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Let's face it - as art teachers we have a lot of STUFF. The key is to organize our glorious abundance of materials in accessible and efficient ways. Below are some of my favorite storage hacks for the art room. The best part about most of these is that they are student-friendly too!

1. Store "like" objects together.

Like my cart article suggests, keep similar materials and supplies together to avoid running around your room to gather them.

2. Develop systems of sorting.

Whether you sort by color, artist, or in another visually pleasing way, have a system that YOU can stick to. I love browsing Pinterest for sorting ideas!

3. Recycled containers are your friend.

Both my materials shelf and paintbrush system are created entirely of free, recycled containers which are spruced up with printed labels or paint. I keep extras organized in my closet for easy grabbing!

4. Invest in plastic bins of every size.

Seriously, these come in handy for everything.

5. Add wheels for easy movement.

I love having a cart of supplies that I can push out of the way when it's not needed. Why not add wheels to all kinds of things? I added wheels, for less than $10, to my Friendly Loom for easy movement and storage.

6. Organize your class shelves.

Nothing is worse than lost student artwork. Get ideas for organizing student work and essential supplies with this video and article.

7. Label, label, label.

Anyone in your room will know exactly where to find items, and more importantly, where to return them. Labels can also be helpful if you have deep shelves!

8. Use rainbow drawers.

Store everything from rulers and stencils to games and puzzles. I've even seen educators use these drawers as individual project trays for choice-based projects!

9. Use Google Drive.

Store your digital files so you can access them anywhere. Check out this article for using Google Drive in the art room. Scan any paper copies of items that you could store digitally. If you need to keep paper copies of things, take time to organize them.

10. Keep some empty surfaces and allow for growth in storage.

Make sure you have adequate space to spread out, to store 3-D projects or even that awesome donation of supplies!

Check out even more storage hacks with these great articles about storing small supplies, passing out supplies, and using something as simple as binder clips to bring you peace of mind!

How do you find the time to stay organized? What are your favorite storage hacks?

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10 Storage Hacks for the Art Room - The Art of Education University

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Let's face it - as art teachers we have a lot of STUFF. The key is to organize our glorious abundance of materials in accessible and efficient ways. Below are some of my favorite storage hacks for the art room. The best part about most of these is that they are student-friendly too!

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Classrooms are communal spaces where students share classroom supplies: everything from the cushions in the classroom library to the tissue box on their teacher's desk. Teachers love creating environments designed for sharing. But this year hasn't been a typical school year (and even now, in 2021, that's not likely to change). What was once shared is now individual. Here's what schools are doing (plus some tips and teacher hacks) so you can handle shared supplies-and keep your sanity-as we enter the new year.

Keep supplies separate with small bags or kits

So many of the supplies that our kids (especially our youngest learners) use are shared. From math manipulatives to toys for indoor recess, it's hard to imagine a classroom where students use individual supplies and keep them to themselves. So how does this work in a real classroom? Science teachers are creating individual lab kits with the materials students need to complete their work. Elementary teachers are bagging hands-on supplies so each student has their own set. The cushions in the classroom library are in storage, and students are reading at their desks. When this isn't possible, teachers are disinfecting sets in between use.

Label everything (and we mean everything)

Before COVID-19 when pencils, erasers, and other supplies were left on desks or the floor, it was "finders keepers." I even had a jar on my desk for the supplies I found in my classroom at the end of the day (you can never have too many pencils). This year we have to be much more careful. Schools are asking students to label their supplies. Anything communal has to be cleaned and disinfected in between each use. It's not realistic that we can clean pencils every day, so labeling everything is a must.

Add extra storage at students' desks

Once students get to their classrooms, they need a safe place to store their belongings and materials. Social distancing is challenging with cubbies and lockers that are close together. Tara Dusko, a third grade teacher in Ohio, added a milk crate for students' under desk storage and a box for inside desk drawers to her supply list. "A big change this year is students won't be able to share supplies. Make it easy for them to adjust by having specific places for them to put all of their belongings," she suggests.

Encourage individual packs of tissues and pencil sharpeners

When students work at their desks, they will likely need to sharpen their pencils or blow their noses. Teachers aren't using class tissue boxes or a classroom pencil sharpener. Instead, students need their own. Some teachers are hanging tissue boxes upside down over their classroom sinks so students can easily (and safely) grab a tissue, blow their nose, throw it away and wash their hands all in one place!

Replace water fountains with individual water bottles

Students get thirsty during class! Water fountains are high touch surfaces. This year, students need a labeled water bottle. Christina Brauner, a fourth grade teacher in Missouri, bought bicycle water bottle holders for less than a dollar each and attached them to desk legs with zip ties. Now she doesn't have to worry about students spilling their water all over their work or accidentally dropping their bottle on the floor. Genius!

