Mal's Art Room

Welcome!

In the Mal’s Art Room Blog you will find practical tips, classroom-tested ideas, and ready-to-use resources designed to make teaching lighter, not heavier. For art teachers who want to teach well, stay creative, and still have energy left for family and life beyond school.

Latest Posts

  • Valentine’s Day

    Is it just me or is it hard to squeeze Valentine’s Day lessons in? I find that the timing is difficult. I start a new lesson with students when they return to school after the new year. Typically I do a winter lesson with most of my groups (I have K-5th) and then start weaving…

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE: Valentine’s Day

  • Why I’m Here

    Welcome to my blog! I am so excited to start this blogging journey with you! I am going to start by sharing a bit about myself and why I have decided to start blogging. My “why” per se. I have been an art educator since 2015. I had two different experiences as a long-term substitute…

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE: Why I’m Here

Meet Mallory

The art educator and instructional designer behind Mal’s Art Room.

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A set of high-quality colored pencils arranged in chromatic order within a recycled cardboard box, each pencil sharpened to a fine point, revealing their vibrant pigmented cores. Behind, orderly stacks of illustrated lesson plan cards and laminated rubric sheets rest on a minimalist birch wood desk. Natural, early morning light washes across the workspace, casting subtle highlights on the pencil tips and soft, elongated shadows across the desk, fostering a sense of calm attentiveness. Captured from a low, close-up angle with a shallow depth of field focusing on the pencil set, the overall composition feels clean, practical, and welcoming—emphasizing an art teacher's easy access to well-prepared resources.
A creative, compact art supply cart featuring three metal tiers painted in matte pastel blue, each shelf neatly stocked with jars of paintbrushes, spools of rainbow yarn, glue sticks, and labeled wooden trays of printmaking blocks. The cart rests on gleaming laminate flooring near a chalkboard-inspired wall covered with tidy handwritten lesson notes and simple art prompts. Soft LED ceiling lights provide crisp, even illumination, making colors pop and casting gentle shadows around the cart's wheels. Photographed from a slightly elevated angle, with balanced framing that emphasizes the cart as both functional and inviting. The aesthetic is modern, organized, and cheerful—ideal for a hardworking teacher’s blog.
A close-up view of a handmade, spiral-bound art journal opened to a colorful collage page with layered torn magazine clippings, bits of paint, and snippets of textured washi tape. Beside it, a mason jar filled with carefully labeled gel pens and a stack of sticky notes with tidy, handwritten reminders. The journal rests atop a natural linen cloth draped over a light wood desk, with a leafy potted plant in the blurred background. Warm, diffused morning sunlight streams through a nearby window, casting delicate shadows and lending the scene a cozy, homey mood. Framed off-center with a creative, slightly top-down view, this image captures the organized creativity and resourcefulness celebrated on an art teacher’s blog.

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