Engagement

Why Teen Boys Don’t Pay Attention in Art Class and 8 Ways to Actually Reach Them

| April 30, 2026

Are you stumped by the pendulum of teenage supercharged energy to lethargy and apathy? Learn how to make these shifting engagement levels work for you in any art room!

Cristina Pinton is a high school art teacher at an all-boys boarding school. She’s a pro at connecting with teen boys to level up their artwork and has several tips and strategies in today’s episode.

Actually reach teenage boys in the art room with these tips:

  • Harness older student helpers
  • Switch up the chair options
  • Get feedback from other trusted adults
  • Add a competitive element
  • Play the silent game
  • Give rewards!
  • Introduce a new material, like gel plate printing
  • Don’t break the flow state

Boost your student engagement with the PRO Learning Pack, Strategies for Student Engagement.

To chat about high schoolers with other art teachers, join us in The Art of Ed Community!

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lindsey McGinnis

Lindsey McGinnis is AOE’s Media Content Manager and a former high school art educator. She is passionate about equipping art teachers to be successful in their classrooms and firmly believes that art is the best place for students to explore and process the challenging topics and concepts around them.

More from Lindsey

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