Michelle Blaser, Author at

6 tips for making choice-based art a success in your classroom

Boost student creativity and independence with easy-to-implement choice-based art strategies — plus flexible materials to support open-ended exploration.

Art Education

The best art supplies (recommended by art teachers)

See what art supplies art teachers recommend — from favorite paints and brushes to paper, markers, and clay.

Teacher appreciation: Powerful stories of impact and gratitude

We’re celebrating teacher appreciation by sharing heartfelt stories from Nasco Education employees about the teachers who made a lasting impact…

Teacher Resources Teacher Appreciation

FREE teacher posters that celebrate educators

Download, print, and display exclusive teacher posters in your classroom so that everyone knows why you do what you do!

Art Education

7 creative ways to upcycle art supplies (+ recycled art lesson plans!)

Learn creative ways to upcycle art supplies in the classroom with these sustainable, fun, and eco-friendly recycled art projects. These…

Art Education

45 art activities for early finishers

Tired of hearing "What should I do next?" from your early finishers in art class? To help, we reached out…

Art Education

7 fundraising strategies for your K-12 art room

Tight budgets shouldn’t limit your art room’s creativity. From crowdfunding platforms to student-made projects, here are 7 strategies to raise…

New EID rules for cattle and bison: What you need to know before Nov. 5

Are you prepared for the change? Read this post to understand the new EID rules, avoid delays, and stay compliant…

The complete guide to using stainless steel cookware in your FCS kitchen

Overwhelmed by cookware choices for your FCS kitchens? Read this post to learn the benefits of stainless steel cookware and…

Art Education

Art teachers share their favorite art room hacks

Art teachers share their best art room hacks to help you streamline your school day, organize your classroom, and manage…

Art Education

8 exciting art careers to share with your students

Break the myth of the starving artist and inspire your students by sharing 8 exciting careers they can pursue.

Celebrating art teachers + FREE poster download

Download, print, and hang this one-of-a-kind poster in your space so that everyone knows why you do what you do!

SEL

The must-have sensory tools for your calming corner

Are you ready to create or update your classroom calming corner? Discover the most popular tools teachers use to help…

6 open-and-go art kits that make summer school planning easy

Looking for ways to streamline your summer school prep? Check out this list of six open-and-go art kits that make…

Health Education Physical Education

3 benefits of pickleball in schools plus tournament hosting tips

Learn why pickleball has become a favorite in educational settings and join the movement with tips for hosting your own…

Art Education

The art lessons teachers are raring to share this year

Get 22 inspiring ideas for art lessons to teach at any time of year.

Health Education SEL Teacher Resources Family & Consumer Sciences

13 infant simulator activities for the classroom

Get activity ideas for using infant simulators in your classroom to teach pregnancy prevention, childcare pathways, life skills, and more.

Art lessons that focus on culture and community

Get lesson ideas to help you explore culture and community in your art classroom.

Family & Consumer Sciences

Prevent baking fails with these FCS lessons

Ever had a baking project that ended in disaster? You’re not alone! Read some epic baking fails from both in…

Art Education SEL

Proven SEL art activities recommended by teachers

Read how teachers are building SEL art activities into the lessons and projects in their curriculum and get some ideas…

SEL

Helping kids stay calm: 12 SEL strategies

Check out these SEL strategies teachers are using to help students manage their emotions and be ready to learn during…

SEL Teacher Resources

Classroom management strategies that work

Need new ideas for managing student behavior? Check out this advice from veteran teachers on how to keep your classroom…

Art Education

How to cultivate the 6 Cs in your art room

Explore how art education supports each of the 6 Cs and get 13 lesson ideas to help integrate them into…

STEM/STEAM Science

How to (safely) use AI in education

Everybody’s buzzing about AI! Read our latest blog post to get ideas on how you can use artificial intelligence (AI)…

Art Education

32 ceramic projects art teachers and students love

Clay units are always a student favorite! Read this blog post for 33 ceramic projects you can introduce this year.

Art Education

21 back-to-school art projects to kick off the year!

Get ready to kick off the new school year with this list of back-to-school art projects from your fellow art…

Health Education Physical Education

3 ways to showcase your physical education program

Want parents, students, and administrators to know how valuable your physical education program is? Use the tips in this blog…

Health Education SEL Physical Education

Goal-setting activities for middle school and high school

Goal setting is a powerful way to help students build responsibility and perseverance, setting the stage for lifelong success. Get…

SEL

Is flexible seating right for your classroom?

Are you considering adding flexible seating to your classroom? Read about the benefits and get advice on what you need…

SEL Back to School STEM/STEAM

How to develop a growth mindset in students

Learn tips for helping your students develop a growth mindset so they can build resiliency skills and find success in…

Art Education

Art teachers share their favorite Sharpie® projects

Read about these teachers’ favorite Sharpie projects and get some new ideas for your own classroom now!

