August Mailbag: BTS Anxiety, Art on a Cart, and First Day Ideas (Ep. 380)

Welcome to Art Ed Radio, the podcast for art teachers. This show is produced by the Art of Education University. I’m your host, Tim Bogatz.

All right. Welcome to August. Welcome to the August mailbag. We are coming to you today from the DePaul Art Museum where we just finished the NOW Conference. Not only is Amanda Heyn here–Hello, Amanda–

Hello, hello.

We also have Sarah Krajewski. Sarah, how are you?

Good. What’s up?

It’s so exciting to have an extra guest on the podcast, and I know we have a ton of questions today. We’ve been inundated with Instagram questions and emails and voicemails.

Oh, my gosh.

I know you’re excited about it.

We’re so excited.

So we’re going to try and get through a lot of questions. We’re going to try and keep our answers fairly short. I know I like to talk slowly and talk a lot, and I’m going to try and remedy that today but we want to get a few different perspectives and see how that goes.

One disclaimer, we’re recording right next to the L-station, so you may hear some trains in the background. We’ve also had sirens all day, so who knows what’s going to be in the background of this podcast?

This is a real-life recording.

Yeah, it’s just all live, all three of us in a room with God knows what’s going on outside.

We just really want you to feel like you’re here with us.

Yes, so that’ll be great. So we always like to do story time to start our mailbag episodes. So, Amanda, it’s been an interesting few days in Chicago. What stands out to you for story time?

I think the thing that stands out the most to me is the lamps in our hotel.

Oh, my gosh.

Okay, so we’re staying in Printers Row which is a very cool, historic neighborhood in Chicago. Our hotel is book-themed and it’s very cool.

I think it is very nice.

It’s a very well-designed hotel. All three of our rooms weren’t ready, so we all went to the one to drop our stuff, and we walked in and we were stopped in our tracks because there were the most interesting hotel lamps that you’ve ever seen.

They all really had something to say, is where we’ll start.

Right, and so then we just started discussing like, “Oh, do you the design elements of this lamp?” and “What do you think of this one?” and “Which one is the best?” And then we got a little stuck.

Right, we were fighting over which one was the best. We could not come to a consensus.

That’s right. And so then we decided, as true teachers, I think Janet Taylor would be so proud of us. We made a lamp rubric.

We absolutely did, and I drew little thumbnail sketches and we had categories. I believe it was glow and function and resemblance because a lot of them looked like things too.

Yeah, one looked like a book.

Yeah, one looked like a seashell or a telescope.

And there was another one, what was it? Vibes.

Vibes. Oh, no, Janet would not be proud of us.

I feel like that takes us-

There was a lot of subjective components to the rubric, but it was very fun.

Yeah, it keeps it, for me, a little legitimate rubric when you say vibes on there but it was still fun. It was good. I did not like it as much because my favorite lamp did not do well on the rubric.

I’m so sorry.

I know. So obviously I’m blaming the rubric rather than my own taste, but it’s fair. It’s fair.

It was fun.

Yeah, it was good. It was a good way to kick off our week in Chicago here. It’s been awesome. We had a great conference, and we just wrapped up less than an hour ago and decided we should record a podcast.

Why not?

So let’s answer some questions. Amanda, do you want to dip into the Instagram mailbag to start us out?

I sure do. Okay, our first question comes from Carrie Nara on Instagram, and this is short and sweet because I put up a question box. It says, “How to get rid of BTS anxiety.” Now, I’m assuming that is not a pop band, but how to get rid of back-to-school anxiety. So what do we think?

What if K-pop gives me anxiety?

Then don’t listen to it before school.

Let’s not go down that rabbit hole. So ideas on how to get rid of back-to-school anxiety. One, I think for me, remember, I’m going to try and make this quick. The overarching thing is just to take care of yourself as best you can, like if you need to drink lots of water, do that. If you need to get so many hours of sleep, do that. If you need to find time to exercise, do that. You know yourself, you know your body, you know the mental side of things as well. So do what you need to do to take care of yourself.

