Our art classrooms are training grounds for students to become their most courageous, creatively engaged and autonomous selves.
At least, that's what it should be like. However, I don't know about you, but I am scared sometimes by what I see in our classrooms. Students are more disengaged, apathetic and dependent than ever, and sometimes it's hard enough to just get them to pick up a pencil let alone actively participate in creative practice.
And we can just throw our hands up in frustration (understandable) and harp on about how things will never change (I get it). But I would rather be part of a solution than keep plodding on in despair. Let's face it - our kids are growing up in a world that has been royally screwed up by those before them, they're just products of it. So lets be part of not only doing our part to remake it, but actually equip them to remake it for themselves.
And if we can use our awesome art teacher powers and our position to do that, all the better.
So, you're here because you are looking for ...
- A framework that weaves beautifully into the current art curriculum that puts as much emphasis on qualities and soft skills as practical skills and knowledge, without compromising on rigour or meeting the assessment criteria.
- A community of like-minded teachers (an unashamed bunch of practical ideaslists) who care just as much about the mindset their students leave their room with as they do them understanding nuances of colour mixing or mastering realistic observational drawing.
- Curated, adaptable and ready-to-go resources to use in your classroom to support the learning of your students while knowing you are developing hearts and minds, not just practical abilities.
- Ways to be re-inspired as an educator and an artist, because you deserve to have a rich, sustainable and affirming creative practice that cultivates your own creator mindset too!
I've been in the teacher game for over a decade, born and bred in South East London. I was Head of Art and DT in an amazing secondary school for many years, before a short yet unforgettable stint as the lead teacher for our SEMH unit.
Now I've given up middle leadership to focus on what I really care about - the art that happens in my classroom with my students. This website is born from my passion to live with integrity, to walk my talk as a teacher and creator not just for my students, but for my own sweet kids, and to connect with and serve others who feel the same.
I hope you find something here that lights a spark in your teacher practice.
