About the Author

Jessica Balsley

Hello. I’m Jessica Balsley, Founder of The Art of Education University. My husband Derek and I founded The Art of Education in 2011 to help art teachers around the world access higher quality professional development.

Before founding AOE, I was a K-5 Art Teacher, K-12 Professional Development Coordinator, and Graduate Instructor. I am passionate about helping art teachers perform at a high level, both professionally and personally.

The opposite of boredom is passion. When you are passionate about what you do, you are unstoppable. The Art of Education University exists to help teachers at every stage of their career reignite their passion for and confidence towards teaching. It’s my mission to lead this organization to produce high-quality professional development that is relevant and accessible. 

Posts by Jessica

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Article

10 Things Creative People Need to Know Before Entering the Real World

For creative, artistic people the future is bright. Unfortunately, they are often faced with people who doubt them and often...
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Article

How to Write a High-Quality Art Assessment

If you want to call me an assessment snob, go ahead. You see, in my mind, a multiple choice test...
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Article

8 Classic Painting Techniques From the Masters to Teach Today

When it comes to teaching “The Masters” most of us resort to sharing their most popular work, doing a quick...
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Article

How to Get Your Admin to Finally Respect You!

While recently attending NAEA’s convention in New Orleans, an art teacher from Colorado approached me after one of my sessions...
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Article

The Biggest Complaint We Receive About AOEU Classes

When you first register for any type of class or workshop, one of the big questions you have is about...
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Video

The First Thing You Should Do at Work Every Single Day!

I am on a productivity kick right now for a few different reasons. In addition to a long to-do list...
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Article

Make It Work! 8 Lessons Art Educators Can Learn From Tim Gunn

Sitting in a room of 3,000 plus art teachers, but feeling like you were in an intimate conversation with the...
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Article

AOE LIVE: Ep. 3 – Why Art Is the Most Important Class with Lisa Phillips

Our fearless co-hosts, Andrew and Tim, are joined by a very special guest, author Lisa Phillips. Lisa is the author...
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Video

Recess Isn’t Just for Kids: The Importance of Adult Recess

We send our students out to recess each day. While they play, what do we do? WORK! In today’s video...
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Video

How to Take Less Home Each Night!

In today’s video tip I want to share a stress reliever that seems like a no-brainer but can be easy...
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Article

AOE LIVE: Ep. 2 – Where Do You Find Inspiration? with Jen Dahl

Andrew and Tim join forces for the “official” debut of AOE Live, taking on the topic of Inspiration. Jen Dahl...
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Article

Why Your Students are Overstimulated in Art, and How to Fix It

I recently read an article about surprising ways our brains work, and it stated, “Despite being one of our five main...
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