Prepare For A Stress-Free Sick Day!

by Elizabeth Van Allen for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com

The dilemma: should I come to school too sick to be effective or spend hours putting together student work that may not be given a second glance by the substitute teacher?   

I don't know many teachers who haven't faced that choice, and if an emergency comes up you won't even have time to prepare!  Leaving work for a substitute or guest teacher can be a seriously time consuming chore, especially when you teach art.  How do you ensure that projects won't be ruined and supplies won't be wasted when you aren't even there?  What information is appropriate to leave when you teach nine grade levels and see different classes every day?

The answer: take the time to put together a sub binder for those days when your classes will have what I call a "commercial break" from their regularly scheduled projects.  Here are step-by-step instructions that will bring you through the process as painlessly as possible. 

1. Make sub materials are easy to find.  
This includes extra paper and supplies.  If they can't be found, they can't be used!

2. Format
Your binder's format is essential, so make sure your instructions are simple and easy to read.  Some easy ways to do this are: a) to use a sans serif font, b) make sure the type is large enough for anyone to read, c) don't be too wordy, and d) make any divider tabs you use very clear and easy to read.

3. Welcome letter
Start with a brief welcome note that includes essential instructions and is easy to read.  Remember to include what supplies and areas of the room should (and should not) be used in your absence!  If you're not sure what this looks like, see the first picture at the top of the post.

4. Include important information like the daily schedule, emergency information, and basic information like how do use the phone system.  You might have to invest some time in re-formatting things like bell and/or class schedules.  Formats change from school to school and can be very confusing to people who are new to the building!

5. Use current seating charts that include the names of trustworthy student helpers.  Look at your seating charts with a critical eye.  If you were looking at them for the first time would they make immediate sense?  Keeping ease of use in mind, I created a completely different seating chart format for my sub binder.  Update it regularly and use a pencil.  You don't want to have to go through the hassle of using white out every time you change a seat!

6. Leave open-ended projects with simple directions that require minimal instruction. 

This 'Illustrated Captions' project requires minimal instruction and lets students use a lot of creativity and imagination!  The adult-in-charge writes a caption on the board (my stomach after lunch, things that come from eggs, the daydream I had in class, etc.), and the artists draw an illustration to go with the caption!  I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I found it on the incredible art department years ago!

 7. Work expectations for days when you are out into your beginning-of-the-year routine.  When you keep your students informed, they have no excuse for inappropriate behavior.  Pre-determine your helpers and let them know, and post rules for days when there is a guest teacher prominently in the classroom.  Bonus points or treats can also be rewarded for whichever class the sub names as most cooperative!

How do you ensure a stress-free day when life keeps you from getting to work?

K-8 Art Tip: Time Management

by Elizabeth Van Allen for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com

On stage in my classroom I may appear a little crazy, but behind the scenes my project planning is all no-nonsense.  When I made the shift from only teaching middle school to a K-8 format, I started seeing 26 different classes in 9 grade levels each week.  I realized that I was drowning in work when getting kicked out of my classroom by the custodians every night became part of my regular routine.  Streamlining my daily time management quickly rose to #1 on my priorities list.  Not knowing where to start, I called on one of my district's secret weapons.  Enter Emilee Taylor, a seasoned teacher and art teacher support specialist, with some great advice.  

The answer was simple: teach the same project to 2 grade levels simultaneously.  It makes way more sense to teach 5 projects at a time than 9, and the amount of time I spend preparing supplies has been drastically reduced. I can even go a little further and plan back-to-back periods with projects that use the same supplies!  I still re-use lessons, but instead of recycling them annually I use a two year rotation. 

What easy art teaching time and energy saving hints do you have?

Don't keep us in the dark, 

share with the class by leaving a comment!

26 classes of projects? Oh my!

by Elizabeth Van Allen  for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com
 

I hang up 'no name'
projects on clotheslines
near the door so there's
no missing them!

