The January 2026 Mailbag: Quality Supplies, Music in the Classroom, and Getting Back in the Groove

We ring in the new year with Tim Bogatz and Amanda Heyn as they open the January mailbag and answer questions from art teachers across the country. This month: classroom music (and whether you need it at all), how to advocate for high-quality art supplies with administrators, choosing the "right" grade level to teach, why January is so hard after break, and early finisher ideas for high school that aren't just busywork. They also talk about the Art Ed NOW Conference coming at the end of the month and other Art of Ed Community events that are coming soon! Full episode transcript below. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Learn more about Art Ed NOW featured presenter Austin Kleon And find out everything else you need to know about Art Ed NOW 100 Sketchbook Prompts Your Students Will Love Transform Your Art Room By Assigning 3 Projects at Once Find the planning calendar and the other resources that Amanda talked about

In this episode, Tim sits down with Jessica Stuver, a K–8 art teacher, to discuss planning ahead for Youth Art Month and why early advocacy is crucial for art education. Jessica shares practical strategies for celebrating student creativity, promoting the value of art programs, and making Youth Art Month meaningful for schools and communities. The conversation also explores the power of connection among art teachers, from conferences and professional learning communities (like the Art of Ed Community!) to everyday idea-sharing that helps educators stay inspired. As winter sets in, Jessica offers thoughtful advice on navigating the challenging months of the school year, preparing for the second semester, and prioritizing self-care while continuing to support students. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community 15 Ways to Advocate for Your Program Simple Ways to Celebrate Youth Art Month in Your School 4 New Ideas to Celebrate Youth Art Month Listen to the Art Ed Radio episode on Advocating for Art Ed Learn more about the Art Ed NOW Conference!

In today's episode, Tim Bogatz sits down with art educator and mentor Janet Taylor for a thoughtful and candid conversation about the role of mentoring as art teachers. Together, they explore how mentoring relationships begin, what makes them meaningful, and why both new and experienced art teachers benefit from having a supportive professional network. They also discuss the qualities that make an effective mentor, and emphasize the importance of communication and support in the mentor-mentee relationship. Be sure to explore the resources available to support both new teachers and mentors in their professional development! Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community The Importance of Mentoring 6 Ways to Support New (and New-to-You) Art Teachers How to Build the Art Teacher Network You Need 7 Important Considerations When Mentoring New Teachers What Do New Teachers Need to Know About Curriculum?

It's time for the December mailbag! This month is a lot when you're an art teacher, and Tim and Amanda have some advice for when you're exhausted, overextended, and still trying to make meaningful learning happen. Listener questions cover everything from student slang (what does "delulu," "6–7," and "tough" even mean?) to always feeling behind on grading and displays, juggling multiple roles in the building, recovering from a nightmare sub, and working with a paraprofessional who spends class on their phone. Listen for some ideas and mindset shifts that you can use right now. Along the way, you'll also hear quick updates on AOEU's Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza, Art Club and Pop-Up Studio events, and a new AOEU YouTube game show, Framed, plus a few fun personal stories to keep things light during a heavy month. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community See the new Framed trailer on YouTube Read the article about Cultivating Relationships with Paraprofessionals Learn about the artist Cannupa Hanska Luger and see him on Art21 PRO Learning: Collaborating with Paraprofessionals PRO Learning: Organizing Your Elementary Room for Success PRO Learning: Elementary Art Hacks

In this episode from the archives, Kyle Wood returns to discuss with Tim how we can give back to the field of art education and pay it forward. The conversation highlights the importance of building a community of art teachers, being willing to share ideas and lessons, and embracing mentorship roles. They also highlight the value of advocating for art education and discuss ways in which art teachers can express gratitude to the art education community and take positive action to support and strengthen the field. And, if you want to stick around until the end, Kyle dives into This or That: Art History Edition. Resources and Links Take the 2025 State of Art Ed survey Join the Art of Ed Community Read Kyle Wood's articles, and listen to the Who Arted? podcast More Advocacy Resources from AOEU

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 and Links Join the Art of Ed Community See all of AOEU's Resources for New Teachers See AOEU's YouTube Series for New Teachers Listen to the What Do New Teachers Need to Know? Miniseries

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 history to life in the classroom. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community See the Elementary and Secondary Art History PRO Packs Check out all kinds of Art History resources from AOE See all of the Getty Museum's podcasts Find all kinds of teacher resources from the Getty Museum  

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 debate (Snickers? Baby Ruth? Smarties…really?). It's an energetic, audience-driven episode filled with important discussions and concrete strategies you can use in your classroom immediately. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Check out AOE's FLEX Curriculum Designing Your Art Curriculum How to Help Students Make Meaningful Original Art

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 twist, motives unravel, and the truth finally surfaces. Who had the means? Who had the motive? And who had the opportunity to steal one of the most iconic paintings in modern art? Listen as Detectives Kelly and Forrest piece together the clues in a finale filled with confessions, contradictions, and the ultimate reveal of the thief behind The Persistence of Memory. Was it an act of obsession, ambition, or art itself? Find out in this second and final episode of An Art History Mystery. Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Check out the Community's Halloween Costume Contest How Mysteries Can Make Learning Exciting 6 Creepy Artworks for Halloween Art Teacher Horror Stories

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 competitor, desperate to showcase his talent and prove his importance. Amber Russell – indifferent, sarcastic, observant, and maybe secretly brilliant. Madison Periwinkle – the "artfluencer", livestreaming for clout and sharing her entire teaching experience. Robert Celadon – the old school purist, obsessed with tradition, forgery, and art history. When the painting vanishes, suspicion falls on them all. With quirky detectives, unreliable security, and tangled motives, this is more than a PD event—it's a full-blown art heist mystery. Listen now to experience a story blending art history, teaching art, and true-crime-style suspense. Can you solve the mystery before the detectives do? Resources and Links Join the Art of Ed Community Check out the Community's Halloween Costume Contest How Mysteries Can Make Learning Exciting 6 Creepy Artworks for Halloween Art Teacher Horror Stories