. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Autumn Squirrel Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Autumn Squirrel Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson Plans

Autumn is upon us and I know Fall and Autumn art projects are needed in classrooms so in this blog post, I will provide you with a simple yet effective art lesson to get primary and elementary students exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring a cute Autumn Squirrel. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Warm Color Autumn Leaf Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson
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Warm Color Autumn Leaf Art Project for Kids with Printable Art Lesson

Autumn is coming and I know teachers and homeschool families are looking for Art Lessons for the season, so in this blog post, I will provide you with a simple yet effective art lesson for kids to explore Warm Colors schemes and exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring a Fall Leaf. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Color Wheel Art Project for Middle School with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Color Wheel Art Project for Middle School with Printable Art Lesson Plans

Teaching color theory and color mixing in color wheels with watercolor paints is always an exciting thing to start with when introducing paints to your Middle School students so in this blog post, I will provide you with a simple yet effective art lesson to get your class exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring an expressive hand artwork that also doubles as a color wheel. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

Artastic Kids Online Streaming Art Lessons and Activities for Children at Home or in a Classroom
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Artastic Kids Online Streaming Art Lessons and Activities for Children at Home or in a Classroom

Well, I have to tell you, I am SO excited. I have recently launched my newest project that I have been working on for over a year and it is called Artastic Kids. It is my Online Art Lesson Streaming Platform that parents or grandparents or teachers or homeschool families can use to stream art lessons directly to their homes using easy-to-find, affordable art mediums. I am talking 4 art mediums and I will show kids how to use them in a ton of different ways to create a ton of different artworks that all come in just-right levels. So let’s dive in on what Artastic Kids is all about!

Crayon Art Project for Primary with Printable Art Lesson Plans
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Crayon Art Project for Primary with Printable Art Lesson Plans

I love getting kids excited about art so in this blog post, I will provide you with a simple yet effective art lesson to get primary students (pre-K, Kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2) exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring a cute wax crayon portrait. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.

3 Elements of Art Choice-Based Art Ideas, Lessons, or Activities for your Classroom and a FREE Printable Choice Board
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3 Elements of Art Choice-Based Art Ideas, Lessons, or Activities for your Classroom and a FREE Printable Choice Board

I love letting kids explore the Elements of Art through Choice-Based strategies when introducing them to my class. In this article I will dive in on 3 Elements of Art Choice-Based Art Lesson Ideas or Activities that you can use in your classroom right away. Low prep and high engagement, here we go! Better yet, they allow for some fabulous choice-based opportunities to start the year off flexible in your classroom. Let’s get into it!

3 Back to School Choice-Based Art Ideas, Lessons, or Activities for your Classroom with FREE Printable Choice Board
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3 Back to School Choice-Based Art Ideas, Lessons, or Activities for your Classroom with FREE Printable Choice Board

Back to School is the time of year when we are super-charged and looking for brand new art lesson ideas to experiment with and my friend, I have 3 Back to School Art Lesson ideas that you can use as activities in those first weeks of school. Better yet, they allow for some fabulous choice-based opportunities to start the year off flexible in your classroom. Let’s get into it!

The BEST Advice and Tips for New Art Teachers Heading Into Back to School | Pro-D Webinar
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The BEST Advice and Tips for New Art Teachers Heading Into Back to School | Pro-D Webinar

You are FINALLY an Art Teacher! Now What? Where should you focus? How should you begin? Here are my Top 5 Tips, Advice, and Resources for First Year Art Teachers to help you get started and find clarity as a New Art Teacher. Listen carefully and take notes through this entire FREE Webinar Replay that will set you up for success during Back To School whether you’re a First Year Art Teacher, New Art Teacher, Art Educator or someone who wants solid advice no matter what age you teach art to. THIS is the webinar for you.

3 Kid’s Art Ideas and Activities & FREE Printable Scavenger Hunt!
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3 Kid’s Art Ideas and Activities & FREE Printable Scavenger Hunt!

