FREE art tutorials on our You Tube channel 

Free art tutorials are now available on our You Tube channel and would be a great creative addition to your classroom art programmes, covering the visual arts curriculum with a focus on creativity as well as helpful Professional Development.

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The sessions are proving to be very popular with families and children. They are NZ curriculum based, creative, easy to follow, engaging, accessible, achievable - AND FUN!

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Planning Support

Lesson Plans and Term Overviews 

Our overviews and lesson plans include Learning Intentions, Achievement Objectives, materials lists, useful links, slideshows with relevant images (lesson plans only), and step by step instructions which are easy to follow and implement into your classroom programme - no matter what you experience or confidence level is!

All of the lessons have been written, tested and refined by Mandy, a primary school teacher with over 20 years experience and Founder/CEO of Creative Matters.

Click on each box for more info or to purchase.

Online PD Courses

Food Glorious Food 

Inspired by focus artist Wayne Thiebaud and Peter Anton

A term long cross curricular visual arts unit in a PD course format for the special introductory offer of only $97.

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This unique professional development course:

• Is a complete, term long cross curricular visual arts unit of work set out in video lessons which can be watched then taught to your class

• Can be viewed when it suits you and has no time restrictions

• Provides rich professional development and support 

• Would suit brand new teachers as well as teachers who are very experienced but need help or ideas with planning or teaching visual arts

• Includes Achievement Objectives and knowledge, skills and vocabulary

• Includes curriculum links to Maths (Geometry and Measurement strands), Technology and Literacy

• Has 14 instructional videos or presentations for you to model or show to your class

• Includes all the resources and support you need to plan and teach the term programme 

• Is suitable for teachers who teach children aged 6 - 14 and can be easily modified to suit your children's needs

• Includes extension ideas in some of the lessons

• Is a resource you'll always have to refer to and reuse

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Feedback from Teachers

"The 'Tell Me a Story' term overview provides an exciting, rich creative process to follow over the course of a whole school term. Our whole team of seven year five and six teachers are taking what works for us from this plan and implementing it into our programmes for term 1 2020. 'Tell Me a Story' provides detailed, easy to follow, inspiring lesson plans with many opportunities for developing skills in visual art and descriptive writing, as well as producing a selection of unique artworks that support the 'getting to know you' stages of starting a new class for the year. Thank you Mandy for providing us with planning that allows all teachers (and learners) to feel confident and successful throughout a rich creative process."

Tayla Williams, Year 5/6 Teacher, Waimauku School, Auckland NZ.

Facilitated by Mandy Jakich

Our courses are facilitated by Mandy Jakich. 

Mandy has taught in Primary and Intermediate schools for more than 20 years, was an Art Educator at Auckland Art Gallery for 4 years, is the Founder and CEO of Creative Matters and is a practising artist.

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Mandy has facilitated courses in schools, at Kohia Centre - University of Auckland, and at Studio One, Toi Tu.

"Thank you Mandy for the wonderful art workshop you ran at our school recently.  The teachers were engaged and highly motivated as evidenced by the  way the majority of our staff utilised all they learnt with you  into their classroom programmes immediately. 

They enjoyed the way you delivered your programme, and also the freedom you gave them to be creative while also learning some basic paint techniques. All were impressed with how the session catered for all levels of expertise.  They are looking forward to having another session with you."

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Denise Haven, Deputy Principal, Waitakere Primary School

Three Areas of Development

Using an Artist

for Inspiration

Teachers will develop practical strategies for creatively using an artist as inspiration and a starting point for creative thinking, and experience a series of creative art lessons exploring the themes, styles and techniques of this artist.

Painting and

Colour Making

Teachers will develop practical strategies for setting up, managing and teaching painting and colour making in the classroom through a rich creative process of exploring, experimenting, creating, reflecting and sharing.

Through

Sculpture

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Teachers will learn about and experience a number of achievable sculpture techniques that can be easily implemented into the classroom, with an emphasis on a rich creative journey towards the final products.

Three Learning Options

Over 2 staff meetings at your school 

Splitting the course over two consecutive sessions of two hours works brilliantly - giving us time to refine the learning to suit your needs, for an even richer learning experience on the second session.

At a Teacher Only Day at your school

A 4 hour hands-on PD session is a great addition to a Teacher Only Day, encouraging communication and collaboration as well as the learning of new skills and approaches. 

At Studio One Toi Tu in the holidays

This is a good option if you are seeking individual or small group PD rather than school wide, held during the holidays. A creative, therapeutic treat!