NYSATA Conference Workshops Recap!

Another conference is in the books! I spent the past weekend in Albany with fellow art educators sharing information, meeting enthusiastic teachers and teaching 3 workshops!  I also sold some of my pottery as well! If you couldn't make it to the workshops I have made my Prezis public so you can view them on your own. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments or get in touch if you have questions.

Google Drive- Paperless Art Room? 

10 Easy Assessments 

10 (painless) Ways to Add ELA

Enjoy! 

10 Art Ed Conference Tips and Tricks!

It's my most favorite time of the year! No, it isn't Thanksgiving, the holidays or snow days, it's our annual NYS Art Teacher Association Conference! Next week, I will be heading to Albany to meet old friends, make new ones, teach three workshops, sell my wares, win some freebies and receive the NYSATA Region Art Educator of the Year Award! And I am beyond excited!

As you know, I am a nerd. I love learning and sharing, which is why I started this blog. Once a year sharing just wasn't enough! But at conferences I can win stuff. I am what some call a 'wizard' at

Origami Fortune Teller Cootie Catcher for Critiques and Assessments

I don't know about you, but I am prone to 3 AM brainstorms. You know, you can't sleep because your brain is going a mile a minute with ideas. Maybe you haven't experienced this yourself, but if you are a teacher or creative person you will understand. Many of my best ideas come to me during this time and I have taken to typing notes in my phone and attempting to decipher them in the morning.
Well, I had one of these brainstorms and followed through with it immediately.

I somehow stirred up a memory of a cootie catcher and thought it would be a fun way to have students talk about artwork and assist them in engaging in artistic conversations and critiques.

Halloween Shenanigans Inspired by Pop Art

Well the longest week for teachers came and went. A holiday centered around costumes, candy and a building full of 4 through 11 year olds can turn dreadfully awful for teachers if not handled properly.

Yeah, you might have a few hyped up kids of your own after Friday night, but we had 350 of them. And no one is absent on Halloween!