What’s Your Word of the Year?
In today’s episode, I’ll share how I use mine and how you can incorporate a Word of the Year into your life. There are parts of this conversation that move past picking a word to represent how you want to feel or what action you want to take in the new year.
My word evolved because of a bad situation in one of my past art classes. In order not to repeat the scenario, I created an intention that I still follow today.
I’d love to hear what your Word of the Year is, if you have one and how it has changed how you use in every day.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
• How I define my Word of the Year and who inspired it
• Why the practice of setting a word for the year can be helpful
• What things you can do to stay hyper-aware of your word throughout the year
• What happens when your students begin to trust you
• Which words I’ve used throughout the years and why
LISTEN TO THE SHOW
My best advice for teaching art to kids.
What’s Your Word of the Year?
In today’s episode, I’ll share how I use mine and how you can incorporate a Word of the Year into your life. There are parts of this conversation that move past picking a word to represent how you want to feel or what action you want to take in the new year.
My word evolved because of a bad situation in one of my past art classes. In order not to repeat the scenario, I created an intention that I still follow today.
I’d love to hear what your Word of the Year is, if you have one and how it has changed how you use in every day.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
• How I define my Word of the Year and who inspired it
• Why the practice of setting a word for the year can be helpful
• What things you can do to stay hyper-aware of your word throughout the year
• What happens when your students begin to trust you
• Which words I’ve used throughout the years and why
LISTEN TO THE SHOW
LINK & RESOURCES
The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
You can visit Patty through Deep Space Sparkle on Facebook and Instagram
Facebook
Instagram
support@deepspacesparkle.com
LINK & RESOURCES
The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
You can visit Patty through Deep Space Sparkle on Facebook and Instagram
support@deepspacesparkle.com
My best advice for teaching art to kids.
Yes, the day has come!
After a long time deciding if, I finally said when.
Thank you SO much for your encouragement, show suggestions and help getting Art Made Easy off the ground.
Many of you were so pumped about this show but confessed that you had no idea what a podcast was. I love you guys for your unbridled enthusiasm.
Here’s a quick definition of a podcast & what to expect from Art Made Easy:
A podcast is a free radio show. The host (me!) interviews guests or talks about a favorite subject. You get to listen through your computer, laptop or smart phone. I like to listen to my favorite podcasts in my car during long travel days or on my walks via set of ear buds and my iPhone.
You can subscribe to the show via iTunes and Stitcher radio. The benefit is that your free podcast ap on your iPhone will automatically be updated with all the podcast episodes from any show you subscribe to.
Go ahead and give it a try!
To listen on your laptop or computer, just click the play button in the colored box below.
To listen via iTunes, click on the “play in iTunes” banner and click subscribe.
And now onto the show…
For my first show, I wanted to tell you my story of how I became an art teacher. We all have different paths and this one is mine. I’ll share advice to those who are just starting out as an art teacher and some of my best tips for teaching art to kids.
This episode is for anyone who thinks they may not have the qualifications to be an art teacher. Teaching art to kids doesn’t have to happen inside a classroom. You can teach art at home, at a summer camp and even as a volunteer (like I did).
If you are an art teacher just beginning your journey, I’m sharing my best advice to get you through that tough first year. Download my free handout and keep it in your teacher planner and refer to it when you have a tough day.
LISTEN TO THE SHOW
SHOW NOTES:
Drawing With Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too
Art Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Adventures in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Paper, and Mixed Media-For Budding Artists of All Ages (Lab Series)
National Art Convention
CreativeLive- free online classes
Art Teachers Facebook Group
Website: Painted Paper in the Art Room (Laura Lohmann)
Website: Art of Education
Book: Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers
PS – Please leave a review on iTunes!
Art Made Easy is now live on iTunes! Subscribing to the show and leaving an honest review really helps the show gain visibility and allows me to tailor the show to your needs.
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Great podcast! My word for the year is “Encourage”…. As Deep Space Sparkle has encouraged me… It’s my mission to encourage others… Through art, through relationships…. Purposeful, intentional encouragement. Encourage is a verb… To give support, confidence or hope to someone… To “hearten, cheer, buoy up, uplift, inspire, motivate, spur on, stir up, fire up, stimulate, invigorate, vitalize, revitalize, embolden, fortify or rally” ( according to Websters definition). So by choosing the word encourage… See what it encompasses! And how perfectly Derp Space Sparkle tools give me the resources to do all those things! Thank you Patty Palmer and team Deep Space Sparkle!!
