As a teacher, librarian, and girl friday- I have supported creative thinking in all my educational roles. But admittedly it’s hard to incorporate with all of the expectations and schedules and testing (blech had to say that). But give yourself a pat on the back if you have supported music, theatre, and dance in your instruction whenever you can! I’ve jotted down what I added to my routines this year to remind me that I am trying my best to support arts integration to address learning needs for the whole child.

5. You read books aloud to kids and you do picture walks. Find a few art terms to discuss  (line, shape, texture) while looking at the pictures. Don’t know them well enough? No biggie, google some or ask your art teacher for help. Slap them on a post-it inside the book for easy reference as you read, viola, you are a museum assistant. Now the kids can draw and use these terms to express their own work, too.

4. You read the story? Fabulous. Act it out. One scene, assigned scenes, a character in the story with a new problem, role play… real theatre, my friends.

3. SING. You don’t want to? Find a youtube video and groove along. The movement and music are wonderful brain breaks, and if you can find a song about cell membranes, that’s a bonus.

2. Create a performance hour or choice board. Let kids know they can look forward to this type of expression or learning regularly in your class.

1.  Allow students to give you feedback or information through drawing, painting, acting. THIS is the ultimate artistic exit ticket. Show me what you learned through art!