I would say find your support system and find somebody to talk to, whether that’s a colleague down the hall, another art teacher from across town, or just your significant other who can help you talk through ideas. Just somebody that can support you with what you’re doing that you can bounce ideas off of, and that can give you the partner that you need to get through everything that you need to do for back to school.

Then I would say, just make sure that you’re prepared to the level that you want to be. Some people need their first six weeks planned out. Other people are like, “I’ll just get supplies and we will wing it on day one.” It’s different for everybody but just get to a place that you know you’ll feel comfortable walking in at the beginning of school. So Sarah, what about you? Ideas on how to cure back-to-school anxiety?

Yeah, I think especially from the conference, one of the big words that I heard over and over again was joy and finding the joy in what we do and trying to just focus on the fun and what makes our job so amazing. So especially at the end of last year, we’d take a moment and when my kids were working, I would just stand back and just watch them, which sounds so interesting but just looking across the room. A student just quietly focusing or chatting with their friend about something and I don’t often take the time to do that. So being a little bit slower, intentional, and looking up and finding the joy in what the students are doing around us.

All right. Amanda?

Yeah, I echo all of that. I don’t think you should do what you see other people doing. I think you should do what you want to be doing, whether that’s planning ahead so you can relax or vice versa. Really just taking the time you need, and like I always say, “Look into your heart and see what you want to do.” The other thing I would say is, you and I were talking about, Sarah, maybe all of us were talking about this, the fun doesn’t have to leave your life once school starts.

I totally think that. I’m like, “School’s here. I don’t have a life now.”

So maybe planning something for three to four weeks into the school year that you can look forward to. Something on a weekend, something with your family, something non-school related so that you have something to look forward to, through the beginning of the school year, might be a good tip for you.

All right. Excellent. Next question. This is going to be a voicemail.

Hi, my name is Carla. I teach in Orfordville, Wisconsin. Last year, I had to start teaching 4K, which I’ve never done before. Do you have any tips or thoughts or easy lesson plans for these little kiddos when their attention span is so short, and they come in after recess in mid-afternoon when they’re tired and cranky? Any advice would be super appreciated. Thank you.

All right, Sarah, you teach elementary. Can you take this one?

Absolutely. So I do teach 4K and I only see them once a month, but when I see them, it’s an interesting level because they’re so, so small. So I typically tend to gravitate towards stations. I have a lot of different things set up around my room, and then just move students from one station to another, or, since they’re so little, just bring the stations to them and have them stay where they are, and just encourage them to use those fine motor skills and get them used to what it feels like to be in the art room.

So I feel like it’s less about having this perfect, amazing product at the end, but instead, getting them comfortable and safe with what it feels like to be in the art room, what it feels like to get their hands on materials, and then creating and just using their motor skills a little bit too. So things like manipulatives, practicing, stamping, big papers, banners, huge stuff that they can just get messy and play and have fun. That’s going to cultivate their love of learning.

Yeah, that’s awesome advice.

Can I jump in really quick?

Yes, please.

So my own personal kids went to a Reggio preschool, which is about all of these languages that kids have and the philosophy is that there are 100 different languages, and just echoing a lot of what Sarah said, a lot of loose parts experiences. I would not look to make projects necessarily, but to give them experiences in the art room with lots of different materials. I think that is excellent advice.

All right, excellent. Amanda, can you give us our next Instagram question?

I sure can. This is by Tara Tig on Instagram and they say, “Any big ideas on how to manage supplies and students while teaching on an art cart?”

Oh, boy.

I feel like we all just inhaled.

