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YouTube For Art Lesson Ideas, New Art Techniques, and Drawing Tutorials in your Art Classroom
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YouTube For Art Lesson Ideas, New Art Techniques, and Drawing Tutorials in your Art Classroom

In this Blog Post I am going to talk about how you can bring YouTube into your classroom and how-to use it to teach new art making skills and techniques to your students, whether you’re in class teaching, remote learning, or if students are in class and need new skills or processes to learn and explore. Or maybe you want to visit a gallery but don’t have the budget… Or maybe you want to have a fun drawing tutorial to use in those odd 10 minutes left in class when a lesson ended early, or to allow as a when you’re done for your fast finishers… Let’s look at some cool ideas for using YouTube in your Art Classroom this school year. #youtube #msartastic

Ted Harrison Art Lesson, Project, and Art Activity Ideas for Kids
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Ted Harrison Art Lesson, Project, and Art Activity Ideas for Kids

I’m going talk about who artist Ted Harrison is and I’ll give you some ideas for Ted Harrison Art Lessons that you can do with your students. Let’s learn about amazing Artist, Ted Harrison, and ideas for art lessons that you can teach that are inspired by his style of making art. Let’s get into it!

5 End of Year Art Lesson Ideas, Art Projects, and Art Activities for Kids
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5 End of Year Art Lesson Ideas, Art Projects, and Art Activities for Kids

In this article I’m going to give you some fresh and new ideas for teaching art at the End of the Year and yes, this shall include End of Year Art Lesson Ideas! So read on to discover 5 End of Year Art Lesson Ideas that you can use in your classroom, whether you teach in a general classroom or an art classroom! Let’s make some art!

5 Social Emotional Learning Art Lesson and Project Ideas for your Classroom
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5 Social Emotional Learning Art Lesson and Project Ideas for your Classroom

In this blog post, I’m going to give you 5 Social Emotional Learning Art Ideas that you can use in your Art Classroom! As well, I’ll tell you about what Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is, how to instruct it, and how to encourage students to engage in the lessons. I’ll give you lesson ideas that you can use right away with your students, and I will also give you links to Art Projects that are ready-to-use! Before we begin, let’s understand what Social Emotional Learning, or SEL is and what it can look like in the art classroom or through art!

5 Earth Day Art Lesson and Project Ideas for your Art Classroom
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5 Earth Day Art Lesson and Project Ideas for your Art Classroom

In this article I’m going to give you 5 Ideas for Earth Day Art Lessons for your Art Classroom that you can use with your own choice of art mediums or materials. These art lessons will explore a range of art making techniques and will explore a variety of art making styles, such as installation art, art using recycled materials, or photography. We’re going to learn about Earth Day and reflect on what it means through creating art with the students in our classrooms. Alright, let’s dive on into this blog post!

Art Teacher TLC… Taking Care of YOU – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Art Teacher TLC… Taking Care of YOU – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Today I’m going to be talking about something important, which is Art Teacher TLC. We can’t be there for the kids if we aren’t there for ourselves first. As we know, teaching consumes a lot of our focus power, energy, and emotions. Some years are harder than others, and some moments in the day are more stressful. This pandemic year has added another lovely layer to it.

Becoming an Art Teacher Boss… Strategies for Success – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Becoming an Art Teacher Boss… Strategies for Success – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Today, I’ll talk about things that you can do in your art teaching practice to fire it up and take it to boss level. They will help you get those things checked off your to-do list and help you be a more productive teacher so that you can leave sooner each day. Because living your life… Is kind of a big deal. Let’s learn strategies for being Art Teacher BOSS!

Be an Art Teacher BOSS… Mindset Strategies – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Be an Art Teacher BOSS… Mindset Strategies – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Someone who is Art Teacher BOSS knows what they want, how to get what they want, and implements the process to get it. This is what it means to be BOSS! Essentially, you’re the ultimate to-do list checker, task completer, and productivity person. Being boss is a great mindset to have. Of course, it’s not just mindset. You have to feel it in your heart and you have to do the work to get there. Being boss means that your actively and consciously doing the steps each and every day, every moment, working to make the slight improvements in yourself that are needed to get to your goals and your better version of yourself. I like to say: “Reflect, self-improve, and calibrate perfection.” Of course, this is a LONG journey of success, not a quick trip. This is way of LIVING LIFE.

Reflective Teaching Strategies for Art Teachers – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Reflective Teaching Strategies for Art Teachers – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Hello my lovely friends, I am your host Kathleen McGiveron, founder of all things Ms Artastic. Today we’re going to talk a bit about reflective teaching practices.

This is a topic that I need to focus on as well. It is so often that we feel alone in our classrooms, offices, or studios… We show up, do the work, and go home. Sometimes we have colleagues, but it’s not all the time that we see them. As well, they may know you well, but they might not know what is happening inside your classroom, or your office, or studio. I think it is important that we remind ourselves of the magic makers in our lives, which are ourselves.