Keeping 26 classes of students straight is no easy task.  Every week I teach between 590 & 700 students, depending on this year's enrollment.  Getting all of their names right might a challenge, but it's a piece of cake compared to keeping track of their artwork!  

I'm going to go all interdisciplinary and do a little math: if each student is working on a project that involves a planning paper and a good paper, that's between 1180 and 1400 pieces of paper in play at any given time.  Now add their journals and past projects that are ready to be given back, and factor in students who forget to (or can't) put their name on their work.  If you don't have a good organizational system in place from day one, you're drowning in random papers and upset students.

After years of trial and error, I've finally come up with a system that works for me.  Hopefully there is something here that you can use to improve your systems and iron out any issues you may be having!
 

The secret to success: insist on
clear, thorough labeling of all projects!

Student Accountability
My students are all pretty familiar with these phrases:
No Name=No Grade
Leave it out=Lose it
Not put back=Not the teacher's fault
Once students realize that I actually say what I mean and I mean what I say, we have very few issues with missing projects.

Organization by Day & Class 

Storage for Monday's classes

Say it with me folks... color coding.  My storage cabinets are organized by weekday, then each class has a recycled cardboard container from a big box store that's wrapped with colored duct tape.  Red for the Kinders, orange for grades 1-2, yellow indicates special education, green says grades 3-4, blue means grades 5-6 and purple is for my 7th and 8th graders.  First class of the day is on the top shelf and last class goes on the bottom.  Every box has the weekday, class, teacher, period, and grade level printed on the tape.
Note: this color coding system is just for me.  If I shared it with the students it would just confuse them because their rows are color coded too!

Keeping Track of Classwork

Above: Color-coded row folders
Below: Color-coded table tags

Organizing smaller 2D projects and journals by row or group helps keep papers in the right place.  It also makes it easier to distribute and collect them when the time comes.  Make sure everything is clearly and boldly labeled to prevent the frustration of re-explaining and re-organizing!  My students sit in 4 rows: red, yellow, blue, and green.  I label everything that goes out to them based on their row name/color, from their storage folders to their supply baskets.  I even have them write their row color on the back of their projects right next to their name, class and date!  This may sound like overkill, but if (or when) a project is misplaced this makes it way easier to re-file without wasting lots of time.

No matter how well you are organized there is always room for improvement.  Each school year brings it's own challenges, so when it comes to organization I'm always adjusting something.  Click on these links to see some of my ideas on assignment boards, materials and handouts, streamlining seating charts & paperwork, and grading methods.

What was your most successful organizational adjustment? 

Prepare for Art Teachering Success!

by Elizabeth Van Allen for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com

Being a good teacher is hard work, but being a successful teacher takes some serious trial-and-error.  As a gift to other art teachers out there, I'd like to share ten tips and hard-learned lessons I've learned that make my everyday teacherin' life a little bit easier.  Everyone makes mistakes (see #10), but in sharing my experiences I hope to help other teachers enjoy more moments of success and better preservation of their sanity.

Preparing to Succeed: 

An Art Teacher's Guide

My grab-and-go kit: Rory's Story Cubes,
color & shape bingo, Beautiful Oops, paper,
instructions for simple book making projects,
crayons, colored pencils, and coloring pages.

1. Have a grab-and-go class coverage kit ready at all times
When another teacher's parent conference or last-minute absence happens during your prep period, you might get called on to cover their class.  Getting advance notice of a coverage is often a luxury, so prepare yourself with activities that are suitable for a variety of ages and are easy to modify!

2. Always leave your classroom sub-ready

You never know what is going to happen after you exit school for the day, so make sure that nothing is left to chance.  Lock up things that are not for students, have sub plans easily accessible, and make sure the room is tidy.

3. Streamline your paperwork

I like to have frequently used data at my fingertips.  Behavioral notes & attendance are on my seating chart, and contact info & grades are on a roster sheet.  The pages face each other in my binder for easy access.

