Substitute Teaching in an Art Class: Creative and Stress-Free Learning Activities for Art Students of All Grade Levels

Activities that Any Substitute Teacher Can Use in an Art Class, No Matter What Their Background

Substitute teachers can be intimidated by substituting for the art teacher, because they don't think they have the knowledge/skill required, they're nervous about using art materials, they're afraid the teacher will give them something to teach that they know nothing about, or - vice versa - they're afraid that the teacher won't give them anything to do and they'll be left stranded. As an art teacher, we don't want to leave our substitute teachers more than they can handle, but we also want our students to use their time wisely and to learn something out of any art class activity.

No need to worry! There are plenty of Art-related activities that can be used and adapted by substitute teachers for every age group; that are real, creative, learning activities that don't require a lot of materials, preparation or undue stress.

"The Creativity Game" Art Activity - Problem Solving & Design

* Materials needed: a bag, word list, drawing paper. Age group: Can be adapted from elementary to high school students. Preparation: Have word list already typed out (or handwritten).

Type dozens of random nouns in a text document (it's best to list words that have a distinct visual image), print them out and cut into slips of paper, then throw in a bag. Explain to students how professional designers and artists need to stay on top of their game by constantly sharpening their skills at creativity, problem-solving, and thinking quickly. Select two students to blindly pick words from the bag, then read aloud. Students have a short amount of time (approximately one to two minutes) to design a sketch for a brand-new product that combines both selected words. For example: if the selected words were "vacuum cleaner" and "cheeseburger", students would brainstorm, then possibly draw a cheeseburger that has a special bun with hose-shaped Smart-Sesame-Seeds that will vacuum any crumbs or spills from your mouth while you're eating it. Encourage students to draw small, so they can fit multiple drawings on one paper.