I’m having flashbacks too. 20 years ago, when I was teaching elementary in my seven schools that I went to, I was on a cart at four of them. So I would just say there’s a lot of things. Classroom management, when we’re talking managing students, I would enlist the help of classroom teachers. I don’t know if they’re going to be in the room with you or not but lean on them for a little bit of management, or if they’re going to be leaving, just talk to them like, “Hey, what do I need to know? What strategies work? What are your best attention-getters?” Just so you don’t have to set up all of your own routines in every different classroom that you go to, and just ask what works for that class and just talk to classroom teachers about that.

I would say spend a little bit of time just thinking through what’s going to happen during a class. When you walk in, the kids are going to be ready for you. There’s no transition time there. So how do you handle that? What happens as you’re setting up supplies? What do you want the kids to be doing? There’s no time in between classes there. You’re moving and going constantly. So just think through what you’re going to be teaching and what kids need to be doing in each step along the way, and hopefully, you’re not caught by surprise by too many things then.

As far as supplies, I would say, organize by lesson, not by medium. So again, just think through what you’re going to have happen. Let’s say you’re teaching a lesson on perspective and then you need paper, you need rulers, you need pencils, you need erasers, you need whatever you’re going to do to add color. So you just put all of that stuff together and say, “Oh, this is my perspective bin,” and you put all of those supplies together. So rather than thinking, “Oh, I’m going to teach painting. I need this and that, and this and that.” Just put all of that together beforehand, and just group your supplies by the lesson that you’re teaching, not keeping them all spread out and trying to grab 17 different things each time you’re teaching a new lesson.

Then lastly, sorry, I’m trying to make it quick, I would say, if you can avoid it, do not transport or do not store artwork. You don’t have any space. You’re on a cart. So talk to those classroom teachers, again, talk to your colleagues, figure out where you can keep work in between classes, where you can store things. That’s going to make supply management a lot easier if you don’t have to transport things around.

Yeah. I’ll piggyback off of that too. When I was Art on a Cart, I had a big Tupperware that had our student sketchbooks in it, and then also, it just had all the projects and the materials they were using, so that when I came to their classroom, I’d just go grab the art tub that had their stuff in it. Then I had everything that I needed with the exception of my materials. Then I also notice, when I go into the classroom, it feels like I’m roommates with the classroom teacher a little bit.

Right, right.

So I have to be like, “Okay, what are our rules? Who does the dishes?” That kind of thing, right? So instead of being thrown off by that, try to look at it in a positive way, which is really understanding the people you work with more, those peers because it will bring you a little closer. I’ve never felt like I understood my teachers that I work with more than when I was on a cart and could see their room, and how they work, and the space in which they thrive. So it can be a really cool way to connect with your teachers.

Yeah, I learned so much about classroom management, both what to do and what not to do from traveling around to all those different classrooms. You can see, “Yes, this strategy works for me,” or “No, I’m never going to do that.” So just look at it as a learning opportunity as well.

I have not had direct experience with this, so I’m going to point to you to some resources that we have.

Fair. Fair.

So we have an incredible PRO Pack from Lindsay Moss who has had this experience, and I really like this PRO Pack for all of the things that you both are mentioning, tips and tricks, and tools and strategies, but also the mindset that she brings to it, and how she attempts to reframe thinking about, “What don’t you have to do if you’re on a cart. You do not have to clean and maintain a classroom.”

That is incredible and it frees up a ton of your time. So I really think that pack is about how to, not just survive, but really thrive on a cart. We also have an excellent article that Sarah wrote called How to Work Smarter Not Harder with Art on A Cart this year, and we have a two-part podcast episode that maybe we can put in the show notes.

Yeah, we will link to that in the show notes as well. All right, one more Instagram question.

We can do one more.

Okay.

All right. This is from Fringe & Co on Instagram, and all it says, again, this was a question box, “Back to school, middle school Art 1 and 2 ideas, please.”

