Spring 2024

We are so excited to share our second newsletter of 2024 with you! Inside you will learn about what your board members have been up to, important dates to add to your calendar, fun end of year tips & tricks, and more! Sketchpad is IAEA's digital newsletter. The newsletter is published quarterly and includes information about upcoming opportunities for educators and students, highlights from around the state, and resources from friends and colleagues.

I always know it’s the end of the school year when the sun is coming up and the world isn’t dark on my drive into work. This time of year is always so exciting; it’s warming up outside, things are growing, we’re starting to look towards our summer plans, and we’re reflecting on the end of this school cycle and what we hope for in the next year.

With this time of year, though, comes some of our greatest challenges as educators. Our students are coming down with spring fever. The end-of-year gauntlet of never-ending testing, grading, and field trips or assemblies is beginning. Students are making silly choices and pushing the boundaries. And our cups are overflowing with things to do and very little to replenish the energy we’re expending.

Here are my few tips to help you make it to the end of May or beginning of June, depending on how many more Mondays are left in your school year:

Take time for yourself: This time of year is always so busy. Yes, you have grading to catch-up on and parents to email and a million other things to do. But you also need water, healthy food, and sleep to be able to do the great things you do in your classroom each day. Find a way to fit a few minutes into each day that helps you de-stress and find joy in this time of year. Go for a walk around your neighborhood, work in the garden, take a bubble bath, read a book, or watch an episode of a favorite TV show without thinking about work.

Look ahead to the future (Future You will thank you): While you’re staring at the walls of your classroom during state-mandated testing or whatever, inevitably you’ll come up with a genius new idea for next year. Come up with a system now to catch all of your musings so you can find them this summer; it could be a Word document saved to the cloud, a page in your sketchbook, a note on your phone, etc. Also, take inventory of the classroom and the supplies you need to reorder, reconsider, or write grants for over the summer so you don’t accidentally end up with eleven cans of spray fixative in your storage closet (whoops).

Enlist the help of your students: You have an army of (reluctant) helpers at your disposal right now! Create a task sheet, clipboard, or task cards for your early finishers and the last day of classes. Have your students help you take inventory of supplies, empty out the drying racks, wipe down tables, scrub out the sinks, sort crusty paint brushes into keep and toss piles, test out markers for the dried-out ones, and recycle the construction papers where students cut one shape out of the exact center of the paper. You don’t need to do it all yourself!

Find time for fun: Above all, make sure you enjoy these last weeks with your students and colleagues! Whether it’s playing Bob Ross Bingo on the last day of school, tie-dying T-shirts, showing a silly video clip for a brain break, or contour line drawings out in the sunshine on the soccer field instead of in the classroom for a day, find the time to laugh and connect with your students. Make it a goal to crack a joke or smile with every class, period, or group of students each day. Children deserve fun, and so do tired art teachers!

I wish you all the absolute best end to your school year this year, and hope you have an amazing summer break!

Melissa Stephenson, IAEA President

Our regional representatives help IAEA's Executive Board know what's going on in each part of our state. Reach out to your rep if you have questions or exciting news to share about your school or classroom!

We want to hear from you! If you have something cool to highlight in our newsletter, reach out to your regional rep or to IAEA's Executive Board.

The Idaho Art Education Association promotes excellence in visual arts education in the State of Idaho. IAEA is a 501(c)(3) organization governed by a volunteer board that provides professional development opportunities and support for art educators throughout the state.