Encourage Students to Be Creative in Your Art Classroom – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Encourage Students to Be Creative in Your Art Classroom – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Art Teachers, we’re going to talk about Encouraging students to be creative in your Art Classroom! First, I’m going to share with you some ideas of how to fuel your creativity, which you can write down notes for then share in your OWN classroom. Second, I’ll talk about some Finish the Picture and Creativity Challenge ideas. These are all ideas that you can use or teach in your own classroom that can help encourage your students to be creative.

Inspiring the Reluctant Artists or Art Makers in your Art Classroom – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Inspiring the Reluctant Artists or Art Makers in your Art Classroom – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Art teachers, we know encouraging students to make art can sometimes happen easily and other times, it’s a challenge. You bring out, act out, or show your “hook” and BAM! They’re engaged and are wanting to do their best. Depending on the age or the student’s own personal experience with creating art, this is sometimes a challenge and you might even get a complete refusal. As a teacher, it is our job to encourage a student to create. After many years of experience teaching, and having taught art to students from Kindergarten to Grade 12, I have a few tricks up my sleeve in terms of getting ALL your students to create art, even if they really don’t want to. Let’s look at ideas for how to inspire the reluctant artists and art makers in your classroom.

What to do with Fast Finishers in your Art Classroom – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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What to do with Fast Finishers in your Art Classroom – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Art Teachers, in your Art Classroom you’re always going to have students finish before the rest so let’s take a look at some ideas or routines that you can build into your classroom so that students know what to do when they’re done so they don’t have to ask you and so that you don’t have to instruct them on what to do EVERY time.

Ms Artastic’s Art Teacher Curriculum: About the Art Resource Membership

Ms Artastic’s Art Teacher Curriculum: About the Art Resource Membership

Well my lovely friends, I just wanted to take the time today to share with you a little bit about a resource that can honestly… be a game changer for art teachers. Now, it is not everyday that art teachers get things that are shiny, new, and spectacular… but this IS!

Now, before we get started, I just want to tell you that… Well, I get it. Art Teaching isn’t all rainbows and glitter. It isn’t always a magical moment where you’re creating art with kids or are looking at and hanging student artwork. There is the OTHER side of being an art teacher, and that involves both planning and grading. Now, while I can’t grade for you as you have to do the assessment as your student’s teacher, I CAN alleviate some of the other stress that is a HUGE time suck in your life. And when I mean time suck, I mean endless hours both searching for ideas, finding inspiration, creating tidy lesson plans, matching it to curricular content, and then making all the student handouts and worksheets to match. Just building a unit from the ground up is all kinds of hours, which, of course, we can’t do during class time. This is all done… on YOUR time.

Creating Happiness in your Art Classroom – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Creating Happiness in your Art Classroom – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Teachers, let’s talk about creating happiness among your students in your art classroom. For me, this is so important. Right now, at this strange and unusual moment in time, it is essential. It is a major part of creating a positive learning space, creating a strong classroom community, building trust with ALL your students, and creating a classroom that kids WANT to be in.

Tips for Teaching Art during Distance Learning, Part 2 – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Tips for Teaching Art during Distance Learning, Part 2 – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Today we’re going to discuss some ideas for teaching Distance Learning or Remote Learning style to your students in your Art Classroom. I’m going to provide a lot of ideas and you can decide what might work for you or take some ideas and tweak them for your own classroom. Every classroom and group of students is different so make it work for you. You got this art teacher!

Tips for Teaching Art during Distance Learning for Art Teachers, Part 1 – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators
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Tips for Teaching Art during Distance Learning for Art Teachers, Part 1 – Teaching Strategies for Art Educators

Teaching during Distance Learning is going to be oh so challenging for teachers. There is not one model to follow. Some are teaching in class and might be going remote later, or will start remote then will switch to in class. Some teachers are teaching on a cart and remotely. There are full remote learning models and there are hybrid models. All of this adds to confusion and stress because we’re not all in the same boat together and instead it feels like were drifting on a raft in the middle of the ocean and the winds just picked up and the sharks have arrived. At times, it even feels like the raft is just breaking apart. Here are my tips for teaching art during Distance Learning or Remote Learning.

November Art Lesson and Project Ideas for your Classroom
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November Art Lesson and Project Ideas for your Classroom

In this Article I’ll give you ideas for Art Lessons or Art Projects that you can do in your Art Classroom, general classroom, or at home if you’re a homeschool parent. These are all themes for art that are perfectly suited for teaching art to kids in November! You can use these ideas for Elementary or Middle School students. #novemberart #msartastic #iteachart

Who is Ms Artastic? I’ll tell you who I am!

