In today's episode of Art Ed Radio, Tim sits down with educator, author, and art teacher Erin Sponaugle to talk about art teacher burnout. Not only what it looks like, but why it hits differently in the art room, and what you can do to protect your energy without sacrificing your passion for teaching.
Erin shares her experience moving from a fifth-grade classroom into art education, how she recovered from burnout herself, and why art teachers face unique challenges like invisible workload, creative decision fatigue, isolation, and the need for constant creative triage.
If you’ve ever felt exhausted from making decisions all day, stretched thin by extra responsibilities, or pressured to be the “fun class” all the time, this conversation will feel very familiar, and the suggestions offered will hopefully be welcome.
What happens when you combine March Madness with art history? You get Arts Madness, a 64-artist, bracket-style tournament that transforms art history into a student-driven debate filled with upsets and passionate arguments that can engage your students.
In this episode of Art Ed Radio, Tim Bogatz welcomes back Kyle Wood to talk about how his version of Arts Madness has grown from a simple bulletin board idea into a nationwide classroom tradition, and why this year might be the biggest and best tournament he's ever done.
If you’ve ever struggled to get students invested in art history, this episode is packed with ideas to spark curiosity, ownership, and authentic engagement.
Your first year of teaching has a way of humbling you—especially when you’re the only art teacher in the building, juggling hundreds of students, short class periods, and nonstop transitions. In this episode, Tim sits down with Ellie Henderson, a Chicago-area art teacher and ceramics enthusiast, to talk honestly about what her first year looked like, what surprised her most, and what helped her grow into year two. Ellie shares her experiences about learning to manage materials, pacing, and expectations in real time. Through reflections on big wins, necessary pivots, and learning alongside her students, Ellie offers a candid look at the realities of being a new teacher and why letting go of perfection is often the most important step forward.
In this February mailbag episode of Art Ed Radio, Tim Bogatz is joined by Amanda Heyn to answer listener questions and reflect on what’s happening in art classrooms right now. From creative routines and community connections to heavier conversations about burnout and career uncertainty, this episode offers some real talk about the issues that so many art teachers are facing.
Tim and Amanda discuss what to teach during observations, how to navigate a challenging student teaching placement, and what to do when teaching feels harder than expected. They also talk honestly about shifting student motivation, the importance of struggle and experimentation in art class, and why art rooms are uniquely positioned to teach perseverance, curiosity, and creative risk-taking.
The episode wraps up with a positive look at what students are doing well today and highlights weekly wins from the Art of Ed Community—celebrating student artwork, creative lessons, and small moments of success that make the work worthwhile.