Art Ed Radio

In this very special episode of Art Ed Radio, Tim is in Los Angeles to interview the one and only Sir Ken Robinson. Sir Ken is a world-renowned expert on creativity and innovation, and his TED Talk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?", is the most viewed TED Talk of all time. In this wide-ranging, nearly hour-long interview, he and Tim cover a plethora of topics. Listen as they discuss the evolution of...

Andrew takes some inspiration from the "This American Life" to talk about the things that we used to believe as art teachers. More importantly, how do our beliefs change over time? How do we evolve? Andrew and Tim bring in some extra voices to guide the conversation as they talk about moving away from the importance of product (8:00), why it takes time to find who you are as a teacher (12:00), and...

As you get to the end of the year, it is a great time to reflect on what you are teaching and why. Tim and Andrew discuss how you can move past simple and baseline projects into more important work with your sutdents. They discuss why you can let perspective drawing fall by the wayside (4:30), differentiating between what needs to be a project and what needs to be a demo (12:00), and making work m...

Andrew goes on a couple epic rants, and Tim succinctly drops some truth as the guys talk about student engagement, and whether we should care what our students think of us. Listen as they cover ideas about why art teachers are so good at building relationships with their students (6:00), some outside-the-box ways to connect with your kids and the importance of shared experiences (13:15), and the c...

How do you build a school culture that values the arts? Tim interviews Shannon Bell about concrete ideas to help you build a program from scratch. They discuss exactly what you're walking into and where you begin when you're starting a program (6:45), whether you should start with engagement or curriculum (10:30), and specific strategies to help get your colleagues and administration to buy in to...

A lot of teachers are dealing with some difficult colleagues--some so bad that they are bringing down the department. So how do we work with those teachers? Andrew brings Tim on the show to talk about how your art program can thrive even when you have a department killer on board. They discuss why every kid needs to be part of your program (9:00), whether you would rather work with talented kids o...

Andrew and Tim get together to share strategies to help your most talented students find the challenges they need, which encourages and empowers them to continue to create. They discuss how to adapt your teaching and your curriculum for your most talented students (7:45), how art can self-differentiate (11:30), and how much you need to support your students when you ask them to take new risks (17:...

A couple weeks ago, Andrew talked about elementary STEAM education with Tricia Fuglestad. This week, he's back with a discussion on STEAM education at the secondary level with AOE instructor Anna Nuttall. They cover a lot of ground in the interview, including what a secondary STEAM curriculum can and should look like (4:45), what STEAM can offer that a traditional curriculum can't (9:30), and the...

It's Drawing Week at AOE, and the guys can't resist getting in on the action. Tim loves to talk drawing, and Andrew has a lot of questions for him about how to improve his own drawing classes. This episode covers a lot of ground, including the best ways to start the year (4:00), why skills and engagement aren't mutually exclusive (18:00), and how important it is to provide quality materials (21:00...

Graffiti gets a terrible rap from most of the general public, but it is SO interesting to our students. So how can we use graffiti for student engagement and inspiration? AOE writer Matt Christenson is on the show to talk about how he uses graffiti in his curriculum and how his students respond. Listen as they talk about how graffiti helps connect almost every student (5:45), the structure of a gr...

So many teachers want to incorporate more technology, and especially more STEAM concepts, into their classroom. In this episode, Andrew brings on STEAM expert Tricia Fuglestad to talk about the best ways to bring these concepts into your classroom. Their discussion covers a wide range of topics, including the benefits of technology integration and trying new things (7:00), finding the right balanc...

This part of the school year is full of art shows and competitions, which can do a lot for your program. They can be an advocacy tool, and a motivating factor for your students--but they can also take the focus off what really matters in the art room. Do you embrace that competition, or are there more important things happening in your art room? Tim and Andrew talk about their personal approach to...

Last week, the guys talked at length about the slow finishers--the ones who never get work done. This week, they are back to talk about the other end of the spectrum--the fast finishers! It can be frustrating as a teacher to fill all of that down time that and deal with the misbehaviors that come from it. Listen as they guys discuss why fast finishers cause stress for both teachers and fellow stud...