Family & Consumer Sciences

Top career exploration activities for the FCS classroom

Want to get your students thinking about how the childcare topics, culinary arts, and design principles they’re studying in your…

SEL

6 effective character education tools for the classroom

Character education is an important part of your SEL program. Check out these top tools for building character in your…

Physical Education

8 reasons to practice yoga in the classroom

Read this blog post to find out why teachers are using yoga in the classroom to decrease students’ stress and…

Art Education

24 fun ways to display student art

Are you always looking for new methods to show off your students’ artwork? Here you’ll find some fun ways to…

SEL

Using ESSER funds for your SEL program: 10 best practices

Want to make sure you’re making the most of your ESSER funds to support student mental health? Read this blog…

Family & Consumer Sciences Physical Education

Top 5 resources for teaching nutrition education

Are you looking for new ways to teach nutrition education to your students? Look no further. Check out the top…

Family & Consumer Sciences

4 tips for teaching kitchen math in your FCS classroom

Does the mention of kitchen math elicit groans? Never fear! These classroom activities will help you engage students in building…

Calm-down strategies for the classroom that teachers love

Are you looking for ways to help your students regulate their emotions during the school day? Try these calm-down strategies…

Art Education

6 contemporary black artists your students should know

Looking to provide more diverse art lessons? Here are six contemporary black artists your students can explore and use for…

Art Education SEL

SEL art activities for your classroom

Your art room is the perfect place for students to develop social-emotional learning skills. Read this blog post to get…

Art Education

How to keep students engaged in art class before winter break

Need ideas to keep students engaged before winter break? Try these tips and projects ideas from art teachers.

Art Education

Top 5 reasons art education is important (according to teachers)

Get ready to be inspired! You’ll love reading what these art teachers had to say about why art education is…

Math

How to help students with math anxiety

Do you have students who say they hate math? They may suffer from math anxiety, which is preventing them from…

Best tips for teaching students how to wash paintbrushes

Are you sick of finding ruined paintbrushes in your art room? Get tips from real art teachers for teaching students…

STEM/STEAM

Hands-on learning: 5 research-proven benefits

Looking for ways to engage students and raise test scores? Look no further. Read about how hands-on learning and experiential…

Art Education

25 teacher-favorite acrylic paint projects

Need some new ideas for your art room? See what these 25 teachers say are their favorite acrylic paint projects.…

Learn 5 biology lessons that motivate budding biologists

The career paths for biology majors are diverse. Engage students in these hands-on biology lessons in your lab to nurture…

SEL

8 social-emotional learning activities for calmer school days

Get 8 social-emotional learning activities that boost students’ self-regulation skills and build their character. And learn techniques to help you…

Math

Top 10 tools to help students succeed in math

With the right tools to help students succeed in math, you can help them learn more effectively while making your…

Science

The best ways to connect animal dissection to health science careers

Are you students aware of how the animal dissection activities they're doing today could lead to future health science careers?…

Art Education

How to use tempera paint, tempera cakes, and tempera paint sticks

There’s a reason tempera paint is a classroom staple. Learn about and compare these three options and come away knowing…

Art Education

5 “get-to-know-you” activities and lesson plans for art teachers

Nasco Education resident art teacher Sam Rausch pulled together five of her favorite start-of-the-year activities and lesson plans for art…

SEL

6 ways to infuse SEL into your classroom management plan

An effective classroom management plan is essential in keeping things running smoothly in your classroom. Learn 6 ways to infuse…

STEM/STEAM

4 steps to teaching sustainable farming practices that lead to careers

Help students research and explore vertical farming in your classroom and inspire students to pursue AFNR careers so they, along…

Art Education

Beginning-of-the-year art projects and more ideas from our resident art teacher

Hear from Nasco Education’s resident art teacher as she shares her thoughts on art education today as well as some…

Art Education

Top 10 must-have art supplies every new art teacher needs

Are you wondering what must-have art supplies other educators are using to stock their art cabinets? We asked our resident…

Science

Connect students to animal science careers with hands-on learning

For many students, hands-on learning is an experience that can’t be matched. As they start to think about their futures,…

SEL

Sensory rooms: Engaging the senses to improve student learning

Sensory rooms offer a therapeutic space where students can tune into their senses and become better engaged in learning. Learn…

Family & Consumer Sciences

3 beginner sewing projects your students will love

Introduce your students to the fun of sewing with these simple beginner sewing projects. They will be proud of what…

SEL

Sensory tools to help sensitive students focus, cope, and manage anxiety

Sensory processing disorders are becoming more common in school-aged children, and you can help sensitive students cope with sensory tools…

Makerspace STEM/STEAM

Makerspace activities: 4 ways to help students explore exciting STEM/STEAM careers

Are your students ready to explore STEM/STEAM careers? Explore new makerspace activities to help them prepare for a bright future…

SEL

Biophilic design in education: Connecting students with nature to improve mental health

Connecting your students with nature through biophilic design can provide a calmer learning environment and improve mental health. Learn simple…

Science

Connect students to forensic science careers with dissection

For many students, dissection is an experience that will stick with them long after class is over. This hands-on activity…

Family & Consumer Sciences

Culinary tools 101: Maintenance and safety techniques to sharpen students’ knife-handling skills

