Teacher Professional Development

Free Workshops

Work with other teachers and MFA educators to explore ways of enlivening the classroom using Museum objects as teaching tools. Prepare for your upcoming school group visit to the MFA. Our complimentary workshops typically feature a slide presentation by a curator or guest speaker, followed by time in the galleries with Gallery Instructors. All are designed to address Curriculum Framework requirements.
 

The Postcard Age

Jan 9, 2013, 4–7 pm
In the decades around 1900, postcards were Twitter, e-mail, Flickr, and Facebook, all wrapped into one. The Postcard Age: Selections from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection is an unprecedented exhibition that traces how big historical and cultural themes of the modern age, such as urban life, the changing role of women, sports, celebrity, new technologies, the stylish collectors’ cards of the art nouveau, and World War I, played out on the postcard’s tiny canvas.  Learn how you use this surprising exhibition to supplement your European History curriculum.

(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; HSS: World History II)

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African American Artists at the MFA

Feb 13, 2013, 4–7 pm
This workshop will highlight the MFA’s rich collection of works by African American artists from the early 19th century to today.  Explore these works through the MFA’s multimedia guide, and experience an exhibition of the works of Lois Mailou Jones, a Boston native and a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts who made significant contributions to 20th-century American art from the perspective of an African American woman.     

(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; HSS: US History II)

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Painting the American Landscape: The Art of the White Mountains

Mar 13, 2013, 4–7 pm
Beginning in the 19th century, artists and writers alike were drawn to the pristine beauty of the American landscape. This workshop will feature the MFA’s rich collection of landscape paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, including the special exhibition Art of the White Mountains.  Learn how you can use these sublime paintings to explore painting and drawing, poetry and literature, or history and science.

(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; HSS: US History II; ELA 9: Making Connections)

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Art and Writing

Apr 10, 2013, 4-7 pm
Art can inspire writers in all genres, whether it’s poetry or prose, fiction or non-fiction.  Close looking at art can also build skills in observation, description, and critical thinking, which are all essential tools in the writer’s toolbox.  In this interactive workshop, you will be able to try many different writing activities in the galleries that will inspire your students while making direct connections with the Common Core.

(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; ELA 19: Writing; ELA 20: Consideration of Audience and Purpose)

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Samurai Armor

May 8, 2013, 4-7 pm
The extraordinary artistry of the armor and weaponry used by samurai - the military elite led by the shoguns, or warlords, of Japan from the 12th through 19th centuries - will be highlighted this spring  in an exhibition of Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller. The exhibition will also examine the culture and history of these famed warriors.  Discover more about this fascinating exhibition, and how you can incorporate it into your World History or Japanese language classes.

(Link to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Arts Connections Strand Standards 6–10; HSS: World History I and II; Foreign Languages Cultures Strand)

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Professional Teacher Membership Discount

Pre-K through grade 12 teachers can receive a $30 discount on membership and enjoy all the benefits of membership. Proof of active teaching status is required to receive discount; visit any MFA ticket desk and present your school ID, letter from the principal or head on school letterhead, or current MTA card. Please note: discount is available in person only; mailed requests will not be honored.

Professional Development Points (PDPs)

Awarded through attendance at three workshops, plus submission (by the end of the school year) of a one-page summary of your follow-up work AND either a Museum visit with your students OR submission of a lesson plan.