“Art Is not a break from learning—it’s a way into it.”
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I design curriculum that uses art to build understanding across subjects—helping students learn through art, not just about it. My work includes Artistry of Literacy, a K–5 program adopted by Ann Arbor Public Schools, and Visual Art Text Sets with Student Achievement Partners, where curated artworks deepen content knowledge and spark conversation. Browse downloadable units in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, or contact me directly if you have a custom project in mind.
“Every lesson is crafted with care, backed by research, and guided by a genuine desire to connect students with the world through art.” — Kaila Piepkow
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I help schools and organizations strengthen arts-integrated learning through collaboration, content design, and alignment. Recent projects include revising image sequences with the Core Knowledge Foundation to enhance literacy connections, and leading a district-wide visual arts alignment for a California charter network—creating a standards-based framework that still honored teacher creativity. I’m certified in Arts Integration and bring a flexible, thoughtful approach that makes art a bridge across disciplines.
“She built a curriculum guide that struck exactly the right balance: a strong, standards-based framework that supported artistic literacy, while still giving teachers the freedom to design their own lessons.” — Ethan Mitnick
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I mentor and train educators—especially non-art teachers—to bring art into their classrooms with confidence and joy. As a Michigan-registered trainer, I lead workshops, lectures, and coaching sessions focused on practical, hands-on art integration for early childhood, K–12, and out-of-school programs. I’ve partnered with organizations like the Nevada Museum of Art, the Center for Arts Integration, and the Ann Arbor YMCA to help teachers make creativity part of everyday learning.
“Tempest provided thoughtful, driven leadership and created skillfully crafted collaborative working spaces.” — Ifetayo Abdus-Salam
I began teaching art in New York, moving between schools and afterschool programs before becoming the founding K–5 art teacher at a Brooklyn charter school. There, I noticed that art was often treated as an isolated subject—fun, but disconnected from the rest of the school day. Student success was typically measured by how closely their work matched the teacher’s example.
I knew there had to be a better way.
So, I shifted my approach. In my classroom, we embraced process-driven projects—exploring big ideas, encouraging experimentation, and giving students the freedom to make their own creative choices. The classroom became calmer. The conversations grew deeper. I got to know my students more fully. And their artwork? It became beautifully unique—so much so that it was featured in SchoolArts magazine.
Reach Out
That shift sparked something bigger.
I began collaborating with classroom teachers to design integrated, student-centered projects that used essential questions to link inquiry-based art with core academic subjects. Together, we developed video demonstrations, teacher guides, and flexible tools that made art integration feel achievable and sustainable.
Eventually, I left my teaching position and founded Doodles Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to helping educators bring meaningful, arts-integrated learning directly into their classrooms.
Our flagship program, Artistry of Literacy, combines visual art with the Science of Reading to deepen comprehension, expand vocabulary, and bring stories to life.
From there, we grew:
Art of Early Education introduced early literacy and cultural exploration to preschoolers through process-based art.
Art-iculate! delivered cross-curricular projects in out-of-school settings, equipping afterschool educators with practical tools and training.
Teacher Studios became our signature model for professional learning, providing educators with hands-on experience in each project before introducing it to their students.
At its core, Doodles Academy was built on a simple belief:
Art is not a break from learning—it’s a way into it.
Curious to see more of what I do? Visit my LinkedIn or Teachers Pay Teachers page.
To chat about rates or upcoming projects, email me at tempest@doodles-academy.org
Over the next decade, we partnered with schools, museums, libraries, and community organizations to demonstrate just how powerful art can be—not just as a tool for self-expression, but as a catalyst for empathy, critical thinking, and academic connection.
In 2025, funding grew increasingly unstable, and we made the difficult but intentional decision to shut down the nonprofit branch of Doodles Academy. To ensure the curriculum and programming would live on, we merged our core offerings with larger organizations—keeping the work alive in classrooms and communities where it matters most.
But the mission didn’t end there.
I now continue Doodles as a for-profit venture, offering consulting, coaching, and curriculum design to schools, museums, nonprofits, and education organizations.
Whether I’m co-creating arts-integrated units, leading professional development, or helping a district reimagine how art supports literacy and inclusion—my goal is the same:
To use art as a tool for deeper learning, greater equity, and creative possibility.