4. Find an organizational system that is easy to maintain, then stick with it

Have easy-to-understand systems for organizing student work, paperwork, and student procedures. Being disorganized in an art room is like trying to clean up a gallon of paint with one paper towel.  It might work eventually, but you'll have a heck of a mess on your hands!

5. Keep guidelines clear and simple
When you clearly post simple rules and procedures, you eliminate confusion and frustration for you and your students!

6. If a student can do something, let them

There is no reason to clutter your mind with project distribution when you are tasked with facilitating the education of 30+ students while also keeping them safe.  Use your first few classes to teach and reinforce classroom rules adn procedures, then hold them accountable.  Make your classroom a more student-driven educational environment while keeping your eyes and ears open for teachable moments and potential issues!

7. Common sense is not the same for everyone

Positively worded rules get better results!

Dictionary.com defines common sense as sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence.  Remember: sound and practical looks very different to an adult from the suburbs than it does to child from the inner city. 

8. Become indispensable
When school and district budgets get tight, art education is one of the first areas to get cut.  This is often due to the perceived expense of running a quality program.  Make yourself an important part of your school's culture and a valued member of the school community by volunteering for initiatives and building committees.  Being an intrenched, highly visible, and POSITIVE influence makes keeping you in your position a higher priority.

My art advocacy bulletin board 
features Eisner, Gardner, and 
tons of art-based career choices!

9. Be an informed advocate
Advocating for your subject, program, and students makes you a force for positive change.  Gandhi is often quoted as having said "Be the change you wish to see in world." Show, tell, and demonstrate why and how art is important, but check your facts first.  If you're not sure where to start, try looking up the philosophy research of Elliot Eisner through reading his work or hearing him speak.  You can also print a copy of his 10 lessons the arts teach to post in your classroom!

10. Learn from your mistakes
We all make mistakes, it's part of life.  The biggest mistake that I made during my first few years as an art teacher was taking myself too seriously.  It stunted the development of my relationships with both my students and other adults.  The first few years of teaching is hard enough as it is, I made my own life far more difficult than it should have been by leaving my sense of humor at home.  Recognize when you've made a mistake and take the time you need to reflect.  What went wrong?  How it could be fixed or done better in the future?  Ask for help when you need it and don't forget to celebrate your victories... you earned them!

Bonus tip: Test run every project with the exact same supplies that your students will be using.  It may be a pain in the neck, but troubleshooting your lessons in advance makes for a much smoother and enjoyable classroom experience for everyone!

What would you add to the list?

Share with us by commenting below!

Exit Stage Left: Looking Back

by Elizabeth Van Allen  for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com

Ms. Bowe's class greeted me in the hallway before our last class
with these wonderful poster-sized cards.  What a nice surprise!

Saying that parting is such sweet sorrow is only half of the story.  I have spent half my life and all of my teaching career in and around the city of Philadelphia.  As you could imagine, my mixed feelings are taking me on a roller coaster of emotion: sad to leave my students but happy to be able to give them closure, excited for the move (and the warm weather) while dreading more packing.  

My fairy art mother alter-
ego, expressing her feelings 
through interpretive dance.

As I look forward towards my move South and into a new chapter of my life, I feel a need to reflect on my experiences in Philly.  Although these feelings would best be expressed through interpretive dance, the art form tends to lose much of it's impact when experienced through the magic of the interweb.  Instead, I present to you a fond retrospective in words and pictures of my experiences teaching urban youth over the past 12 years.

Fellowship and professional development
with colleagues at the Philadelphia
Art Teachers' Alliance- I'll miss you guys!

  

Join me in looking 
back at some 
memorable moments 
and lessons learned from the not-so-everyday life of this Philadelphia art teacher!

Unforgettable 

Student Quotes:

You old. Not in a bad way, in a non-menopause way. (I was 24)

As a teacher of ages 5-16, I've found that 

 it's important to keep a sense of humor!

