Back to School!

Just finished up my second week back with students, the start of my 17th year of teaching full time.  Many teachers on Facebook have posted a recap of their teaching career- I decided there were too many schools to count if I include the split schools, part time assignments and subjects other then art!

So what did I do to start off the new school year, you ask?
I did this assessment with my kindergarten students. It took 2 class sessions. I found this assessment along with directions on the Art of Ed website. I wanted to link the resource, but couldn't find it. The directions, as I remember them, are given verbally and students can complete the assessment in one class. Update! I found the link!!! Click HERE!

I stretched it out over 2 class sessions because- I don't want to feel rushed and I also want some time for a "Welcome to art, along with the rules" spiel.  On their first day of Art I read them the book Art Today by Jane Wolfgang.

After hearing the story we talked about the shapes and how we can color them in to create a person.

 

The next class I read Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre. I modeled how to use a glue stick (I'll use liquid glue, when I'm feeling brave....) and how to safely use a scissor. Then I walk around the room and see how the little ones are doing with their assignment. Many of them need help learning how to hold the scissor and cutting with it.

Some are absolutely amazing .......

 

And some take quite a creative spin......

 

For 1st and 2nd I decided to read the book Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by Kimberly & James Dean. The glasses were a free download from Art is Basic at Teachers pay Teachers. Instead of tying it into what students did over the summer, I tied it into looking forward to a new school year.

 

 

 

3rd, 4th and 5th learned about 9/11 and they did art for the posters I send over to the Park to commemorate the event. Click here for a post from 2 years ago, and here for last year's post.

 

I did a step by step sheet for students who wished to earn how to draw their own hand. I found those directions here.
I will have these displayed at the park on 9/11- Update: Actually due to Hurricane Irma, there will be no display as the event has been cancelled.

   

I don't have a lot of counter space to hold the supplies that I switch out daily for the different grades that I see..... So I use a cart. I decided to make the cart student friendly and label where the supplies belong so that I have help setting up for the next class. It is really easy to wheel between the tables and switch everything out quickly, especially with the students that love to help!

 

All of last school year as I would head to the Fine Arts building I would look at this plain white septic thingy and think it needed some Lego eyes..... Only took admin 2 days to notice AND there's another one around the corner that I will do next..... Something to make us all smile!

(I used vinyl scraps from my friend's who has a Cricut machine)

I hope everyone has a GREAT new school year filled with creativity!

Thanks for Reading!

Lady Liberty

As a former New Yorker and a citizen of the United States of America I can't think of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 without deep sadness. All over the country groups of people are gathering to remember. In the school district where I teach the Superintendent conducts a Memorial Service at a local park and has asked each year for art work to display at this event. Click here to see what I have sent over in the past.

Last year I was all ready to do the Statue of Liberty, but the park was being renovated so I had to wait until this year. Now usually I send over 1, maybe 2 poster boards of art, but this year the Fine Arts Supervisor was really pushing so I sent over 4 boards.

I usually choose one class to do this project with, but decided to just do it with my 2nd-5th graders that I see on Tuesdays in order to be able to send them out on time. Which was a good thing since we ended up with 2 snow days (in Florida aka Tropical Storm days). However, I really love how they came out and will do it with all the classes that are ahead of the ones who were off due to the weather.

My inspiration for this project was Romero Britto and Peter Max. I did a very short Power Point.

  

 I found some great step by step directions on the internet thanks to Art Projects for Kids.

 Click here for full statue directions.

Click here for portrait directions.
I also found these directions for the Britto inspired Lady Liberty and since this was from last year I can't find my source....... if anyone knows, please let me know!

Children were instructed to draw lightly with pencil, go over pencil lines with Sharpies and then paint with water colors. Using ANY and ALL colors that they wanted to use.

 

   

I REALLY LOVE HOW THEY CAME OUT!

 

   

Now it seems I have this thing for the Statue of Liberty. I recently came across a Facebook post from an art teacher in New Jersey, Rachel Hessing Wintemberg who blogs as The Helpful Art Teacher. She was asked to illustrate for a coloring book Remembering the Ladies. I was able to contact the woman, Carol Simon Levin, who is writing the book and I did a COLORING page! I choose Emma Lazarus who wrote the poem at the base of the statue.

This may be something I can check off my bucket list!!

Anyway, let's take a moment today to remember all the people who perished 15 years ago today. 

RIP, my high school classmate, Capt. William F. Burke. You will always be remembered.

Thanks for reading!

Remembering 9-11 Sims Park

OMG!! Tomorrow I am back to work. Gotta go back tomorrow, even though it is my birthday. A really BIG birthday........ SIX-O or 60! When did this happen???? I sit here shaking my head.......

It is all good! I LOVE my chosen career! I LOVE the people I work with AND I have a brand new art room!

Soooo in planning for the new school year, I have many ideas flying around in my head. According to the Art Teacher Facebook page many art teachers plan self portraits for the beginning of the school year and again at the end of the school year. It's a great way to see student progress. I LOVE THIS IDEA! And I actually got a box ready to do this at the end of last year. I even took the box home so it wouldn't get lost in the move.

However, I put an event on my phone for the first day of school: Peter Max Liberty 9/11. This was to remind me about the Memorial Service my school district does every year at a local park. They expect the art teachers to provide student work. Nothing crazy-fill up a poster board.

Here are most of them from years past-in no special order. I always provide a photo of the poster and the event information to each student.

 

 

 

  

As you can see from the variety, I have done something different each year. (The teardrops were from the same year.) Now let's take a good look at the posters. You will notice that with the exception of the "forget me not" flowers, that not many children participate in this project. To fulfill this request for art and only include a few students is tricky. Some years I have done the 9-11 lesson with just one class, but that always puts that class behind the others. It also hurts the feelings of the students I don't pick, sigh.....  Some years, like last year (see top photo) I picked my top artists in the 5th grade. They came in during my planning time and I inspired them with the following:

 I do realize that most of the art was expanding on a shape that I drew and they filled in. It can be debated that it isn't completely original student work. I get that. It is quick AND at that point, at the very beginning of the school year-it NEEDS to be QUICK.

Okay-so here's what I looking at this year. I will see students for two 50 minute classes before I need to send out work for 9-11. (And we all know the first class is all about rules and seating charts.) I REALLY, REALLY want to start the year off with self-portraits. However, my plan this year is to go deep NOT wide. In other words really explore a few themes deeply, not rush through lots and lots of themes.

Soooo we will start out by doing portraits of The Statue of Liberty!  AND since I want to introduce them to the art of Peter Max, I will use photos like the one below that I can grab off the internet. I want to go into a little history and use words like patriotic and symbolism. I think I also want to corrode some copper pennies in front of them......

Anyway, I knew both Peter Max and Romero Britto have done Lady Liberty art. I saw beautiful examples on my last cruise. For further inspiration I Googled: Statue of Liberty art lesson plans and then clicked on images. There is a lot to choose from. Check out this link for step by step directions from Art Projects for Kids.

In addition to Lady Liberty, we will explore other portraits to see what we can learn about the person posing. We will study our facial features and practice drawing them in sketchbooks that I plan to have for them.  Still working out the details. Students don't start until the 24th. I have time?!?

So it remains to be seen what I will be able to do. I will certainly blog about it!

Thanks for reading!