Practicing Craftsmanship

Sooooo I'm trying to get my head back in the game. I return to work in two weeks to a room that I have not really spent any time in since February, when I went out on medical leave. AND since the room has been used all summer for childcare...........

I won't actually be able to get into my room until after the first day back (floor needs to be done).......

There goes my tradition of getting in the room the week before with my husband to set up the furniture.........

There goes any hope of being ready for Thursday when students come in to visit as they get their back to school packets (not quite completely healed and need to take my time).........

On a brighter note?? I'm at another school one day a week due to the number of students we have...... Which is where I will be on the first day back. Now I gotta tell you I thought for sure I would be on a cart for one day. Kind of got excited for all the stuff I could blog about working off a cart! But low and behold I will share that room with Music (one a day a week) and PE (the other 3 days).

Soooo as I started to think about how to plan out that room I thought about the things I do that work. Last year for the first time I used the Mona Lisa to have students focus in on my lessons.

And I have to tell you that it worked like a charm. Students need a concrete example of your expectations and this poster really works. You should see students assuming the "pose". (For a blog post on other signs that I have click here.) So I purchased a poster to use at the other school.

Seeing how well this worked made me think about what other concepts I could get out there to my students. And it occurred to me how important craftsmanship is. So I ended up making another poster, like this one, to use at the other school.

I try hard to credit others when possible and my poster was inspired by this one- made by Eric Gibbons. He is also the one who along with other art teachers wrote the If Picasso books.

Which all comes from Firehouse Publishing. Click on the name to see their great selection of posters and books.

It's also nice to know that I inspire as well. I found this on Facebook last year when art teachers were showing off their rooms!

Sooooo getting back to the concept of craftsmanship I developed a work sheet to use with students at the beginning of the year.You can find it and print it out from my page of Resources, see the tab above.

I decided to create a number of worksheets to share with students this year. (Which I will eventually share). Part of it comes from my desire/willingness to show proof that I covered the standards. But another reason is that even though I have 50 minutes with students, the first 20 minutes the classroom teachers hold struggling children for intervention. So I'm thinking maybe the worksheets will work as a warmup for the others. We'll see.

Perhaps you'll could give me some feedback on this? Please and Thank you!

I'm excited to be returning, a little nervous since I'm still healing........ but seriously looking forward to it! I have some new lessons to try and some old lessons that I plan to update. You will read about them here, I promise!

AND the best part- my grandson will be with me again, as he returns to enter 1st grade!!

Thanks for reading and enjoy what's left of your summer!

There Was A Cold Lady Who........

Pretty sure you have all read the story The Little Old Lady That Swallowed a Fly. Well apparently there is a whole series of books with a lady swallowing some pretty strange things. And then she gets up what she swallowed and creates something. In the book below the cold lady swallowed enough stuff to hiccup out a snowman. Amazon has it here if you're interested.

I am really getting into the storyboards, it's so helpful for a student that missed the lesson without going into a long explanation. Remember a picture IS worth a 1000 words......

 I demonstrated by using a tracer to draw a circle in the middle of the paper. Next a U shape above the circle,  a parallel line on each side of the circle.

 

 Add some mittens or gloves, lines for a long or short coat. Add a hat, legs or pants, boots or shoes and a scarf. Students in k-2nd grade had a visit from Santa recently and all the children received a hat, scarf and a set of gloves. I referenced his visit and had a discussion on all the wonderful patterns that were on their gift.

 

 
Originally I thought I would have students use just markers.

   

Then it occurred to me that students could practice using different media while filling in the Craftsmanship worksheet in their art folders.  I showed students the correct way to use markers, colored pencils and crayons. (A copy of the worksheet is on my resource page.)

Students were encouraged to make some of their own decisions. They could make a girl or a boy, change out hats, change out stomach contents. They were given 12" x 18" paper. This took 2 class sessions. Use smaller paper if you want them to complete it in one class.

  

   

   

   

There were so many wonderful works of art that came out of this lesson. I was so excited to see all the wonderful patterns and colors and hear them tell their own stories. The level of craftsmanship was up........ Overall a great time was had by all, including ME!

Happy Holidays and Thank you for Reading!

 

Two Years Ago Today....

Pretty happy that today marks two years since I started my blog. Read my first year reflections here. Really happy that I was a Rising Start finalist in The Art of Ed blog contest! Which means I got to put this on my blog.

