The August Mailbag: New Teacher Advice, Beginning Lessons, and Art Teacher Gifts
Release Date: 08/05/2025
Our Community's Best Advice for New Teachers
Art Ed Radio
In this episode of Art Ed Radio, Tim Bogatz is joined by Jen Leban from the AOE Community to share powerful, practical advice for new and early-career art teachers. With some live recordings from the Illinois Art Educators Association Conference, Tim gathers insights from a wide range of teachers who talk honestly about classroom management, burnout, routines, creativity, and what they wish they had known in their first years. Whether you’re a brand-new teacher or supporting someone who is, this episode is packed with encouragement, real talk, and strategies you can use right away. Resources...
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Bringing Art to Life: Zoe Goldman from the Getty Museum and If Objects Could Talk
Art Ed Radio
How do you make ancient art exciting for kids? In this episode of Art Ed Radio, Zoe Goldman, podcast producer at the Getty Museum, joins Tim to share the behind-the-scenes story of If Objects Could Talk—a delightful, sound-rich podcast where ancient artifacts speak for themselves. Zoe explains how her team transforms visual art into immersive audio stories, working with curators, writers, and sound designers to help young listeners connect with history in meaningful ways. From creative collaboration to museum accessibility, she offers practical ideas for art teachers on how to bring art...
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The November Mailbag: Live From Chicago
Art Ed Radio
Recorded live at the Illinois Art Education Association Conference, Tim Bogatz and Amanda Heyn dive into the November Mailbag to answer the audience's best questions! They tackle how to avoid the internet rabbit hole when planning lessons, ways to design meaningful projects with very limited class time, and how to help middle schoolers generate their own ideas through scaffolding, choice within boundaries, and celebration of creative risk-taking. Along the way, they connect these topics back to the power of community—online and in person—and even weigh in on the great Halloween candy...
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An Art History Mystery, Part Two
Art Ed Radio
In part two of this special fiction-meets-art-history podcast, you’ll step into the MoMA after hours, where a professional development retreat turns into something much more sinister. What begins as an inspiring evening quickly spirals into chaos when Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory disappears. The Dalí is gone. The suspects are gathered. And the detectives are running out of time. In the shocking conclusion to An Art History Mystery, our five art teachers—Delilah, Solomon, Madison, Amber, and Robert—return to the Museum of Modern Art for questioning. As the night deepens, stories...
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An Art History Mystery, Part One
Art Ed Radio
A locked museum. Five eccentric art teachers. One missing Salvador Dalí masterpiece. In this special fiction-meets-art-history podcast, you’ll step into the MoMA after hours, where a professional development retreat turns into something much more sinister. What begins as an inspiring evening quickly spirals into chaos when Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory disappears. Each teacher has their quirks, secrets, and possible motives: Delilah Rose – the bubbly Ms. Frizzle of the art room, all glitter glue and good intentions… but is she too innocent? Solomon Ochre – the arrogant...
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From the Archives: Using Assessment to Nurture Creativity
Art Ed Radio
In this episode from the archives of Art Ed Radio, Tim Bogatz is joined by author and assessment expert Katie White to explore how thoughtful assessment practices can nurture a culture of creativity in the art room. Katie shares insights from her decades in education and explains how assessment, when reimagined, can become a powerful tool for decision-making, reflection, and growth. Together, they discuss how to create safe spaces for risk-taking, why delaying criteria setting can spark deeper exploration, and how observation and conversation are just as valid as portfolios or rubrics. Whether...
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The October Mailbag: Painting Fails, Sub Plans, and Professional Observations
Art Ed Radio
Tim Bogatz and Amanda Heyn are back this week with the Art Ed Radio October Mailbag! After a few updates on everything happening in the Art of Ed Community, they dive into a variety of listener questions. Listen as they discuss the best lessons for your observations, their favorite strategies for sub tubs, and ideas on how to get middle schoolers engaged, plus offer some advice on what to do if your painting lesson isn't quite going how you hoped. Resources and Links Check out the and join in the conversation! See the Art of Ed's The that Amanda mentioned See John Hansen's gamification...
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Balancing Structure and Choice in Your Curriculum
Art Ed Radio
In today's episode of Art Ed Radio, Brooke Morse joins Tim and shares her journey in art education, discussing her teaching philosophy, curriculum development, and the balance between structure and student choice in the classroom. She emphasizes the importance of artist statements, self-reflection, and the role of art as a means of personal expression and community connection. Brooke also offers valuable insights and advice for educators looking to implement TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) in their classrooms. Resources and Links Join the Follow View
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Art for All: Liz Byron Loya on Universal Design for Learning
Art Ed Radio
In this episode of Art Ed Radio, Tim sits down with Liz Byron-Loya—art teacher, author, and advocate for Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—to explore how UDL transforms the visual arts classroom. Together, they break down the core principles of UDL, strategies for removing barriers to learning, and ways to better engage every student. Liz also shares insights from the newly released second edition of her book Art for All, featuring updates on culturally sustaining pedagogy and the role of AI in education. Listen as the discussion touches on the nature of teaching, the power of student...
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Difficult Scenarios You May Face in Your First Year
Art Ed Radio
Starting your first year of teaching can be exciting, but it also comes with challenges that no one fully prepares you for. In this episode of Art Ed Radio, Tim Bogatz and Janet Taylor dig into questions from new teachers about the difficult scenarios they’re already facing. From difficult colleagues to pushy administrators, supply and budget shortages, tough parents, and even unsafe student behavior, we share strategies to help you navigate it all. Whether you’re setting boundaries, finding your voice with parents, or just trying to keep your art room stocked, this episode is packed with...
info_outlineFresh off hosting the Art Ed NOW Conference, Tim and Amanda are here with the August mailbag! After a garden talk update, they answer listener questions about starting the school year strong, surviving the chaos of short class periods, finding the perfect gift for an art teacher, and learning hundreds of student names without losing your mind.
Resources and Links
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- Podcast advice on Getting Hired as an Art Educator
- Read the Dear First Year Art Teacher article
- See the Art of Ed's FLEX Curriculum
- Check out the Art of Ed Community for August events
- AOE's Back to School resources
- Learn more about the Art Ed NOW Conference
- Shout out to Pesky Pete
- Learn about Tim's favorite plant, Anise Hyssop