Party in the Art Room Blog

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Deconstructing Arts Education
Amanda Koonlaba Amanda Koonlaba

Deconstructing Arts Education

Arts integration can take a lot of different forms, but really it boils down to using art forms to teach alongside the other contents. So, the students are learning both the art form and the other content. At first, this can be a little difficult to integrate into the classroom, but that’s where I help make it easier. In a past podcast I was a part of, I had the opportunity to talk about this subject and use an example of what arts integration looks like in a math class.

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The Top 7 Most Powerful Words for (Arts) Grant Writing 
grant writing, school leadership Amanda Koonlaba grant writing, school leadership Amanda Koonlaba

The Top 7 Most Powerful Words for (Arts) Grant Writing 

Since most art teachers serve a large and diverse population of students, fundraising can feel like a rollercoaster. Especially because we have to get creative about the direction of the instruction we give to our students. For instance, if we don’t have scissors, we tear paper. If we can’t buy paper, we use old newspapers. I definitely believe in teaching students how to reuse materials. However, limited funds can inhibit instruction and lead to fewer opportunities for growth.

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Top 7 Most Artful Children’s Books of 2021
Enhancement and Integration Amanda Koonlaba Enhancement and Integration Amanda Koonlaba

Top 7 Most Artful Children’s Books of 2021

If you’re like me, you probably adore using children’s literature to introduce art projects and more. I love teaching students that the illustrations are actual works of art. You can find many, many art lessons on this blog that have been inspired by children’s books. In no particular ranking order, here are the most artful (as in art-filled, “likely to be a wonderful book for art lessons”) children’s books of 2021.

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6 Key Understandings About Arts Leaders as School Leaders

6 Key Understandings About Arts Leaders as School Leaders

School leaders are able to impact the arts much more than you’d think. Being an instructional leader, or leader of instructors, involves leading the teachers in understanding creativity and using the arts in their classrooms. Because of your teaching experience, you are in a position to leverage those 21st century skills for teachers.

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Oil Pastel Self Portraits and Poetry
Enhancement and Integration Amanda Koonlaba Enhancement and Integration Amanda Koonlaba

Oil Pastel Self Portraits and Poetry

The fun and unique thing about oil pastel self portraits and poetry is the variety of lessons students will get the opportunity to learn. You may also encounter something similar with students as I did. Since some of them were not ready for building the color with oil pastels, this was differentiated by media. I’ll talk more about this toward the end of the post.

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6 Ways to Cope with Negative Coworkers at School
Amanda Koonlaba Amanda Koonlaba

6 Ways to Cope with Negative Coworkers at School

Whether it’s at your first teaching job or in your first job at any company, there will likely be times when you have to interact with someone who wants to bring others down with them. To help you learn how to deal with negative coworkers, here are six strategies that have worked well for me.

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How to Know if an Art Lesson is High Quality
Amanda Koonlaba Amanda Koonlaba

How to Know if an Art Lesson is High Quality

It can be overwhelming to find high quality art lessons on the internet. It can be downright difficult to find one that integrates content with other subjects while aligning to specific standards. Don’t worry! Party in the Art Room is here to help!

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