Want to know how to set up a high school graphic design class? This episode walks through classroom layout, curriculum planning, and how I prepare three design courses from scratch.
This series is a behind-the-scenes look at how I set up and run my high school graphic design program.
Just a reminder, this is all pre-semester planning. School hasn’t started just yet. I’m walking through what I’ll do with students once we’re back in session August 26.
📺 Watch the full CTRL+S series here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykeot_lPV3Au0026list=PLeNkLebqQUB1qKkBfrYt7y5gBurywCWrp
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Welcome to CTRL+S: Saving a Year of School — a daily video series documenting the real work of running a high school graphic design program, from August through June. This documentary-style series is for teachers, design educators, and anyone who wants a real-time window into curriculum building, creative classroom management, and student project planning.
🎯 In this episode:
Today’s Mission
• Kick off the CTRL+S series and define what this project is all about
• Document the full process of teaching graphic design from August to June
Active Projects
• Tour of my classroom and student work
• How I organize and plan three separate design preps
• Overview of my tools, equipment, and space setup
Back to the Drawing Board
• Reflecting on the overwhelm of daily teaching documentation
• A new solution: using video (and ChatGPT) to track and adapt in real time
What’s Coming Up Next
• Planning out Day One of school
• Building the first week’s structure for Digital Design, Visual Comm, and Design Rescue Studio
🧠 Tips From This Episode:
• Use 11×17 plexiglass retail sign holders to easily display and rotate student work — clean, fast, and professional
• Fill your classroom walls with high-quality design references and student work to foster constant visual exposure
• Refer to students as “junior designers” in advanced courses to build professionalism and shift mindset early
• Don’t try to plan the entire school year at once — start with the first week and build from there
• Use ChatGPT to help organize and catalog your previous year curriculum.
• Consider creating a student-friendly conference space if you’re running a work-based learning program like a design studio
📘 I also share my book The Dragon Codex: Quest for the Relics of Design — a creative adventure that helps younger students discover the power of design:
👉 https://TheDragonCodexBK.com
💬 Share your own classroom strategies or questions in the comments — I’d love to feature your ideas in a future episode.
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss Episode 2.
Chapters
00:00 – Intro: Why CTRL+S Exists
00:23 – What This Series Will Document
01:11 – The Old Way: Overwhelmed by Tracking
02:05 – Why I'm Using Video This Time
02:42 – Teachers Never Get to See Each Other Teach
03:34 – Classroom Tour Begins
04:17 – Surrounding Students with Great Design
05:22 – Displaying Student Work Effectively
06:00 – What is the Design Rescue Studio?
06:54 – Building a Studio-Like Environment
07:22 – Episode Structure: The 4 Segments
07:54 – Today’s Mission: Where Do We Start?
08:44 – Tools, Setup, and Expectations for Students
09:00 – Overview of My 3 (Really 4) Preps
09:28 – First Week Plans: Digital Design u0026 Visual Comm
10:30 – The Role of Sketchbooks
11:14 – The Art History Units in Visual Communications
12:54 – Work-Based Learning in the Design Rescue Studio
13:51 – What’s Coming in Episode 2
14:33 – About My Book: *The Dragon Codex*
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#CTRLplusS #GraphicDesignTeacher #CreativeClassroom #HighSchoolDesign #DesignEducation #DailyTeacherVlog #DesignRescue #WorkBasedLearning #CTEteacher #CurriculumPlanning
