I bet you’re excited and ready to start planning! There’s so many things you can start prepping for to make your teaching experience go smooth. These tips will help if you are new to teaching art, or even a couple years into it.
Here’s what you should be prepping:
- Building lesson plans & art curriculum
- Art Scheduling & time segments
- Getting your art supply list together
- Ordering art supplies
- Planning art storage
- How to assess student skill-sets
- Art procedures & routines
- Art Project Make & Take
Building lesson plans & art curriculum in all honesty, coming up with an art lesson just takes a bit of preparation and basic knowledge of what your students are capable of learning and understanding.
I know it can be challenging—stressful even—to try and come up with art lessons when you have no art experience.
It’s been the norm to think we need to be teaching kids the classical Masters along with advance Elements and Principles of Design—but that’s not the case!
Students struggle to learn those high-level, in-depth concepts because they need a foundation of simple art lessons first.
So start with the very basic art elements, there’s plenty more, but start here for the first few months of art lessons.
LINE
SHAPE
COLOR
FORM
The Elements and Principles of Design teaches children how to communicate what they see in their artworks, as well as how to describe their process.
Want to learn more start by ordering these books for more specific knowledge:
- Defining Visual Arts
- Early Childhood Art Guide
- Introducing Visual Arts to Montessori Classrooms
- Nurturing Children In The Visual Naturally
The truth is you CAN present art lessons without being an artist!
Isn’t that great news!?
You don’t have to be an artist to teach art literacy and concepts. (But I do have an online course, Art Teaching Blueprint, that does train you in how to teach art if you’re interested!)
Art Scheduling & Time Segments
Trust me when I say I understand every teacher has a different schedule! Some may have 15 minutes to teach, and even have to see hundreds of children in one day. I’ve taught all these situations on an art cart, moving from one classroom to another.
So the most important thing is to ask yourself, what do you want to teach your students this year”?
What mediums and techniques are important to teach this year?
When you put some thought into this, you can plan lessons and time segments with purpose!
For children to experience meaningful art lessons it has to take time.
If you see students once or twice a month, but only have limited time, its still plenty of time, so don’t worry!
Plan out the sessions it will take to teach each new concepts.
Here’s an example of what I mean;
Collaging –The focus would be to teach how to cut, glue, and paste. And also learn how to arrange in space, learn balance, and composition ideas. This should take around 4 to 5 segments to teach.Time to introduce idea, explore mediums, have time to creat in a process-based way.
How Long Should An Art Lesson Be?
My guide and rule for figuring this timeline out has to do with following The artistic process and the students’ cognitive processing, this is based on my science art method.
An art lesson has 3 main parts to it, you can time art lessons out by my formula:
1. Setting–up
2. Artistic Process (Creative discovery, planning, and constructing)
3. Clean- up and storage
Timing mostly depends on the age of your student. If you are working with early childhood – toddler students, then you will be the person doing all the setting–up and clean–up. So the time of the art lesson will be much shorter.
You might be teaching preschool ages and want them to learn setting- up and the clean-up process. So you will add in those times for 3-6 years.
Elementary ages will be more independent and most likely be in charge of their setting–up and clean–up, plus storing their own projects. But, if you are a teacher that is limited on time, you can do this part to move classes in and out quicker.
I talk a lot about this in my professional development workshops on how to manage art lessons with limited school schedules.
Example:
- Toddlers 15 – 20 minutes
- Preschool 3-6 age 20 – 40 minutes
- Lower elementary grades 30 – 40 minutes
- Upper elementary 1 hour
Getting your art supply list together
Start making your wish list. You can use a amazon wish list. You can start taking advantage of back to school sales. You can start planning for the first few months of school and only pick up quality art materials. One of the most costly supplies you will need is drawing and painting papers!
Now is the time to start keeping an eye for good deals. Grab your cell phone and create your shopping list. You want to have that it inncase you’re shopping and need to remember what’s on that list. But nows the time!
Ok, next week I’ll dive into the other topics:
- Ordering art supplies
- Planning art storage
- How to assess student skill-sets
- Art procedures
- Art Project Make & Take
Spramani Elaun – International Art Teacher Trainer
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