Art on a Cart

Yes, even though I have an art room, which is actually a middle school science room, occasionally I end up pushing a cart. Why? Because my art room is needed during testing for students who require extra time.
My knees are not happy with this situation, but, I firmly believe that I get good guy points for not complaining.

So, last Monday was one of those days. First, I needed to empty this cart that I store things on.... and start loading it up with what I would need.

 

We all know that art on a cart limits what we do. I needed a project that would cover 4 grade levels: k, 1st, 2nd and 3rd. I chose to cover positive and negative space.
My samples.......

 Now, since I was on a cart, students would not be given a choice of colors. They would get a 9" x 12" white piece of drawing paper and a 6" x 9" or a 12' x 4 1/2" piece of black construction paper.    Bonus-we got to cover contrast!

Then, in my head, I went through the steps of the project and started to put things I would need on the cart. Samples √,  black and white paper √,  black and white colored pencils √,  scissors √,  glue √, book: Art Is √,  large clipboard to demonstrate on √ , signage as to what students will know, understand and do √-and now I was ready.

I headed out a little early in the hopes of being able to finish and leave a little earlier to get to the next class. We don't have travel time built in the schedule-because-it's only a few days a year.

The photo at the top is me presenting the lesson. I pointed to and read the sign I attached to the side of the cart. Then I read them the book Art Is...

 

This is a wonderful book with awesome photos for each of the elements and principles of art. 

I demonstrated by cutting a shape out on one edge of the black paper. Then showed students how to flip that shape to show the positive and negative space. With my 2nd graders I did a second cut and flip, but, I knew if it got too complicated, we would run out of time and students would not have everything glued down. So instead we used black and white colored pencils to create details and continue the illusion.

 

 

I had 2nd and 3rd graders make faces.

 

 1st graders did animals and kindergarten did hearts.

   

 

Art teachers face many challenges when they teach art on a cart. My philosophy when I have faced that situation is to do the very best I can within the limitations given to me. Hopefully, "the powers that be", will one day recognize the importance of the arts.

If you teach art on the cart what are some of the lessons you feel work in that situation?

Thanks for reading!

Nancy Walkup posted on my facebook timeline the following information:
Coming to NAEA New Orleans? Don't miss our carousel on art teacher blogs on Friday, 3/27/2015, 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM    Convention Center/Meeting Room 216/Second Level

Elementary Carousel of Learning: Teacher Art Blogs
Talented elementary art educators from across the country will share their successful art blogs for their art rooms. Come learn how they bring positive attention and acclaim to their art programs and schools through their blogs. Learn what having an art blog will do for your art program and hear suggestions on how to get started.
Cassie Stephens, Phyllis Levine Brown, Sheryl Depp, Jen Dahl, Laura Dean

I'm really excited to be joining these wonderful bloggers! Hope to meet you there!

Museum Activity: You Be the Critic!

In preparation for our 4th grade museum trip I wanted to do an activity, with my students, that I learned about last summer through NAEA's Summer Vision, DC.  This program gave me the opportunity to visit different museums and learn how to use art to teach art.

 

 

 I pulled out a variety of art posters and put them out on the tables. Photocopied the form, which I had redone, gathered up the tokens I had made and laminated and gathered up clip boards. Ready or not here they come.............

You can see icons in the column on the left side of the form, and the explanation in the right column.  I made a class set of each icon into a token using different colored paper, you will see them further down in this post. 

Before students entered the room, I explained what we were doing and handed out the sheets. Students were told to walk around, look at the art and fill in the boxes.

 

 

Then I gathered up the students, gave them tokens that matched the worksheet, and instructed them to leave them by the posters.

 

 Next, we walked around to all the tables and discussed our findings. Renoir's painting of Monet Painting In His Garden didn't go over quite as well as The Brooklyn Bridge by Joseph Stella.

 

Students were not wild about Paul Klee's Head of a Man, some thought it was scary. They really disliked Orange and Yellow by Marc Rothko because of the lack of details.             
 George Seurat's Seine at the Grand-Jatte didn't generate many tokens, however students DID believe it took a lot of time to make, but thought the whole dot thing to be weird. They LOVED the realism of Albert Bierstadt's In the Mountains and the marvelous texture in Young Hare by Albrecht Durer. The last one Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw by Augustus Saint-Gardens confused them, they based their opinion on the photography of the art and not the art in the photo.