Clean art supplies after each class

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How Schools Are Handling Shared Supplies in Classrooms

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Classrooms are communal spaces where students share classroom supplies: everything from the cushions in the classroom library to the tissue box on their teacher's desk. Teachers love creating environments designed for sharing. But this year hasn't been a typical school year (and even now, in 2021, that's not likely to change).

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Ahhhh...the joys of lesson planning. Everyone's favorite thing to do, right? (Only kidding!)

While lesson plans should be fun and relatively straightforward to write, they often aren't.

Take, for example, the long lesson plans I had to submit when I was student teaching. I'm not sure any lesson plan needs to be twenty pages long! And, I know many teachers have to write and turn in these lengthy lesson plans well beyond their college days.

Personally, I knew I wanted to document successful lessons in a straightforward way. I began to type out one-page lesson plans to share with others. I felt it was necessary for my lessons to be easily adapted and shared.

This means I had to pare it down to the essentials. For me, that meant the purpose of the lesson, the concepts I wanted my students to learn, and what made the lesson relevant. I left out things like how many class periods a lesson would take because, of course, all schedules, teachers, and students are different!

Here are the 5 things every great lesson plan needs.

1. Strong Objectives

Your objectives should communicate why students are being asked to do the lesson and what you are hoping they learn from the process. As I write my objectives, I also write down a few questions I will ask my students to inspire them and get them thinking.

As you are writing your objectives, you will also want to consider the National Standards as well as your school or county standards. It's a good idea to list the standards near the objectives in your lesson plan.

2. A Complete List of Materials

Here you'll list the materials your students will use to complete the project. Creating this list will ensure you have the correct materials on hand. It will also help you think about your students' familiarity with them or decide if you'll need to demo new techniques. It's a good idea to add this type of information to your lesson plan, so you don't forget about specific demonstrations or to allow time for practice and experimentation.

3. Clear Procedures

Your procedures are the steps needed to complete the project; from the demo and explanation to the final product. Often, procedures can be open-ended, especially if you teach in a choice-based program.

Having a simple rundown can help you plan the time needed for the lesson. You may want to number your procedures so you can quickly see the steps needed to successfully walk students through the lesson. I have seen this described as the "student time on task" as well as "the actual artmaking time," so this is one I recommend breaking down and thinking about carefully.

What are the steps your students will need to go through to successfully complete their work?

How much time will they need to do each step?

Will there be time for critiquing within these procedures?

Will you include the setup and take down/cleanup involved in the art lesson?

There is a lot to consider here. But if you're just using these lessons for yourself, then perhaps you won't have to write everything down. It's completely up to you.

4. Meaningful Assessments

Assessments are a critical part of lesson planning because it is how students' work will be graded. I like to include my students in the assessment portion of the lesson.

After all, they are the artists, and they know how well they did. Did they give it their all? Did they take risks and push themselves or did they settle and just do the minimum to complete the project?

I use a project evaluation form with every lesson I teach. Students are required to fill this out and turn it in with each lesson so I can see what they were thinking and how well they think they did. You can download a copy below to use in your classroom!
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5. Appropriate Extensions

Thinking about extensions is an important part of differentiating learning. Extensions can include additions to the lesson itself or ways to adapt the lesson to individual students.

If possible, I like to have student samples to show. These samples help students gauge success and can serve as inspiration.

Other Things to Consider

The great thing about writing your own lesson plans is being able to customize them. You may have other sections you feel are important to add. Personally, I like to include resources, vocabulary lists, PowerPoints and any other teaching tools I'll want to use. You can throw these in a "Miscellaneous" section, but I have seen lesson plans that include each of these.
Are you required to write lesson plans at your school? How detailed do you feel lesson plans need to be?
This is the way I have been writing my lesson plans for years. It's a simple approach that helps guide my lessons but doesn't take away from the actual teaching, which is the most important thing we do!

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How to Pare Your Lesson Plans Down to the Essentials - The Art of Education University

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Ahhhh...the joys of lesson planning. Everyone's favorite thing to do, right? (Only kidding!) While lesson plans should be fun and relatively straightforward to write, they often aren't. Take, for example, the long lesson plans I had to submit when I was student teaching. I'm not sure any lesson plan needs to be twenty pages long!

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With plans and news of states returning to school, many art teachers are left with more questions than answers. I think most of us can agree we want answers, but also recognize there aren't definite answers. Some areas around the country go back to school as early as August, while others go back in September. Each state and school district is going to have different requirements, guidance, and plans as you return to school. Keeping this in mind, you'll need to adapt and run your art room in a way that works for you.

Unfortunately, I don't have the answers for you either, and there is not going to be a one-size-fits-all approach. But, I will provide you with some ideas and food for thought as you return to school.

Here are 5 different areas to consider as you head back to school with your students.