I just discovered this podcast Patty amd I am pleasantly surprised! I am a first year art teacher in a Title 1 school and I have bwen looking for someone to glean all these pearls of wisdom!
My word for the year actually came to me before Christmas. After frustrations in the classroom and other stressful life events, God gave me longsufferring with joy:) and soon after that my husband was in the hospital for 5 days haha but there was one day in particular that we were there that we just had the best time. We had visitors, we were laughing more than we had in awhile and there was hope for how our life would be adjusted after he got out of the hospital. Many times i seek to avoid hard things but I know even more so this year that in the midst of hardship there can be joy not just getting through by gritting your teeth:)
Looking forward to hear more of your podcasts!
Dear Patty,
Thank you for this inspiring message. I love your story about how you connected with a challenging student. A beautiful example of how kindness and connecting is more powerful than any other behavior management strategy.
Thank you for sharing your intentions with us!
Hi Patty, I have come to realize on this snow day off from school that I don’t get to listen to your podcasts or facebook videos as often as I’d like due to the monotony of my days. What a nice reprieve from the daily grind to just enjoy a cup of tea while listening to you. I really love your vulnerability and your willingness to open up and share with all of us.
I’ve been doing one little word for many years now. I think I first heard about it through Christine Kane and then through a favorite scrapbook artist/teacher of mine, Ali Edwards. She offers great classes and materials on how to really work your word so to speak. My word for the year is “grow”. I feel like I am in a pretty good place and am happy with who and where I am in life so now is time to move upwards a bit more and learn, try, and experience new things. Happy 2018 to you and yours!
Thanks Patti! I can always relate to your teaching stories, and it’s great to not feel alone as the Art teacher in the apron, hanging art and not necessarily understood by the faculty. But loved and admired, I like to think! I love your word “Intention.” It works in any circumstance. really. The word that came to me was “Focus” I feel like I’m often going in too many directions at once, and have too many goals, ideas. I guess that’s ok, as long as I focus on the goal at hand. A word does seem more powerful than a list!
Oh Patty, I love even years and numbers too! My birth year and date are even numbers, and so are my daughters’. I actually remember feeling anxious when I went into labor on the 19th! I was so relieved that they waited until 1 am on the 20th to make their entrance! My word this year is “Kind.” I’m a bit of a control freak. I can often be too task-oriented and focused on getting things done. I am really working to be intentional about treating all people with kindness – those I teach, those I work with, and those I live with! Now, I kindly ask you to think about having DSS create an official Sparklers Club t-shirt: KEEP CALM AND SPARKLE ON! I’d love to see those at the Workshop in August!
Do you think that’s a good Sparkle mantra? I like it too!
Feliz Año, Patty.
My first podcast with you.
I like your ‘word’ of the year idea. I suppose I have done something similar subconsciously when setting my focus for the year or semester.
My focus (or words) for this year was to have the kids work big scale and then use those projects for decorating the dreary hallways … my School Beautification project!! We’ve even done cross-grade collaborations. Not sure this fits, but it’s my 2017/18 mantra.
Oh Patty, this was such an awesome episode and as usual just what I needed to hear today! I can really relate to your story about the sassy girls, I taught in a really challenging high school years ago, and I had this student who was always talking under her breath to me, when I handed her supplies, or paper, or whatever it was, I always heard her muttering something with attitude as I walked away. So one day I turned to her and I said, “Did you have something you wanted to say to me? Because I’m here ready to listen.” Of course she said nothing! But after class (it was the last class of the day) she stuck around, she grabbed a broom and started sweeping up and she talked my ear off! I was so happy that she kind turned this new leaf! It turns out she was going through a lot, her sister had a terminal disease and she had some other issues at home. More than anything, I felt honored to be there for her. And after that she continued to open up to me, and became one of my best students, even though she didn’t really have much of an interest in art, I think she humored me, and actually started to like it! She is my friend on Facebook now and since I was so young then she’s not much younger than me now. Unfortunately her sister passed away last year and she lost a baby. But she’s married to a wonderful man, has 3 beautiful daughters and is a hard-working, positive, strong, resilient woman. I feel so fortunate that we were able to connect and be friends.
This story. Oh my goodness. Its such a great example of not making assumptions about people (or our students). Thank you so much for sharing and for being there for this girl.