There are very few things that annoy us more than those kids that take FOREVER to finish their work. Andrew and Tim talk about the work that never seems to get finished, and the reasons behind it. They discuss how to differentiate between the meticulous students and the disinterested ones (5:45), how to deal with both the perfectionists and the procrastinators (8:15), and whether you can ever use...

Sometimes, February and March are the most difficult time of the year for teachers. It's been a long year already, and the end of the year is still a long way off in the distance. So how do you keep from feeling those effects of teacher burnout? Tim and Andrew talk about how to recognize when you are starting to get burnt out (4:00), ways to keep from feeling overwhelmed (7:45), and how to keep th...

We are on to Learning to Love Ceramics, the sequel! So many teachers have a love/hate relationship with teaching ceramics, but the Radio Guys want to convince everyone they can love ceramics like they do. They try to cover everything they couldn't get to in the last episode, including their favorite ceramics projects to teach (4:00), advice to teachers that aren't as comfortable with ceramics (8:3...

So many teachers have a love/hate relationship with teaching ceramics, but the Radio Guys want to convince everyone they can love ceramics like they do. Tim starts the show with a pretty crazy confession about his history with teaching ceramics (1:15). Andrew comes on the show as the guys discuss their favorite homemade tools (5:30), Tim teaches Andrew how to keep his sinks from smelling disgustin...

Tim has the awesome opportunity to interview author Drew Daywalt--of The Day The Crayons Quit fame--who will be a featured presenter at the 2017 Art Ed Now Online Conference. What most people don't know, however, is that Drew is a successful writer, producer, and director who has found a lot of success with horror films. In a wide-ranging and entertaining conversation, Tim asks Drew about the conn...

As Andrew talked about with Johanna last week, curriculum is way less "what" we teach, and more of "how" we teach it. In Part 2, Tim comes on the show to join Andrew in a discussion about curriculum at the secondary level. They hit on the big themes of autonomy and creativity, and how those themes should influence what and how you teach. Listen as they discuss how to give your students a voice in...

Curriculum is way less "what" we teach, and more of "how" we teach it. Andrew brings on AOE's Johanna Russell to talk about our own systems and routines, and making sure they can work at any level. There are a lot of different approaches to curriculum, of course, but it's important to make sure we are still meeting the standards no matter the approach. As we move beyond that, Andrew talks about mi...

Building relationships with parents can be a daunting task--especially when you teach hundreds of kids. But it's always about communication. There aren't a lot of shortcuts, unfortunately, but putting the time into building relationships is ultimately worth it. Listen as Andrew and Lindsey discuss the benefits of a good relationship with parents (8:30), strategies to build those relationships as a...

Tim had the chance to sit down with author and illustrator Mike Venezia, whose "Getting to Know" series of books are in art rooms around the world. Mike has a great understanding of--and appreciation for--art teachers, and what we do on an everyday basis. This appreciation led to a meaningful and inspirational conversation. Listen as Tim asks Mike about Inspiration and education in art, and how he...

It's time for the First Day of School, version 2.0! Whether you had an amazing first semester or an incredibly difficult one, this is your chance to start new. You have a chance to look at classroom management, curriculum, organization, routines, and everything in between. This is also your chance to recharge and redo what isn't working. Andrew asks Tim about his best classroom management advice (...

No matter how good you are as a teacher, you undoubtedly are going to have a handful of kids who just don't care. So how do you start trying to get them passionate about making art? How can you create a challenging, engaging environment where students enjoy learning? Andrew and Tim talk about pushing students by tapping into their interests (9:00), building student confidence (12:30), and how to g...

For too many art teachers, assessment remains a difficult concept. It's tough to know what's going to work, how it can be implemented, and how it can be incorporated to actually help improve teaching. In this episode, Tim takes on some of these concerns and shares his ideas on making assessment valuable. Heather Crocket, the Educational Director at The Art of Ed, joins the show for a conversation...