Confident Thinkers

Art lessons that are ready when you are.

Get free access to the Confident Thinkers Vault: directed-drawing lessons and low-prep art activities from a working middle school art teacher, built to help students grow confident through making.

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Confident Thinkers Free Vault: four free classroom favorites in one vault, including Thanksgiving coloring pages, cardboard animal templates, challenge cards, and an album cover design project

What you get inside

Real, classroom-tested resources you can print, project, and teach without a weekend of prep.

Complete Lesson

Students create their own album cover with templates provided.

Low-prep activities

Quick activities for sub days, early finishers, and busy weeks, including 40 Art Challenge Cards and 10 Thanksgiving coloring pages.

Print-and-go PDFs

Clean, branded PDFs and posters that are ready to print or project, like an Elements of Art poster and cardboard animal templates.

Shop Individual Resources
SAMPLE PROJECT

See what a Confident Thinkers project looks like

Here is the Aztec Symbols Art Project for grades 5-12: a complete lesson plan, a rubric, 20 templates, and an Aztec border guide, all ready to print and teach.

Cover of the Aztec Symbols Art Project for grades 5 to 12, showing a finished jaguar artwork and three printable templates
The project at a glance
Complete lesson plan and rubric, 20 templates, and an Aztec border guide.
Finished Aztec-style artwork of a jaguar head inside a stepped geometric frame with eye motifs, colored in teal, gold, and terracotta
Finished example artwork
Show students what a strong final piece looks like before they start.
Black-and-white line drawing template of a stylized flame with a spiral at its base
Printable symbol templates
Students choose from 20 templates, like this flame, as the center of their design.
Reference page of black-and-white and colored Aztec border patterns with zigzags, diamonds, and arrow shapes
Aztec border guide
Historical border patterns and design motifs for student reference.
Lesson plan page for Day 3, Inking and Coloring, with timed segments for inking and color application
Day-by-day lesson plan
Timed segments and clear steps make every class period easy to run.
Assessment rubric table scoring concept and symbolism, integrated design, Aztec style, craftsmanship, and artist statement on a four-point scale
Ready-to-use rubric
A four-level rubric covering concept, border design, style, craftsmanship, and artist statement.

Getting started takes a minute

1
Enter your email
Sign up for free access to the vault.
2
Download what you need
Browse the lessons and grab the ones that fit your week.
3
Teach with confidence
Print, project, and let your students make something they are proud of.

Made for teachers who are short on time

Art teachers who want ready-to-teach lessons
Classroom teachers adding art to their week
Subs and homeschool families who need simple, successful projects
Sam, creator of Confident Thinkers, smiling in a green baseball cap
FROM THE CREATOR
Hi, I'm Sam.

I'm a certified Pre-K-12 visual art teacher currently teaching middle school, and I've been teaching and making art lessons and art for 15 years. I built Confident Thinkers because students need art that builds confidence, and teachers need resources that respect their time. Everything in the vault comes from my own classroom.

READY FOR MORE?

Love the free vault? Get the entire collection.

The Confident Thinkers membership gives you all-access to the full library of directed-drawing lessons and low-prep art activities, so you never have to scramble for a lesson again.

All-access to the full Confident Thinkers collection
New resources added once a month
$19.99 per month or $199.99 per year (save about $40). Cancel anytime.
FEATURED MEGA BUNDLES
Art Lesson Mega Bundle: 115+ projects for grades K-12, with previews of the 3D Aquarium, Sea Shells Watercolor, Takashi Murakami Smiling Flower, Squash Books, and Ming Dynasty Vase projects
Art Lesson Mega Bundle
115+ projects for grades K-12, many with worksheets and guides.
200+ Color Pages Mega Bundle for grades K-12, with previews of sports cars, dragon, San Francisco landmarks, animals, Japanese scenes, birds, and mermaid coloring pages
200+ Color Pages Mega Bundle
Over 25 coloring topics for grades K-12, updated monthly.
120+ Print and Go Art Resources Mega Bundle for grades 3 to 12, with previews of an ice cream truck design, a robot design lesson, cardboard bug templates, and a koinobori project
120+ Print and Go Art Resources
One-page activities and multi-page projects for grades 3-12, with new resources added monthly.
30+ Step by Step Guides Mega Bundle for grades 3 to 9, with previews of octopus, dragon, castle, Polaroid camera, Celtic knot, and owl drawing guides
30+ Step by Step Guides
Directed drawing guides for grades 3-9, with new guides added monthly.

Ready to make art class easier?

Join free and start teaching with the Confident Thinkers Vault today.

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© Confident Thinkers. Created by Sam.
Resources are for single-classroom use only.