Is it weird that I'm starting a posting like this? Perhaps. But per my blog stats, I'm getting all kinds of new traffic on this here blog and I always feel like it's nice when something like that is not only recognized but also openly acknowledged. And I suspect it's happening because other art educators are doing the same thing I am currently doing. And that is, preparing for the coming school year by gathering inspiration, getting together art budgets so supplies can be ordered, scrapping/saving project ideas that did/didn't work in last year's curriculum. Etc. etc. etc. Better early than late to do this stuff, right? Here is the actual start of my planning for this year. I just took this picture of what is the core of my paperwork/planning notes right here in the teachers conference room of my school...
I started this blog last year because I believe in harnessing social networking and other powers of the internet as a way of helping me to be a more able, open-minded, forward thinking, and contributing member of the visual art and art education world. This blog came about also because I noticed that there were very few blogs/website specifically featuring high school art education and/or galleries of actual student artwork with corresponding lesson plan ideas. I mean, I can come up with plenty of ideas on my own but I will readily admit that it's easy to be stagnant if you hole yourself up and don't make an effort to connect yourself with what's outside of you.
I know I've been remiss about keeping up with student work and lesson plans as I have them but I'm really going to try and make a better effort to stay on top or as far ahead of things as possible this year on the blog. As my blog traffic shows on a daily basis, people are finding what I post here useful and they are returning for more information. I like this if only because I remember what it was like to be in the position of feeling like I just needed/wanted a little more information for what I was trying to do/be as an art educator and GOOD visual artist and if I can help to enrich (even just a little bit) the visual art community with the experience that I have had and continue to have, it's a positive thing that goes far beyond me just establishing a successful blog. I operate from the position that it's not about me anyway and I really believe in doing this for the better of the whole - whenever possible!
Anyway, I wanted to post something about the current state of things with regard to my role as an art educator...
- Getting my budget aligned with my supply ordering
- My decision making with regard to scrapping/saving projects I've done and shared here
- Implementing new project ideas
- General beginning of the year planning within art education
My short term goal is that I will be blogging on all four topics (as stated above) starting tomorrow and leading up to the beginning of my school year - that is three weeks from now for myself and my colleagues and four weeks from now for the students. I might be able to sneak in some images here and there (if I can!) of the student gallery as I put it back together for the school year but I'm not sure since my work doing freelance photography and graphic design also needs to be a major priority before the school year starts. (I've got a wedding album to design, two engagement shoots, a weekday wedding, a senior portrait session, three family portrait sessions, and a major food photography shoot for a local bakery! *phew*)
In any case? I will hopefully see you tomorrow afternoon possibly while I'm amped up on cupcakes that I've both photographed AND had the great joy to sample!
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