Hello! I’m Shelby Clason—a proud mom of two amazing kids and the art teacher at Wagonwheel Elementary in Gillette, Wyoming. I’m passionate about fostering a creative mindset in both my students and fellow educators. With a Master’s Degree in Integrating Art in the Classroom, I’ve been able to bring the magic of the art room into the hallways and classrooms throughout our school.
I truly believe that creativity is for everyone, and together, we can inspire all learners to express themselves and thrive through art.
One of my favorite parts of teaching is collaborating with our specials team. My teammate Sonja Brue, our incredible music teacher, and I love finding simple, impactful ways to weave art and music into everyday classroom learning. These strategies are easy to implement—some take just five minutes—but they can spark lasting engagement and creativity.
Here are a few of my favorite large-scale curriculum collaborations:
5th/6th Grade War Museum
Students explored core curriculum topics while studying the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, and World War II. They researched influential artists from each era, created self-portraits of historical figures, and developed interactive exhibits—including a "Tweets with Historical Peeps" display where characters carried on historically inspired conversations.
3rd–5th Grade Trade Market
As students learned about Pioneers, Native Americans, and Colonists, they crafted artifacts like woven goods, clay horses, wagons, arrowheads, tea sets, and mini quilts. They then participated in a simulated trade market, bartering items and experiencing the value of goods and resources from that time period.
With 12 years of Art Education under my belt, please feel free to pick my brain. I have been successfully collaborating with grades Ready 4 Learning (4 year olds) up to 6th grade.