Who is Ms Artastic? I’ll tell you who I am!

Hello my lovely friends! Today I thought I’d share with you a little bit about WHO I am. Now before I do, I’ll give you a brief introduction about who I am and then… I’ll go DEEP!

Hey there, I’m Kathleen McGiveron and I’m a professional artist, teacher, and the creator of Ms Artastic. As an artist, I create lowbrow artworks and have shown my work in both commercial and public galleries. I’m also Ms Artastic and I create art teaching resources and art lessons for Artastic Nation. I have two cats named Audrey and Russell and I live in Canada.

Autumn Art Lesson and Project Ideas for an Elementary Classroom
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Autumn Art Lesson and Project Ideas for an Elementary Classroom

It’s already FALL. Well, I’ll be honest, I have my pumpkins out already… but I grow them myself. I LOVE growing pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. It is a 6 month adventure as I start my Atlantic Giants indoors in the spring… then after months of TLC I get a giant pumpkin or 2! They’re so beautiful. Also, Halloween is my Christmas. If you’re someone who wants to start getting ready for Christmas in November… well, that is how I feel about Halloween. I LOVE IT. But I also love Autumn too so let’s get inspired by some lovely autumn artworks that you can do with your kids in your classroom or at home.

Art Teacher TLC during the Pandemic: Take care of YOU!
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Art Teacher TLC during the Pandemic: Take care of YOU!

Art Teachers! Let’s talk about TLC. As well, find a GIVEAWAY in this post! We are SO STRESSED. This year is completely beyond manageable and overwhelming. This year is going to absorb a lot of our patience, energy, and even our welfare. It is going to be really important that we make sure that we take care of ourselves this year because when we’re stressed and overworked, we can create ill effects for both our mental and physical health. I always find that when I am stressed out that I get sick a lot easier. Scroll to the end of this post to find my Art Teacher TLC Bingo Contest! Let’s look at some ways to incorporate some Art Teacher TLC into our lives. #msartasticbingo #artteacher #artteachertlc

Back to School Tips for Teaching Art During the Pandemic
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Back to School Tips for Teaching Art During the Pandemic

When it comes to Back to School, a little panic sets in because of the unknown. We are unsure if any changes will happen in the school (which this year, there most likely will be), unsure of our schedule, unsure if there will be supplies budget cuts (why do they do this!?), unsure if the staff has changed significantly, unsure who the kids are… These are all unknowns. These are, for the most part, out of your control. We cannot worry about things we can’t control. We are instead, going to place out focus on things we CAN control. If we focus our attention here and get things we can control organized and prepped, it will make our back to school, as well as the year, a lot more stress-free. Isn’t that the goal anyway?

Hear my Story. Know my WHY! Enrollment to the Artastic Collective Membership is closing soon!

Hear my Story. Know my WHY! Enrollment to the Artastic Collective Membership is closing soon!

Explore creating art focused on the Elements of Art in an At Home Learning setting, perfect for Homeschooling or Distance Learning. This blog post has art projects and lessons for experimenting with Line, Value, Mixing Colors, and Texture with unexpected art mediums you already have in your home (that you just didn’t realize you have).

The Artastic Collective Membership: Art Lesson Library for Art Teachers

The Artastic Collective Membership: Art Lesson Library for Art Teachers

The Artastic Collective Art Teacher Membership provides Art Instructors with an Art Resource and Lesson Library was founded by ME, Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic). My mission is to provide you with prepared art lessons, resources, and activities that will allow you to free up your time and live your life, whether that means traveling, pursuing your hobbies, or spending time with your family. You should be able to be an educator or teacher and be able to have the time to LIVE life. With this membership, you will receive teaching ideas, inspiration, and guidance to help you navigate and problem-solve in your classroom or studio. This membership will give you the freedom to create art with kids, live your life, and will help you engage your students with art lessons.

Art in Nature! Art Lesson and Activity Idea for Kids and your Classroom
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Art in Nature! Art Lesson and Activity Idea for Kids and your Classroom

Let’s look at making art in nature with things we can find! So many artists have created art in our natural world and this is a great exploration to do with your students, especially if you want to get them outdoors, creating! As well, this makes a perfect Distance Learning art piece that they can do at home!

Art Teacher Interview: Whitney Panetta – Teaching Resources for Art Educators

Art Teacher Interview: Whitney Panetta – Teaching Resources for Art Educators

In this interview you will get to know Whitney Panetta, a high school art teacher. She is also the creator of Look Between the Lines. “I have had experience teaching K-college through student teaching, full time teaching, being a graduate assistant, and volunteer work. The majority of my education experience is in art education and yearbook, although I love designing products outside of my expertise. I received my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Art Education and my Masters of Art Education at the University of Georgia (go dawgs!).