Me: (in a silly tone to a student) 
I can't find my attendance binder.  Do you know where my binder is?  Did you steal it and eat it?  Were you hungry?
Student: (Deadpan, completely serious & looking me in the eye) 
No Ms. Van Allen, I don't eat that kind of stuff.  It gives me a stomachache.

My favorite piece of graffiti from 2016:
"we all love math" (written in pencil)

Ms. Van Allen, you tickle my brain. You tickle my heart too. A 2nd grader's response to a silly comment that made her laugh 

Words of wisdom: Invest
in good-quality, comfortable
shoes and always use insoles

This is imaginary.  You know, like Michael Jackson.

Whoah- Ms. Van Allen, your seating charts look like battle plans!

Wardrobe: an oversized button down shirt that has tiny typewriter-style letters scattered in a random pattern.
Setting: The main office
Student: (creeping closer to me as she squints at my shirt, she looks up and smiles) "Ms. V, you look like one giant word search!"

This wonderful student and I share
an appreciation for punny wordplay

"You need Jesus.  No, you need Buddha.  No, you need Tom Cruise."  -8th grade boy to a classmate

Me: What is the meaning of the word 'original'?
Student: Plain!
Me: Hunh?
Student: You know, like original potato chips!

Words of Gratitude:

Tip: An ounce of prevention is 
worth a pound of cure.  If you 
give students a way to be 
positively recognized they 
will take you up on your offer!

Dr. Jeffery L. Brown- for giving me my first real job in education by bringing me into the Girard College family.

Christine Enedy- for all your support and having patience with me as a very green and starry-eyed new teacher.  I would have been lost without your support!

Tessie Varthas & Emilee Taylor- In a district big enough to really make you feel like a number, you made me feel special.  I don't know how, but you both remembered my full name, where I used to teach, and my strengths every time we met.  Your unwavering support kept me from giving up when times got tough! 

My twin brother- just ask our 
students, they know!

Rasheed Clark- My long-lost twin brother (Mom's from China & Dad's from Uzbekistan) and my personal version of Luther the Anger Translator (link is unedited), your unwavering support and our shared sense of humor & classroom style have helped keep me going since the days of Captain Ankle Pants, Jeffy-Poo and FiFi.  Sorry to leave you as the last man standing, but 'scuze me- can I ask you a question? 

When an angry student breaks the
phone off the wall, a good friend is
someone who fixes the problem by
turning it into a work of art!

Ginna (NEWSOME!) D'Alba- 
I miss having you in my kiln room/your office.  Good friends are a rare treasure and finding one of my best friends through work was a wonderful adventure.  Thank you for everything- especially fixing my phone & turning it into a site-specific installation piece!  The question "where do you keep your duct tape?" will never have quite the same meaning again.

Don't be afraid to get a 
little wacky, it keeps the 
students on their toes!

Deb Klose- Thank you for showing your faith in me through your actions and always being in the art teachers' corner!

Ivy Lewis- You were the first Principal in the PSD that encouraged me to push my practice to the next level.  Thank you.

Dr. Andrea Coleman-Hill- It takes a true leader to know when to let that teacher do his or her own thing.  Thank you for trusting me and giving me what I needed to succeed for the past three years.

My Rhodes Family- Never forget that all of the energy and time that you put into your work is worth it.  What you do is not easy and each one of you earns your weekends, but I have seen the impact that you have made on every single child in our care.  Please remember that you are making a difference every time you show a student that they are valued, even if sometimes they behave as if they don't believe it.  Take care of yourselves and thank you for your understanding and respect in regards to what I do with our students in the art room.

To my students: 

Over the last three years you have earned my love and respect.  I took a chance in letting you know about my departure almost two months in advance because it was the right thing to do.  I wanted to give you some closure because I've seen how it affects you when adults leave without warning.  I was honest and up-front about my reasons for leaving, and you repaid me with good questions, kindness, and understanding.  You took this opportunity to once again show me why I come to work every day with a smile.  As you move on with your lives, I ask you to do one thing: live your lives with respect.  When you speak and act with respect it will come back to you through the actions of others.  Do this because you are worth it.  I believe that you are, and you should too.

