Teaching Artfully

“I can’t imagine a better catalyst for creativity! I would recommend this to anyone!” – Emil Ferris, Author of My Favorite Thing is Monsters , multiple Eisner Award Winner “A bursting pinata of worthy questions and colorful inventions, a gift to the creative and a delight to read!” – Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics “Parker brilliantly uses comics as the medium for this self-reflexive examination of how art works and why art education matters!” – Prof. Carol Tilley, Ph.D. Comic historian, library educator, former high school teacher, and past president of the Comics Studies Society “An incredibly refreshing look at a school subject we need now more than ever!” – Chris Mostyn, High school art teacher, winner of the “Excellence in PK-12 Art Educational Award by the United States Society for Education Through Art A groundbreaking sensation: a Master’s thesis done in comics form! Now Teaching Artfully, is a compelling graphic novel! If you loved Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud or Unflattening by Nick Sousanis you will fall in love with this revolutionary and delightful book. In fact Sousanis provides a fascinating introduction! Teaching Artfully draws the reader in as it presents the growth and explorations of an early-career art teacher, the author Meghan Parker. Parker comes to understand both her teaching and art-making practices through making insightful comics. The reader, too will find themselves illuminated and inspired and entertained! Teaching Artfully looks at daily teaching practices, visual literacy, the teacher’s experience, relationships, and engagement with life inside and outside of schools. It uses a unique visual form to emphasize the importance of learning to understand and communicate using images. First created as a Masters thesis in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University, Teaching Artfully playfully and earnestly encourages us to see the arts as a way to connect with one another and find our common humanity. Creative people, educators and the general public are sure to connect with the call for meaningful engagement with the arts. Graphic novel lovers of all sorts will find an awakening in Parker’s approach to the creation of space and opportunities for students to imagine and create new possibilities. Teaching Artfully is sure to be the most talked about book of the year! …