Teach students about essential culinary tools, like knives, with these safety tips that will help fine-tune their culinary skills and…

SEL

Stress-management activities to improve student mental health

Implementing stress-management activities in the classroom can help students stay centered while improving their overall mental health. See seven simple…

Teacher Resources

3 end-of-school ideas that promote positivity and growth

It’s the perfect time to look back at how far students have come and look forward to future growth. Read…

SEL

6 tips for hosting an SEL activity night at your school

Just like academics, social-emotional learning works best when families are involved. Get tips for hosting an SEL activity night at…

SEL

15 stress-reduction techniques for teachers

Has this school year left you stressed or feeling burned out? Then, download these 15 stress-reduction techniques to help you…

SEL

5 kits to help integrate SEL in the classroom

If you’re looking to integrate more SEL the classroom, these time-saving kits can help students build important skills while reducing…

Science

8 Earth Day activities to promote environmental sustainability

Commemorate Earth Day with activities that promote environmental stability while teaching students how to prepare for a greener future.

Family & Consumer Sciences

5 organization tips for your family and consumer sciences kitchen

When students are in an organized kitchen space, they’ll have easy access to what they need to master culinary skills.…

Science

4 life science lessons that cover real-world topics

Explore easy and practical ways you can dig into timely life science topics and grow student understanding — both in…

Math

6 women in mathematics your students should know about

Celebrate the women in mathematics who made an impact and broke down barriers during Women’s History Month and beyond to…

Science

4 ways to explore cardiac science in the classroom

Explore heart science with your students through discussions, fun facts, and activities. In this post, read about how you can…

Math

4 math activities to accelerate learning outside the classroom

With so many students around the country impacted by disrupted learning, you may be looking for new ways and places…

Art Education

4 ways to incorporate art into summer learning activities

Summer learning programs are a blank canvas for creative ideas. Check out these tips on ways to bring an artistic…

SEL

5 ways to infuse SEL activities into your summer school classroom

As you start thinking about your summer school plans, these five tips will help you infuse SEL activities into your…

Teacher Resources

Checklist: Open-and-go learning materials for summer school

Get a jump start on summer school with this checklist of open-and-go learning materials that will make lesson planning easy.

Art Education

Adaptive art: Helping students overcome (and understand) unique challenges

Adaptive art is about understanding physical or emotional challenges, and then providing students with specialized tools to help them create.

Science

8 educational robots to engage students in coding

Discover how you can incorporate concepts in robotics and coding into your classroom with a selection of educational robots and…

Art Education

Top 5 art projects of 2021

We put together a complication of the top five art projects for 2021 to help you get creative with your…

Art Education

Paint care tips for your art classroom

Avoid wasting paint or reducing its quality with these easy steps that will help you get the most out of…

Art Education

The best way to wash paint brushes (and store them too)

The longevity of a paint brush depends on how well you take care of it. Teach your students the right…

Science

9 women in science your students should know about

Inspire students in your classroom to pursue science and other STEM-related careers by introducing them to nine women in science…

STEM/STEAM

8 simple STEM activities students will love

STEM learning helps students move forward toward a better tomorrow. Check out these simple STEM activities to keep kids engaged…

Science

Dissection safety explained (with videos)

Chemicals and scalpels, oh my! Get valuable dissection safety tips and learn how to prep your lab and your students…

STEM/STEAM

9 STEM activities from beginner to advanced

Whether you’re just beginning your STEM program or looking for new ideas, there are plenty of ways to bring STEM…

Art Education SEL

8 engaging art projects to help kids reconnect at school

Help students reconnect with each other, re-engage with learning, and find an outlet for complex emotions with art projects.

Back to School

Learning activities to help students engage this fall

Looking for new back-to-school learning activities to engage students this fall? Check out these teacher-favorite educational tools.

Art Education

3 ways to support art education with ESSER funds

Do you find yourself wondering—how can I support my art program with ESSER funds? Here are three great ways to…

Math

4 ways to keep math going strong—all summer long

Looking for ideas to help students keep math skills sharp over summer? Here are five easy-to-implement ways to keep them…

Makerspace

Makerspace projects that increase student engagement and inspire learning

Help students flex their creative muscles with fun hands-on learning maker projects that inspire learning.

Teacher Appreciation

An open letter to all teachers—thank you for never giving up on our kids

This has been a tough school year, but you never gave up. Thank you, teachers, for everything you do!

Science

Earth Day activities: 7 fun ways to raise awareness

Raise environmental awareness with Earth Day activities and lessons to help students get involved and engaged in learning.

Teacher Resources Teacher Appreciation

12 things teachers and parents should say to each other more often

Teachers and parents have many great things they can say more often to one another. It's a great way to…

Art Education

How to encourage art education in your classroom with everything you do

Encourage art education in your classroom in everything you do. Take a look at easy ways to incorporate the arts…

Science

Winter science projects your students will love

Check out these winter science projects with your students. They're a great way to encourage hands-on learning with outdoor activities.

Lessons & Activities

5 ways to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Help students understand the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with these easy-to-implement activities for in-class or at-home learning.