What is one of your favorite memories from the art room?

Share with me by commenting below, please include your name so I know who you are!

*All students pictured gave consent through guardian-signed photo releases* 

Behavioral Incentive or Straight-Up Bribe?

by Elizabeth Van Allen  for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com

Have you ever noticed how much stuff seems to magically appear as soon as you start 

Elementary Incentives Box

packing for a move? 
Like the set of broken tray tables that I could have sworn I threw out years ago.  Or the beadazzler that I purchased to beadazzle a sports jersey as a joke for my brother-in-law, but never quite got around to.  In preparation for my move to Florida, I'm purging a ton of stuff from both my house and my art studio.  I have sketchbooks and games and journals and fabric and art books and canvases... it can get a little overwhelming!  This is where being an art teacher on the verge of leaving her position comes in handy.  

Middle School Incentives Box

How do you ensure good student behavior in the last few days before leaving your school for good?  Through behavioral incentives, of course!  I put together two boxes of amazing treasures from my studio and house, unused items that would appeal to elementary and middle schoolers.  During the last week of my time teaching in Philadelphia, I'm giving students chances at winning their choice from their incentive box.  All students get one chance automatically, and the better a student's behavior, the more chances they get.  Every class will have a winner, maybe even two!

Is it a bribe?  Maybe... but I'm ok with that.  As far as I'm concerned, it's a win-win situation.  Students win by getting chances to win an awesome prize, and I win by having great student behavior and getting rid of all that extra stuff in the process! 

What creative solutions have you used to find new homes for your extra and unwanted goodies?

Share your ideas with us 

by posting a comment below!

I don't teach prep.

How could anyone call this class art 
prep?  This is a great example of how to 
present art as a subject, not as a filler.

by Elizabeth Van Allen 
for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com

Those who teach math are called math teachers.  The same goes for writing, science, geography... the list goes on.  So why is it that so often those who teach art, physical education, library skills, music, computer skills, etc. are called prep teachers?

I have some real issues with how those in my field are often perceived.  Art education doesn't center around how to entertain kids with crayons for 45 minutes at a time, and it's purpose is not to fill time while other teachers prepare their lessons.  I don't know with certainty what the educational requirements are to become any other type of teacher, but training to be an art teacher takes years of hard work and dedication.  In many US states it now requires both bachelors and masters level degrees along with a certification that requires several rigorous and expensive tests.  Art can be an academic pursuit at any age.  In fact, in order to earn a degree in art, a student must complete multiple 6-hour (at a time, not over several days) studio classes each semester in addition to the standard history, math/science, writing etc. coursework.  The standard final 

This is what an informal critique 
looks like in a studio art class.  
This happens 1-2 times per project.
photo from christinboggs.blogspot.com 

exam for all studio courses is a formal critique, which is a verbal explanation and defense of the artwork completed for the class that you present to a small board of peers and faculty members.  No matter what way you look at it, art school was no easy way to earn a degree in higher education.  It's no wonder that many art educators feel so passionately about the worth of their subject!

Below is an open-ended collection of genuine concerns, not a list of complaints or annoyances.  These statements have been collected from teachers like me who take their jobs and subject matter seriously.  It seems like the best and least painful way to change the trivialization of non-"core" subject areas would be a complete shift in the way that everyone involved in education regards those subjects and the highly qualified professionals that teach them.  This could take a very long time, and it will only happen if we all work together. 

 Disclaimer to my coworkers: I do not judge you based on the professional vocabulary that was taught to you by others.  Education is a lifelong endeavor, and terms evolve in all professions due to many factors.  I won't hold it against you if you call me a prep teacher, but I do ask that you give some thought to what the term actually means.

What I ask is that you keep an open mind and give it a little thought the next time you hear (or use) the term 'prep teacher'.