The last part of this activity was for the students to draw one of the artworks in their sketchbook.

   

It was funny to see how many students decided to copy the Rothko, which they didn't like, but acknowledged would be the easiest.
One of the reasons I signed up for Summer Vision last year was to bring more historical and global connections to my students through the arts. It was a wonderful experience and I know my students really enjoyed this activity.

The variety of art posters were chosen based on what I have in the art room and the different styles of the artists. Anything that will generate a conversation will work.

I have downloaded a copy of the You be the Critic form and sheets with all the icons to my resource page.

Thanks for reading!

Looking Back at 2014

In the last 12 hours I read 2 blogs What the Art Teacher Wore and Art is Basic from art teachers in which they looked back over the past year. Since I'm new to blogging I thought I would follow their lead and look back over the last year.

In February we had our county fair and we were encouraged to do still life with our students. They really enjoyed learning how to shadow. In addition to the school exhibit in which we are required to participate, we have a separate art exhibit to showcase other student art. AND that's the one that gives out RIBBONS!!! This year we received  a couple of honorable mentions!

 

March was the month in which I drove the entire school community crazy reminding them, daily, to vote for me at Thank a Million Teachers so that I could win a grant for iPads in my art room.

   

As you can see it WORKED!!! We actually had a presentation and I now have one of those SUPER BIG CHECKS! Thank a Million Teachers is funded by Farmers Insurance. You might want to consider talking to them about your insurance needs as they are doing really great things for educators.

 The National Art Educators conference was in March in San Diego. It was the third national conference I attended and the first time I presented at one.

 

At conference I was part of a teacher advisory committee for Faber-Castell (not sure how I got so lucky!) but they gave us free stuff! My students were extremely impressed with the quality of the materials. Oh, happy day! Oh, happy day! (actually singing this in my head...)

 

In April, I brought my 4th grade students to see their art displayed at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs.  This was the first time many of my students ever visited an art museum. It gave me the opportunity to expand their knowledge on a variety of art related careers.

May is mask making month for our 5th grade students and they did an incredible job this year! I promise to blog about this in May 2015.

SUMMER VACATION this past year was filled with wonderful professional development opportunities as well as time to play! I played at a workshop given by the Florida Art Educators Association at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota.

 

I also did a family vacation in DC for a week, sent them all home and stayed another 2 weeks on my own for 2 of the most incredible teacher institutes. The first one NAEA's  Summer Vision DC with Renee Sandell. This is where I had the opportunity to visit several different museums and learn how museum educators teach art using the art they have on display. The activities I learned were priceless and I promise to share them in the future!

   

The second week I was at The National Gallery of Art for their Summer Teacher Institute. I actually received a fellowship to attend which helped offset the cost of airfare and the hotel. The focus was on the French Impressionists and I learned so much, not so that my head would explode, but enough to feel like an intellect! It was just amazing how all the information about the artists and art movements came together and made so much sense. And they gave out a ton of free stuff, for me, to use with my students.

 

August was back to school and the really special thing to happen was that my daughter accepted a 7th grade math position at my school. We would work together this ONE year as my home school, that is being renovated, will be ready to go back to in 2015.

October was the conference for the Florida art educators where I had the opportunity to hang with Nancy Walkup, editor of School Arts magazine. She is the ONE person that has inspired me the MOST to attend conferences, professional workshops and to blog!

 Also, got to chat up our president of the FAEA, Karen Noble.

 And I met the Florida Teacher of the year, who happens to be an ART teacher, ChristieBassett.

Upon returning from that conference I started my blog! My goal is to inform and inspire other art teachers to do fun activities with their students while teaching art to them. Hopefully I am succeeding.

November was a crazy month which found me in Nashville for 2 separate weeks. The first week of the month was mostly spent at Vanderbuilt University Medical Center, where my son had open heart surgery. Long story, he is doing great and is back to work! And let's say after the sub that was in my room that week, I feel really appreciated! Then I was back up for Thanksgiving and enjoyed some fun family time.

December was our first concert/art show for the school year. Apparently didn't get around to taking any photos. It's still up and I guess I have a photo op to get back to. Also, starting to think about the exhibits for next year. Two more concert/art shows, the county fair, the museum and the district office display. AND I will need to start packing to return to my home school. It's all good!

Hope you all have a happy and healthy new year! And thanks for reading!