Can You Really Teach Art in a Co-op Without an Art Teacher?

Homeschool co-ops are magic! They’re built on folding tables, strong coffee, and the collective courage of moms who say, “I’ll teach science if you teach history.”

When it comes to art, however, co-ops hesitate.

Let’s be honest: in most homeschool co-ops, art is the class students sign up for, but it's also the most stressful for the teachers. Because while it sounds like a great idea, the reality hits fast: Who’s going to teach it? Do you know anyone who can draw? How much glitter are we really willing to endure?

Art feels like one of those subjects that “someone else” should handle. Someone trained. Someone creative. Someone brave enough to try.

But what if that’s a myth?

What if, instead of asking:

I’m not an artist. How do we do this?

Art's so messy! Who will clean up?

How will we afford all the supplies?

What would we even do every week?

... you actually had a plan? An easy plan!

Let’s bust the doubt and get you some help.

Yes! You can teach real, beautiful art in a co-op.

And no, you don’t need to be “the art mom” to do it.

Most homeschool art classes are constructed with goodwill, a spreadsheet of ideas someone started at one in the morning, and initial enthusiasm full of possibilities. Volunteers have 2 hours a week, 12 kids, and a family living room or a shared church basement with plastic tables and zero sinks.

And as the good-hearted teacher dives in, so does reality. There are so many kinds of art; what should you teach? Can you blend in art history, drawing, painting, and theory? What about studying modern artists instead of the same old classics? Are there even famous modern artists? Who are they? What happens when the projects don't look good, and the parents think it's a waste of time?

Here’s what I’ve learned as a teacher, a homeschool mom, a professional artist in the comic book industry, and a curriculum designer:

Co-op Art is NOT:

• A Pinterest frenzy of crafts.

• An hour of “everyone copy this exact flower” from a YouTube video.

• A babysitting slot disguised as enrichment.

• A Friday activity to keep them busy after a week of REAL learning.

  
  

Co-op Art IS:

• A time each day that resets the whole group. See more about that here.

• A creative outlet for kids who struggle in academics.

• A legit art education built around observation, technique, and expression.

• A meaningful connection between history, culture, and hands-on work.

• It’s where kids learn to:

  • Observe.

  • Interpret.

  • Appreciate.

  • Reflect.

  • Admire.

  • Struggle.

  • And yes...so so much more.

But Who Should Teach It?

Maybe you. Maybe someone who's never taught art before. Maybe a mom who says, “I’m not creative, but I can read a lesson and pass out pencils.” That’s enough. Really. I'm not kidding you.

You don't need a degree. You don't have to be good at drawing, painting, sculpting, or anything else. What you do need is the ability to learn along with your students. When an adult admits to not knowing something, that's more powerful than an expert coming in and handing them all the answers. You have an opportunity to model knowledge and skill acquisition. You get to show them they can laugh at their mistakes. You get to model resiliency when you try and try again.

That's an irreplaceable experience.

They will learn so much more about art if you are learning beside them.

But How Do I Teach It?

Come up with one simple goal. Don't try to teach everything about art all at once. Pick one thing and focus on that.

Drawing flowers. Drawing eyes. Shading round things. Painting a mountain. Sculpting a bridge. Making a papier-mache foot. Reading about Michelangelo's life. Looking at different paintings each day and talking about them for 30 min. That's art appreciation.

But just ONE goal. You can add more things later, but not until you are satisfied that you and your students have given it a whole-hearted attempt.

Now, write this down: "By the end of the course the students and I will be able to __________."

After that, you can start looking for resources. Has someone made an art curriculum that meets your goal? You don't need to have one. You can look for how-to books. Look for simple guided videos. After a while, you'll start to recognise common techniques and instructions. Then you will be able to break the steps down into small, manageable parts.

But please don't walk into class and press play in the YouTube video! It's fine to use a video, but you need to introduce the skill they will be learning. Tell them a story about when you first tried it last Saturday, and your spouse thought it looked like a grumpy cabbage. Give them a real, human understanding they can relate to, then model doing it for them - even if you're bad at it. Chances are, they're going to be bad at it too. Each class does not need to be jam-packed with instruction. The class needs structure.

This is a tried-and-true order for each lesson:

1. Give them a simple idea.

2. Let them practice with you.

3. Let them practice on their own.

4. Then let them share.

5. Ask them what they learned.

It’s not about being “the art teacher.”

The students are not there to copy you. They are there to discover art for themselves.

Your job is to be a 'facilitator of creative thinking', and that's something every parent in a co-op can do.

Some Practical Advice for Co-op Art

• Teach one skill at a time. 

  • Don’t try to cover everything. Build up slowly.

• Use discovery time, not just project time. 

  • Give students white space.

  • Let them sketch, try, erase, and use the materials in whatever way they want to first, before direct instruction.

• Add reflection questions. 

  • Let them write about what they saw, what they felt, what they’d do differently.

  • Art isn't just visual.

• Don’t correct the art. 

  • Guide the process. Ask questions. Trust the student.

Can I use an Art Curriculum?

Absolutely. You can invest in an art curriculum. It is a great way to lighten your load, save you time, and ensure that you are covering what you want to thoroughly.

A solid curriculum will have these features:

• Easy to prepare: Art classes are not created equal. Some sound great, but take too much time for one person to set up, lay out, and clean up. Look for something simple.

• Flexible across ages: Art lessons that let the students work at their own level are gold! Art skills are not age-based, so you need to find lessons that don't shame the student for making art that does not look like the example. Examples are made by professionals who have had years of study. The images of them are curated for the lesson, not organic.

• Builds real skills, not just busy-work or copying another artist's picture.

• Includes space for personal style and reflection.

• Doesn't require a trip to the store for 14 paint trays, 3 sets of oil pastels, 3 bottles of glitter glue, 12 rolls of paper towels, linseed oil, paint thinner, special sets of pencils, and specific sets of watercolor paints. Those materials are for deep study. You need to show them that art can be done with accessible materials.

You can do this! I totally believe in you and your abilities.

Don't be afraid to look like you don't know what you're doing. Just go for it!

What I’ve Created and Why

I hate to give you a sales pitch. I know we're all so tired of them. But I hope you'll hear me out.

I sincerely wrote Let's Do School: Art Fundamentals for my son and other parents, small schools, and classroom teachers who are having trouble piecing art together from small pdf's, videos, and endless supply lists.

I built a full-year art workbook for homeschool families, co-ops, and small schools that:

• Works for 3rd–12th grade in single or mixed age groups.

• Emphasizes skill-building and personal style.

• Requires no prior art experience to teach.

• Includes historical context and reflection prompts.

• Can be taught once a week with zero fluff or every single day.

• Can work as your whole course or as the backbone of your class with added projects.

  
  

It’s not kits or crafts. It’s not busywork. It’s just honest, skillful art instruction.

I offer discounted bundles for co-ops, microschools, and public and private schools.

This course was recently adopted by a Middle School class in California!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c13d4d_7feee25bf1424ece8ce9f981d7360c26/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

It’s not kits or crafts. It’s not busywork. It’s just honest, skillful art instruction.