All right. I will throw three quick ideas at you. Kids love to talk about themselves, especially in middle school. So I got this from Melinda Moen. She did this at the NOW Conference kickoff. She does symbolic sketchbook covers with her kids. She did an art-making activity with us which was a blast. She has them draw 10 different pictures, icons, symbols, whatever they may be, that may represent them. She doesn’t make them write them down. The first thing is just get drawing. Then, after they draw all of those on their sketchbook cover, then she’ll talk to them, “Why did you draw this? What does this tell me about you?” et cetera, et cetera. It starts a good conversation that engages kids, lets the teacher get to know them, and then they’ll add some color, they’ll add some different lines and designs in between all of those images. Then that’s their sketchbook cover through the year. So I think that’s a great way to start for both teacher and student.

I have a big one that I stole from my wife. This activity, I did it with high school, but she’s a seventh-grade history teacher. She does a quiz about the teacher. I’m just going back to kids wanting to talk about themselves. It’s fun to flip that and have them learn about the teacher a little bit. So without them knowing anything about you, you just ask them 20 different questions about your favorite cereal, and how many pairs of shoes you own, and whatever else you may want to do.

Wait, what’s your favorite cereal?

Lucky Charms.

How many shoes do you own?

Okay. So I used to own 30 some pairs, but I really cut down and I’m at less than 10 now.

Oh, wow. I’ve really ramped up. I would say I’m at 30.

I’m not sure.

Do you have a favorite cereal?

Okay. Lucky Charms. I’ll also say, honestly, it’s been a newfound love because I never got to have that cereal when I was a kid, and now I’ll treat myself and just have a sugar cereal because I don’t ever eat cereal.

Honestly, for 40 years of my life, it has been my favorite cereal. I don’t know, I love Lucky Charms.

I like Golden Grahams.

So good.

So good.

Yeah.

I don’t like the marshmallows of the Lucky Charms. They’re a little too squeaky on my teeth.

Sorry-

It was an audio medium. I would like to note that Tim rolled his eyes really hard when I said that.

All right. I feel like we’re off track. So, Amanda, I’m going to send it back to you. Middle school Art 1 and Art 2 ideas, please.

Okay. I’m going to go a little bit more general, but I would say pick something with a very low and/or multiple entry points. So giving students choice upfront right away, start with something easy, start with something fun. We talked about this, I think, previously on the podcast about this year especially, yes, we want our curriculum to be rigorous, but we also want our students to do the curriculum, and I think there’s a balance there. So I think the first couple of weeks, really, really easing in, especially at the middle school level. They’re just like a ball of hormones and some of them have low confidence. Some of them haven’t had art in a while, depending on what grade level they’re at or what you’re teaching. So I think starting out easy and fun is a great way to go.

Then I like quiz about the teacher. I would flip that and say also quiz them about themselves. Do a student survey of some kind. You can make it fun and engaging. You can have them respond with emojis to different things, or circle things to make it a little bit easier for them. Then, once you figure out what mediums they like, what they’re interested in, tailor your project to those interests. Design your projects so that they can bring their interests into them as well.

All right. Sarah, do you have anything you want to add? I know you’re not a middle school teacher.

Right. I used to teach middle school for four years. I was K-8, so I had the little ones and the middle school kiddos. I think part of it is just giving those kids an ability to create some ownership over their school, especially as maybe the older students or the kids that are just coming into school, it’s really nice to lean into having things on display pretty quickly. So maybe they’re making roll paper for the hallways, or maybe they’re making things to hang or something where there’s stuff already up to beautify their school, and they’re taking that time to start making art right away.

I know there’s differing opinions on how to start your art lesson. Are we going over materials and rubrics and things like that? But I’m always a pretty firm believer in, let’s get some art supplies in their hand and have fun and turn on music and let’s create that safe, exciting, fun space as quickly as possible, so kids know that this is a place where they’re loved and they can have some fun.

Yeah, absolutely.

I just thought of a really good idea for the first day.

Go.

