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Here is the story behind Expressive Monkey’s logo and a little bit about why I love teaching drawing.
When I was in art college at CCAD (Columbus College of Art and Design), one of the teachers would always say, “you can teach a monkey to draw.” Meaning, drawing is just a skill; anyone can learn to draw. Which, by itself, is something to keep in mind. Just keep practicing, and you will get better at drawing. But the implied message in “you can teach a monkey to draw” is that we should not just be concerned with technique and accuracy. That comes with practice and motor skills. The real challenge is to put some thought into drawing and express an idea or emotion.
My goal with Expressive Monkey’s drawing sheets is to make drawing fun, teach drawing skills, and make the young artist think while drawing. Most of my drawing sheets offer lots of drawing choices so that the artist can choose what kind of a drawing they would like to make. I also want to encourage young artists to express an idea or emotion and tell the story behind their pictures.
I’ve had my share of ups and downs over 25 years of teaching elementary art and found that there are a few things that my successful lesson have had in common.
Once I put this combination together, I no longer heard students ask, ‘why are we doing this”? Instead, they bought into the lesson and were eager to complete the art project. Once they finished, they could talk about the process and the choices they made. They could explain how the work they created related to their lives.
Grab my time-saving and super engaging and resources for your classroom today in my store. You will find all of these great resource types and so much more!
Use this infographic to display in your room or share with parents, administrators, or other teachers as a way to point out some of the academic benefits of learning to draw. While they are not the only reason for using drawing as part of a balanced curriculum, they are certainly worthy of celebrating and may help you advocate for including drawing as part of your art or classroom learning experiences.
You can read more about The Benefits of Drawing in this blog post.
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I create engaging drawing resources that help students build confidence and express themselves through art. I'm a former elementary art teacher of 25 years turned business owner. Giving you the tools you need to bring more drawing into your classroom brings me joy.
I create engaging drawing resources that help students build confidence and express themselves through art.
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Connect with a group of dynamic art teachers where we chat about all things drawing. Come ask me your questions or search for ideas in the posts. We’d love to have you!
Connect with a group of dynamic art teachers where we chat about all things drawing. Come ask me your questions or search for ideas in the posts. We’d love to have you!
This free infographic, emotion wheel, and drawing activity will help you incorporate social & emotional learning into your classroom.
