Published on 1 September 2025
Description:
Art teachers foster student voice and choice, guiding them to be thoughtful artists and critical thinkers. Young students engage in a three-part insect-drawing unit that blends science and imagination. Elementary students design 3D miniature studios inspired by artist research. Middle-schoolers use mapping to craft conceptual self-portraits reflecting identity. High-schoolers study Naum Gabo’s Constructivist sculptures, then build original works tied to personal interests.
Categories:
Early ChildhoodElementaryMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolAdvocacyAssessmentCareersChoice-BasedClassroom PracticeCritique/DiscussionIdeationInterdisciplinary ConnectionsManaging The Art RoomMeeting Individual NeedsSocial Emotional LearningCelebrationCommunicationDesignEmotionsHistoryIdentityImaginationMessagesMindfulnessObservationPlaceStoriesSustainabilityTransformationAssemblageCeramicsCollageDrawingFiber ArtInstallationMixed-MediaPrintmakingSculptureClayGraphiteFound ObjectsMarkersPaintPaperTextilesCardboardProfessional DevelopmentLanguageSketchbook / Visual Journal27 articles from this collection:
The Student Voice and Choice Issue, October 2025
Amaco Brent
AMACO (American Art Clay Company, Inc.) continues to be a leader and innovator for ceramics in the areas of art, technology, and education. Get ideas and inspiration for your next Lesson Plan project.
Editor's Letter: Student Voice and Choice
Frank Juárez, SchoolArts editor-in-chief, discusses the importance of empowering students to express themselves and make personal choices in the art room.
Table of Contents
Bailey
Bailey Ceramic Supplies & Pottery Equipment.
ClipCard: Four Emotions
Young students create a painting that portrays four emotions and their corresponding words.
ClipCard: Scarecrow Landscapes
Elementary students draw a fall-themed landscape showing distance and spatial relationships.
ClipCard: The Patterns in Music
Middle-school students draw designs on the surface of a record to mimic the patterns and rhythms heard in music.
ClipCard: Coil Forms
High-school students create dynamic, nontraditional coil vases that emphasize rhythm and movement.
Blick Art Materials
As a leading art supply company, we provide artists, educators, students, and our associates with the tools, assistance, and training needed to grow, innovate, and reach their creative potential. BLICK Art Materials is family-owned and serving artists since 1911.
Advocacy: A.R.T. with Purpose
An after-school art club engages in service-learning projects to address local and global challenges.
Managing the Art Room: Small Projects, Big Impact
An art teacher introduces a new approach to teaching the Elements and Principles of Design using small-scale art projects within an art journal.
Meeting Individual Needs: Art, Accessibility, and Visual Impairments
Adaptive art consultant Bette Naughton outlines classroom strategies for ensuring that students with visual impairments can successfully participate in the art room.
Council for Art Education
The Council for Art Education, Inc. promotes visual art education for all K-12 students and encourages funding for quality school art programs.
Contemporary Art in Context: Virginia Mahoney
Mixed-media visual artist Virginia Mahoney creates sculptures that contain personal narratives in the form of written and stitched words.
Art with a Message
Middle-school students learn about the power of words and visuals, and they create yard signs with positive messages to place around the school.
Innovative Insects
Young students participate in a three-part insect-drawing unit that combines science, observational drawing, morphing, and creativity.
Mayco
Mayco Colors has been helping Art Educators inspire creativity in the classroom since 1954. We provide high-quality ceramic products, along with ready-to-use lesson plans and educational resources designed specifically for the classroom.
The (mini) Artist's Studio
Elementary students each select an artist to research and construct 3D miniature art studios based on their findings.
Fingerprint Portraits
Middle-school students use writing, drawing, and mapping to create conceptual self-portraits that express their identities.
Celebrating Feminism through Art
High-school students embark on a meaningful project to challenge censorship, uplift women’s voices, and use art as a vehicle for social change.
NAEA National Convention 2026
Registration is open! Secure your spot now for the 2026 NAEA National Convention, taking place March 5-7 in Chicago, Illinois. Engage in premier professional learning and make meaningful connections at NAEA26. Join us and be inspired!
Original Mythologies
Elementary students studying Greek mythology investigate Grecian pottery and create their own mythological stories on construction paper vessels.
Constructivism in the Art Room
High-school students investigate the metal sculptures of Constructivist Naum Gabo and create their own sculptures based on personal interests.
Skutt
The #1 kiln used in schools. Kids Need Clay helps schools start and sustain ceramics programs with full support.
Focus In: National Art Education Foundation
A philanthropic organization discusses its mission to support innovative initiatives, advance visual arts education, and empower art educators.
The SHOP: October 2025
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