1. Masks and PPE

The requirements of masks and personal protective equipment being worn within the school setting will vary. Some schools have already decided to order masks for all staff and students. However, decisions on whether they will be required to be worn might still be open for debate. It may be likely that teachers are required to wear them, while it's only highly recommended for students. Whatever your guidelines might be, the question that comes to mind is, "How are we actually going to get students to wear them?" Well, we might not be able to, but we can try. My first lesson when I head back to school will be for students to create their own tie-dye masks. Maybe, just maybe, if we give them a little ownership, they'll be as excited as one can get about wearing their mask.
Connect and learn with other teachers. Register for the NOW Conference.
2. Cleaning Art Supplies

Cleaning is part of being an art teacher. Even before COVID-19, some days in your classroom probably felt like you were washing and cleaning all day. Now that we'll be back in school, you'll need to take this even more seriously. Unless your school districts can triple your art budgets, it will be nearly impossible for students not to share at least some items in the art room. This means both you and your students are going to have to take extra care with cleaning and sanitizing. You will need to put new procedures and routines in place.

Here are some questions you might ask yourself as you begin thinking through new procedures:

How will students sanitize their hands upon entering the art room?

Will they wash them with soap and water at the beginning of class?

Will each student get a wipe or hand sanitizer as they enter the room?

How will I limit the sharing of art materials?

What will my students be responsible for cleaning at the end of class?

What cleaning solutions will students be able to use safely in my classroom?

The CDC has released guidelines for cleaning schools. Within these guidelines, you will find an approved list of disinfectants provided by the EPA. Additionally, you will want to look at local guidelines provided by your state.

3. Organizing Your Art Supplies Differently

Because there are now more considerations on how we clean art materials, this might mean we have to reevaluate how we organize our supplies. Ideally, to cut down the sharing of materials, you would be able to assign materials to your students. This practice will be far easier in the secondary setting in comparison to elementary. Some materials you might assign are paintbrushes and drawing materials. Depending on the different classes you teach, you may also want to try and not use the same materials to help limit use. For instance, if one class section is using oil pastels, try using a different material for the other classes.

Long gone are the days of having a communal bin of art materials, it's time to find a different way to organize. One method I already use is to organize materials by table using small plastic totes with lids. Inside, materials are stored and assigned per table. In my art room, I have ten tables, meaning that I would typically have ten supply boxes for students to use and share. I'm looking to increase the number of supply boxes to cut down on sharing.

Additionally, coming up with a plan to alternate the use of materials might be beneficial. For instance, if your first-hour students are using one set of materials, have a different set of materials, your 2nd-hour students can use. This will give you more time to clean or the disinfectant more time to work.

4. Adapting to Your New Schedule

There will probably be changes to your school schedule you will need to adapt to. One of the biggest schedule changes might be if students are only coming to school every other day. If you are an elementary teacher who only sees their students once a school week, it could be quite some time before you see your students again. In the secondary setting, with teachers usually seeing their students daily, this means you will probably only see your students twice a week instead of five. This will cause some changes to the timing and pacing of your lessons. Depending on what the expectation for online learning is, you might not get to as many projects as you typically would in a "normal" school year. As you plan for these changes, evaluate your curriculum, and pare down your lessons to essential concepts.

For most 2-D art forms, there won't be many changes other than needing more time to complete an activity. However, you'll want to consider some logistical measures when teaching with media like clay. If you teach a ceramics class, you might be thinking, "How will students create without their clay pieces drying out before the next class?" This will be a problem, and you will have to adapt to best fit your time constraints. This will include changing project requirements. Although not ideal, you might have to encourage students to work smaller so they can finish projects quicker.

You might also have to prepare more materials ahead of time for your students. For instance, if your students are using an extruder to create coils, instead of having your students do this entire process by themself, you could extrude coils ahead of time. You could store them in a damp box to keep them fresh. The use of a damp box will also be a great solution for keeping clay projects wet. Here are some additional ideas to keep the moisture in works in progress.

5. How to Maintain Physical Distance

Unfortunately, there is only so much we can control when it comes to keeping our students physically distant in our classrooms. We are bound by the size of our classroom and the number of tables available. However, we can control and limit the proximity of students by changing our instructional methods. Gathering students around a central area to sit or watch a demonstration is probably not going to work. Instead, you will want to keep your students in their assigned area, and either project your live demonstration with a document camera or create a flipped instructional video. If you've ever considered creating flipped video content, now is the time! This way, you can use your video over and over, and if students are choosing to stay at home, you will still have instruction for them.

It's safe to say that none of us know what this next school year will hold. It will probably be far from normal, and most of us won't have a clue what we're doing until we actually get started with our students. If you find yourself having more questions than answers, know that you are not alone. At the end of the day, we have to use our best judgment, along with the requirements and guidelines from our school districts. It won't be easy, but art teachers can do anything.

What are your biggest concerns as you head back to school during a pandemic?
What plans are you putting in place to better manage your art room?

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How to Return to School During a Pandemic - The Art of Education University

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With plans and news of states returning to school, many art teachers are left with more questions than answers. I think most of us can agree we want answers, but also recognize there aren't definite answers. Some areas around the country go back to school as early as August, while others go back in September.