Welcome to the AAEA Conference
What is AAEA and what conference? Well if you are reading this online you may be asking these questions. If you are reading this off a xerox then you probably just met me or are meeting me. AAEA stand for the Alabama Art Education Association. The conference is/was in Decatur, AL October 23-25. Why conference? It is a super way to network…old school way…and to learn new things…and to share experiences and exasperation and realize that you are not the only high school art teacher who can not seem to get your students to follow directions (written, oral, etc). It is a super way to get to know what is out there for your students and you as artists…because we are all artists…don’t forget.
This blog site is your connection to me. Who am I? I am the secondary school chairperson for the state of Alabama. If you have any questions about teaching high school art I may not know the answer but I know I know someone who does. I have been teaching 24 years in GA, NC, & AL. I have taught pre-K through college and from the Georgia Retardation Center to highly gifted, inner city, rural, and private. (I get bored easily.) LOL Please feel free to ask me what you need to know. This is a totally safe site and I will never post anything that would embarrass you or if you don’t want it posted. I will only post under first names to maintain your privacy. I love this site because it really allows me to do that. When you write it will not appear until I post it. so be patient. I am very fast though.
Be sure to check here for competition updates. I will try to stay current. If there are any I am missing let me know. I strongly encourage you to participate in these competitions so that you can build your students’ self esteem. I don’t know if your students are like mine but sometimes my best are other teacher’s….not best…shall we say. These shows help them to feel successful about themselves in some area of school and I have seen that be the difference between staying in school and dropping out.
The next thing I want to encourage is for you to start a NAHS chapter at your school (National Art Honor Society). If you are a member of NAEA (National Art Education Association) [you can Google it] that is all you need plus some students who really excel in art. This really works about the same as the competitions for our students in building self-esteem. You should do it for them. If you have an Art Club already just link it to that and make it easier for yourself…just do it.
Well that is it for now. Let me know when I can help you ever.