Find 3 Kid’s Art Ideas for Lessons or activities for at home or in your classroom and read to the bottom to get a FREE Printable Art Scavenger Hunt which is perfect for encouraging observational drawing, student choice, and exploration of choice art mediums. Grab a note pad or planning binder and let’s dive into these ideas so you can incorporate more exploration and student choice into Art Educations!

What are the 9 Principles of Design and How do I Teach them?
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What are the 9 Principles of Design and How do I Teach them?

You might be asking, What are the 9 Principles of Art and Design and How Do I Teach Them? The 9 Principles of Design Are: Contrast, Emphasis, Movement, Repetition, Proportion, Rhythm, Balance, Unity, and Variety and they are the foundations of creating art and are the rules for how Artists arrange elements or the Elements of Art to create an Artwork. Let’s dive in and learn about the 9 Principles of Design, Which You Should Teach First, and How to Teach them.

Artastic Collective ENROLLMENT is OPENING SOON for Art Teachers: Art Teacher Curriculum & Membership

Artastic Collective ENROLLMENT is OPENING SOON for Art Teachers: Art Teacher Curriculum & Membership

If you’re an Art Teacher looking for a complete Art Curriculum full of engaging Art Lessons for your classroom, then you need to check out the Artastic Collective, the premium membership for Art Teachers that is going to help you level-up your Art Teaching game. First Year art teacher? New to teaching? Established teacher? No matter where you are in your art teacher journey, there is something for everyone in the Artastic Collective Art Teacher Membership. From bundles of Art Lessons being released every month in Artists & Art History, Elements & Principles, and Themes, to sketchbook programs, ceramics lessons, an Exclusive Year-Long Art Teacher Growth Course, Exclusive Art Teacher monthly Challenges, an Exclusive Community Forum, and an Exclusive Directed Drawing series for your when-you’re-done needs, get this membership. 

CONTEST: Enter to Win a 1 Year FREE Membership to the Artastic Collective Art Curriculum!

CONTEST: Enter to Win a 1 Year FREE Membership to the Artastic Collective Art Curriculum!

This year I am going BIG to CELEBRATE entering the 3rd year of my baby, the Artastic Collective Membership which is my Art Curriculum for Educators… so naturally… I am hosting a HUGE CONTEST!! Super easy to enter and it will give you the chance to win a 1 year FREE Membership to the Artastic Collective! I am totally serious and totally excited! Scroll down to learn how to enter this insane contest!

5 Top Qualities and Traits of a Good Art Teacher
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5 Top Qualities and Traits of a Good Art Teacher

Ever Wonder what Qualities make a Good Art Teacher? Being an Art Teacher or Educator is an AMAZING job. But… Have you ever wondered how you can be the BEST Art Teacher your students will ever have? Do you stay awake at night wondering what will make you a better or great Art Teacher for your students? Do you wonder how you can get that fabulous Art Teacher confidence that you see all over social media? Do you want to know how to get a grasp on all-the things? Want to say YES to being a Good or AMAZING Art Teacher? Here are the Top 5 Qualities and Traits of a Good Art Teacher.

3 Kid’s Nature Art Ideas & FREE Printable Scavenger Hunt!
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3 Kid’s Nature Art Ideas & FREE Printable Scavenger Hunt!

Find 3 Kid’s Nature Art Ideas for Lessons or activities for at home or in your classroom and read to the bottom to get a FREE Printable Art & Nature Scavenger Hunt which is perfect for encouraging observational drawing, student choice, and exploration of choice art mediums. Grab a note pad or planning binder and let’s dive into these ideas so you can incorporate more nature into Art Educations!

How-To Create an Effective, Organized Art Lesson Plan

How-To Create an Effective, Organized Art Lesson Plan

I love Art. Teaching Art is a wonderful experience where you can create wonderment for children. What’s not so fun is creating Art Lesson plans, and this can be a daunting task. Planning effective Art Lesson plans is a skill to be learned. Here are my Top Tips for Creating Effective Art Lesson Plans that Keep you Organized, Planned, and Confident (and will have your Administrators smiling).