I think it’s called the Best One-Day Art Lesson project or something. It’s on YouTube. We can link to it. It’s a video I made 100 years ago. You can see me as a baby. It is, essentially, something you can create in one class period. It’s Tie-Dye with oil pastels. It’s very tactile. Every kid is successful. It’s an excellent lesson for any grade level, but I think middle schoolers would really enjoy that, and it would be a very easy thing for you to set up and a very easy thing for them to do to get making on the first day.

Especially those little pieces. If you want to do something small, it can become a really quick collaborative project for the whole school. So if everybody’s doing a tiny little four-by-four square, all of a sudden you’ve got 500 kids and that becomes a big piece that can take over your school and involve everybody.

Absolutely.

Yes, very well said. I forgot that video existed, to be honest, but now that you remind me, I was like, “Oh yeah, that’s a good one.” When I put it in the show notes, can I say, “Watch baby Amanda here?”

Sure. You can do whatever you want.

It sounds good. All right, we need to wrap things up. We have one final question here, and this is going to be another voicemail.

Hi, my name is JoAnn Gusta, and I’m an art teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee. I teach K through five, and I’m getting ready to plan for this year, and I’m looking for an art teacher planner, and just wondering if there was something that you guys use or would recommend, especially for our teachers on a rotational schedule. Thank you so much. Bye.

Excellent question. Thank you. I do not use a planner. I use legal pads and sticky notes.

Very professional.

So I don’t think you want to talk to me about this one. So Amanda, can you take this one?

Absolutely. I use a planner all the time, every day of my life. I’m out of the classroom and I’m still using a paper planner. I think you have to first figure out if you want digital or paper. I like paper personally, but whatever system works for you is great. I always made my own, either completely from scratch using some sort of grid system that represented my weekly schedule. I like to see a whole week at a glance because I like to see when I have different classes. Or the other thing I did was buy a super, super simple planner that just basically had a series of boxes for each week, and then I could customize from there. So I’m not super helpful here because I don’t have one to suggest specifically, but you could look for something super simple that you could modify yourself. Sarah, do you have any ideas?

Yeah, yeah, I definitely agree. You have to decide what helps you visualize your week. I like to see the entire day for sure, at least at once flat-laid on my desk, but it’s kind of up to you what makes you feel like you’re the most successful. Art teachers are creative and they love to design and make things that are exciting to look at. So you can find so many art educators if you look on Teachers Make Teachers, or Etsy, or different places that make digital planners for art teachers or teachers specifically.

There are so, so many but the first one that came to mind was Kayla Koslow. She has some amazing, just beautiful rainbows and colorful fun things that are specifically directed at art teachers because she is an art teacher. So she knows how to design something that she thinks is going to be pretty successful for people that are in the classroom. So definitely do a little investigating if you want to find something that is made for art teachers.

All right. Excellent advice. I think we’re going to go ahead and wrap it up there. So Amanda, Sarah, thank you. It’s been a fun week. I’m glad we could close it out with the podcast, and I appreciate you both coming on.

Thanks. Yeah, we got to go find some more lamps.

Heck, yeah.

Again, thank you to Sarah and to Amanda for coming on and recording this with me, and thank you to all of you listeners who also attended the NOW Conference. I hope that the conference gave you some new ideas and some inspiration for the upcoming year. I hope the podcast today answered a few of everyone’s questions. Maybe it put your mind at ease just a little bit as we start thinking about the upcoming school year. So thank you for listening.

Art Ed Radio was produced by the Art of Education University with audio engineering from Michael Crocker.

Thank you as always for listening, and we are going to end the episode with one last voicemail. This is from Shawn. It’s not a question, but an affirmation that I really appreciate. It really made me feel good, so I wanted to share that, and also say a thank you to Shawn for the kind words.

Hi, my name is Shawn Gosk. I teach at Mount Olive Middle School in New Jersey. I don’t really have a question. I just wanted to call to say that I loved the NOW Conference. It’s fantastic. So informative and the after-pass is great. I do use it all year long. So thanks so much for all you do for art teachers.