Professional Development
Choose from a variety of professional learning opportunities and resources for educators! Special events and customized experiences empower educators to build lesson and unit plans that engage students with art from the Nelson-Atkins.
Developed on-demand for groups of educators. Learn ways to build observation, critical thinking, and literacy skills that students need to thrive in today’s global society.
Professional development sessions led by Nelson-Atkins educators introduce teachers to museum resources, familiarize them with object-based learning, and inspire them to make art a meaningful part of their teaching practice.
PD sessions are available at the museum or offsite, or virtually using the teleconferencing platform of your choice. The following topics can be adapted to fit your group’s needs and interests:
Linking Language and Art (K-5th)
Make connections between language arts and visual expression, including art’s capacity to stretch vocabulary, descriptive language, and storytelling skills.
Art, Literacy, and Critical Thinking (2nd-12th)
Examine the relationship between “reading” a work of visual art and reading a text, and learn practical ways to build critical thinking skills through art.
Visual Art Through a Social Studies Lens (6th-12th)
Analyze works of art as primary source documents that can illuminate the past and the contemporary world. Can be adapted to suit many different historical periods, world cultures, or thematic social studies strands.
In-person sessions at the museum can be scheduled on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays for groups of at least 5 educators. Offsite and virtual sessions can be scheduled Monday – Friday. Scheduling requests must be received at least 3 weeks before the desired program date.
Please contact the ERC for more information or to schedule a session.
Workshops & Events
Connect works of art to your teaching and your own learning through a variety of educator programs.
Thematic workshops and teacher events provide opportunities for educators to explore the museum’s collections, learn about engaging students with art, and receive resources to support close looking and critical thinking.
Upcoming Workshops
Teacher Workshop: See You in the Sculpture Park
Thursday, October 5 | 5–7 p.m.
$6 (includes garage parking)
Learn about the outdoor sculptures that surround the Nelson-Atkins and try your hand at a three-dimensional art activity.
Register
Teacher Workshop: Artists Looking at Nature
Thursday, November 9 | 5–7 p.m.
$6 (includes garage parking)
Examine the influence that Claude Monet’s depictions of nature had on modern artists of the mid-20th-century.
Register
Teacher Advisory Board
The Teacher Advisory Board is made up of active educators from the greater Kansas City metro region. Board members teach a range of subjects: art, elementary general education, middle and high school social studies, English language arts, STEM, and special education.
Board members act as valuable liaisons between the museum and school communities, keeping museum staff up to date about school system developments and broadening the reach of the museum by sharing Nelson-Atkins resources with colleagues. They provide feedback on programming, and help museum staff develop offerings that are aligned with school curricula.
“Honestly I loved everything about being selected to be a member of the Teacher Advisory Board. Being treated as a true professional and asked for input while getting to know other educators was fantastic.” – Teacher Advisory Board member, 2016-18
“Honestly I loved everything about being selected to be a member of the Teacher Advisory Board. Being treated as a true professional and asked for input while getting to know other educators was fantastic.” – Teacher Advisory Board member, 2016-18
