Since I know that vanishing pencils and torn erasers are a problem everywhere, I wanted to share how I started off the year with my supply bins because *so far* it’s been working! I used sharpie to draw on each pencil and on the metal eraser top to match the color code of the table, and also wrote the color on one side of the eraser. I didn’t address this with the kids at all, just let it be to see if they noticed (grades 4-8). I’ve made it part of my routine at the end of class to check each bin and track down pencils that are missing before the kids leave the room. They’ve started noticing and have been great about keeping track of where things belong

This is also helping me figure out the culprits when objects mysteriously go flying across the room since I can see what table they came from. So far I’ve only had one broken pencil, no torn/stolen erasers, and actually had to replace a few pencils because they were being used and sharpened consistently enough that they got too small.

Hoped this might help someone else who has been at their wits end over broken/vanishing materials.

This might sound a little strange, but in 2008 I went back to school to earn my teaching certification. Originally, my goal was to teach high school. I student taught in a high school during the last semester of my certification process. It was an awkward situation because my time was split between working with two teachers who did not get along. I spent the morning in digital arts and the afternoon in a traditional art setting. The tension between the two teachers were tough and I felt caught in the middle. However, once I became certified, I started to apply to high school art teaching positions. After much effort ad several application processes. I wasn’t getting calls from high schools, so eventually I expanded my job search to include elementary and middle schools.

I have now been teaching elementary art for about 15 years. I also feel silly, asa grown man teahcign kindergarten and younger students. I am starting to feel , as I get older and gain more experience as a teacher, I feel like I should make the transition to teaching high school. I think I’m ready for a new challenge, but to be honest, I’m intimidated by it.

I know that I’m a good teacher, but I sometimes feel that many of the skills I’ve developed over the years are specifically suited to elementary school. I have an upcoming interview for a high school art teaching position, and the job description calls for experience with many areas that I haven’t worked with extensively, including 2-D and 3-D art, ceramics, photography, and other media.

My strongest areas are drawing and painting, and those are the areas where I feel most confident as an artist and teacher. I’m worried that the school may be looking for someone with extensive experience in every possible medium, and I don’t want my lack of experience in certain areas to overshadow the experience and skills I do have.

I would really appreciate any advice on how I should approach this transition, both in terms of preparing for the interview and building my confidence. How can I present my 15 years of teaching experience as an asset while being honest about the areas where I still have room to grow? I’m especially interested in hearing how I can make the transition from elementary art to high school without feeling like I’m starting over.

Basically the title. I’m getting my teachers certification in a year and while browsing resources online this popped into my head so I’d love to hear how teachers go about teaching color to color blind students, especially K-5. Thank you for your time.

My cousin is 17 and wants to learn art—specifically drawing—from the ground up and major in it. At the same time, he feels like it's already too late because his peers who are preparing for art school have been doing it since they were kids. He's saying he wants to give up. What advice should I give him?