Those dreaded sanitary measures… can we all agree that they just SUCK?! Aside from having to wear a procedural mask and safety glasses from 8am to 3pm, sanitization of art materials was probably the part I worried about the most upon my return from a year-long maternity back in December 2020. It’s important to note that sanitary measures will vary […]
I did it, I took the plunge! A little sooner than expected, though I’ve been looking forward to this moment for months. If you look right above, in the address bar, you’ll see: hopesmartstudios.com. YES, that’s right, I went out and bought my very own slice of the Interwebs! Truth be told, web design and blogging is something I used […]
When I first stumbled upon the concept of STEAM a few years ago, I was so psyched to see an alternative way for all my students to be engrossed in their learning and art making. For me STEAM would represent so much more than Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. Rather, it would be synonymous with the 5 Ps: play, […]
*10. Sandy’s Circus: A Story About Alexander Calder. By Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Boris Kolikov. A playful introduction to Alexander Calder and his wire sculptures. The story zooms in primarily on his circus maquettes, which will evidently spark the imaginations of your littlest of students. Recommended for: Grades K-2. 9. The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of […]
I don’t know about you, but as an art educator, I’ve noticed I usually have 3 types of art students in my classroom, regardless of their age… Type 1: The Art Lover. The student who absolutely LOVES art and anything to do with it. They are pretty easy to spot and they’re also pretty vocal about their admiration for the […]
Here I am, now more than 3 weeks post-return(?) to work. Can’t lie, my first 2 weeks were TOUGH STUFF. All the tangible tricks & things I learned over the past 3 years from teaching art off a cart I felt I had to throw out the window. Because now… I was faced with my first-ever teaching experience during a […]
10 days. That’s right, 10 days. I’ll be back at work—the real world—in merely 10 days! I can’t believe how quickly time has flown by, though I’m grateful that many of those days are behind me (goodbye postpartum recovery!). I’m thunderstruck by how quickly time has passed; almost as though it passes by quicker and quicker year after year. There […]
When I was first offered a job to teach art off a cart back in 2017, I was very apprehensive. The commute was very long, the situation wasn’t ideal, my girls were very young, and I wasn’t sure it would be all worth it… Though I ultimately did end up taking the contract, it was because I knew art teacher […]
If you follow me on Instagram, you might of seen my post this week about the countdown being officially on. The countdown to the end of my mat leave, that is, and ultimately my return to work full-time. I officially start teaching at a new school on December 7th, which happens to fall on a Ped Day. I’ll have a […]
We all start somewhere, so for me I guess that means (right) now? That’s right, folks: my blog officially launches today! Albeit, slowly… I hope to transform this little blog into a safe place where I can share my teacher stories and experiences. More specifically, all that encompasses teaching elementary students, art-on-a-cart, my Teachers Pay Teachers store, smART education resources, […]
