All I can say is finally! After almost a year of hard work my vision is close to becoming reality. If you’re reading this, then the website is up and running. Hurray!
When I first started working on The Home Art Studio it was just a vague concept. There was no name for the program, no curriculum, and no clear plan as to how to get started. This journey has been a labor of love: a love of art, a love of great art supplies and a love of teaching.
I had always assumed that I would continue to teach students in a traditional classroom. I loved interacting with them every day, whether it was in the art room or just saying hi in the hallways. When the opportunity to design a brand new home school based art education program came up, I was torn. I loved the school where I was teaching, but this was something new and exciting. I could help make sure that hundreds of homeschooled students would receive a quality visual arts education. So after a lot of soul searching I decided to try something different.
I was very comfortable with writing lesson plans and loved the opportunity to sample the best arts supplies available. Teaching in front of the camera, on the other hand, was a real challenge. When I present a lesson in the classroom there is a lot of back and forth. The students ask lots of questions. It’s one of the things that make teaching so much fun, although frequently, when I ask younger students if they have any questions about the lesson, they frantically wave their arms. When I call on them, instead of a question about how to do the day’s lesson, they want to tell me about their Uncle’s new dog or their weekend trip to the beach!
Teaching to the camera is difficult because there is no feedback. Not to mention that I don’t have a background in acting. Every time I shoot, it gets a little easier, but I still feel nervous. It helps to be working with a great crew who is very supportive.
I’ve seen the final version of the Kindergarten DVD and I’m amazed. I had high hopes for this program and this first DVD exceeds every one of them.
When I first started working on The Home Art Studio it was just a vague concept. There was no name for the program, no curriculum, and no clear plan as to how to get started. This journey has been a labor of love: a love of art, a love of great art supplies and a love of teaching.
I had always assumed that I would continue to teach students in a traditional classroom. I loved interacting with them every day, whether it was in the art room or just saying hi in the hallways. When the opportunity to design a brand new home school based art education program came up, I was torn. I loved the school where I was teaching, but this was something new and exciting. I could help make sure that hundreds of homeschooled students would receive a quality visual arts education. So after a lot of soul searching I decided to try something different.
I was very comfortable with writing lesson plans and loved the opportunity to sample the best arts supplies available. Teaching in front of the camera, on the other hand, was a real challenge. When I present a lesson in the classroom there is a lot of back and forth. The students ask lots of questions. It’s one of the things that make teaching so much fun, although frequently, when I ask younger students if they have any questions about the lesson, they frantically wave their arms. When I call on them, instead of a question about how to do the day’s lesson, they want to tell me about their Uncle’s new dog or their weekend trip to the beach!
Teaching to the camera is difficult because there is no feedback. Not to mention that I don’t have a background in acting. Every time I shoot, it gets a little easier, but I still feel nervous. It helps to be working with a great crew who is very supportive.
I’ve seen the final version of the Kindergarten DVD and I’m amazed. I had high hopes for this program and this first DVD exceeds every one of them.