This is an art class, not an art prep.
from http://artjunction.org/
art-at-dryden-elementary-school/

1. Look up job descriptions for 'prep teacher'.  They generally have to do with preparing a student for a test, Kindergarten, or teaching in a prep school.  None of these apply to what we do with students, so why would anyone apply the label to our jobs?  
2. No student has a schedule that includes 'prep' class, and if they do it's generally called a study hall.  Therefore the 'prep teacher' title as it is generally used isn't applicable in any situation.  If you need an all-purpose term that groups us all together, try substituting one of these for the word prep: expressive arts, education specialists, or special area.  Better yet, try asking your friendly neighborhood (not prep) teacher for some good alternatives that they are comfortable with!
3. Other teachers' schedules may say prep during the time we have their students, but that's the title of their time, not our class.  The word 'prep', as it is used on a teacher's schedule, is short for preparation.  That is the time that is set aside by contract for teachers to prepare lessons, grade papers, and get ready for the next day's classes.  By that definition, wouldn't a prep teacher's function be to instruct other teachers in the correct preparation of materials and subject matter in order to most effectively and efficiently educate their students?  Besides, other teachers cover us when we have our prep period.  Does that make them prep teachers too?
4. There is no college major or degree from any institution of higher learning called 'prep'.  There's physical education, computer sciences, art (painting, sculpture, etc.), vocal music, instrumental music... you get the idea.
5. The best education specialists/expressive arts/prep teachers are very flexible, open-minded and accommodating people with impeccable organizational skill.  They have amazing classroom management at all grade levels and incredible memories- especially for names.  That seems to be the description of a true master teacher.  If logic follows, then we should be admired for these qualities instead of looked at as a placeholder or babysitter.  Although I don't think this currently applies to me, I've been in that situation in the past and the difference can be like night and day!



Art prep for a show looks like this

6.  We are responsible to know every single student in the school, grade them, be sensitive to their individual needs, and keep them safe each day.  If we have a real issue with a student or parent, we don't pass them along to another teacher after June.  We may still have them in our classes for up to eight more years.  We have to resolve the issue in a way that makes everyone involved more comfortable in a more long-term way.  Please be mindful of the energy and strategy it takes to handle this many personalities on a daily (and yearly) basis.

So what does a "prep" teacher do during their preparation period?  I'm so glad you asked!  I...  

Art Prep for a class can look like this

• Grade projects
• Call parents- and not just for the bad stuff!
• Organize and replenish general-use supplies
• Clean the things that students can't
• Prepare supplies for different grade-level projects and seating groups
• Create project boards for all grade levels with written and visual instructions, objectives, time lines, etc.



(above) Art teacher Dennis Weaver of
Clearview Regional High School in
South Jersey prepping in his classroom 
(from http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.
ssf/2012/09/gloucester_county_teachers_pre.html)

• Write lesson plans and curriculum frameworks that adhere to state and national standards
• Create step-by-step project examples that show how the artwork is made.  That means that I make one incomplete project from the ground up for each step a student would take in completing the assignment.
• Write behavioral notes on students to identify patterns and anomalous instances of bad decision making
• Complete paperwork on behaviors, grades, IEP notes, papers for truancy court, letters to parole officers/judges/case workers, letters of recommendation, etc.
• Research concepts and ideas for new lessons- it takes more than just a 5 minute google image or pinterest search to plan an art project! 
• Analyze data on work and traffic flow as it pertains to working with different mediums (clay, paint, drawing, etc.) and strategize supply distribution plans based on the information collected
• Reflect on what worked and didn't work in our teaching practice, re-write plans, and document our experiences

With all of this in mind, I think that instead of being labeled as a prep teacher, my skill set should qualify me as art educator and people handler extraordinaire. (...or something like that, maybe I should make up new business cards!)  Hopefully now you can understand why being called a prep teacher has never been ok with so many of us specialists.  

What is the best term 
that you have heard used to replace the label of 'prep teacher'? 

*Watch for an upcoming post on how 
education specialists can advocate for their subjects 
and programs based on academic attributes!*