Totally impressed that MY Craftsmanship poster has made the rounds on Facebook and Pinterest.

 My poster:

Some of the others I've seen:

   

Was flattered that I was asked to adapt one of my posts for my state art magazine.
View it here.  Read the original article here.

Got some clip cards published in School Arts Magazine. Read about it here.

Have made some awesome connections and put my art out there. I did 3 illustrations:

 

For this coloring book. Click here to purchase.

Had over 50,000 page views. Got a small bunch of followers. All in all happy to be blogging.

Gotta go and get ready, because tomorrow I leave for my state conference! I'm sure I'll have lots to share as I signed up for 10, yes TEN workshops! Can't wait!

AND Thanks so much for reading and all the great feedback!!

Here's to another year of sharing with you fine folks out there!

Change of Plans is a Good Thing!

So on Monday when I go to another school, I was completely prepared to give my awesome lesson on Craftsmanship. I knew it to be completely awesome because I had done it the week before at my home school to a lot of oooooos and aaahhhhs. I also did a lot of oooooos and aaahhhs right back at them 'cause they actually got it! Did it with 1st-5th.

But when 5th grade came to my portable and one of the students had a bearded dragon with her, I just HAD to change out the lesson. The student bought the privilege to have the teacher's pet with her for the whole morning with class reward dollars. (Teacher did make sure it was okay with me to have a visitor.)

I put the little critter on the cart under the Elmo (document camera) and did a really quick drawing lesson using shapes right onto the white board. I would love to say I did a really great lesson and included every element of art, known to man, that I could think of. But during class we lost time relocating and then returning to the portable due to a tornado watch (a practice drill). A very crazy, hectic morning!!

Anyway...... check these out!

 

 

 

Thanks for visiting Mrs. Spikey!

Being spontaneous was really fun, I know I enjoyed seeing what these new students of mine were capable of.

Thanks for reading!

Where in the Art Room is........?

I met Glenda Lubiner through the Florida Art Educator's Association. She held my hand the first time I presented at the state conference in 2012. Glenda also helped me choose a name for the presentation that I did last October. We occasionally bump into each other at conferences and we are friends on Facebook. Glenda writes a column for Arts & Activities Magazine titled Tried & True Tips for Art Teachers. I have been reading her column since long before I met her. However, now that I know her and know just how wonderful she is I couldn't ignore her Facebook request asking for some "Back to School" tried and true tips. Check out tip #1!

So it occurred to me that I haven't done this activity for years. Should have done it last year when we moved back into the renovated space. Now, while I know I must start the year off with "all the rules" I really feel that I just want to continue where I left off last February. You know, just jump into the middle of making art! YEAH!!

Anyway, before this activity can happen the room needs to be completely set up. That was my first challenge since I couldn't get in there until the day AFTER we came back to work. Let's just say I was able to take the necessary photos of my art room about 15 minutes before they were setting the alarm for the weekend......

Yesterday I proceeded to pick each of the photos, one at a time and add the words to them. I used the app Meme Design. Then I did an internet order to my local Walgreen's.

Here's a few to look at:

 

 

 

 

 

 

My game plan is for students to come in the art room, sit on the carpet. We will chat a bit about the summer. I will gush at how they have all grown up so much since the last time I saw them..... Yes, I smile, hug and exclaim how wonderful they all look! Then I will tell them that they are going to share out, what they know/learn about the art room, using photos that I will pass out. I will model with one of them and pass out all but the one on craftsmanship. 

I plan to save this photo for last, do a demo and then hand out the worksheet that goes along with this poster that I blogged about here.

I thought this would be a great way to share my expectations with my students. They won't be sitting the whole time and listening to me. It should reinforce the rules that they have heard before. With the exception of kindergarten. I plan to do a shorter/slower version of this activity for them.

While the above activity will be wonderful for my home school. There is not much happening in my room at my 1 day a week school. I did leave it last week with tables set up. And chairs did get put in there. Work in progress.....

It is a portable that the P.E. coaches are sharing with me and a music teacher.

I am planning to do selfies with them. Click here for the first time I did this. I am planning to tie the selfies into my poster of the Mona Lisa. It will be a lesson on portraits/self portraits and what do we learn from them. Also, my way of getting their attention by saying, "Mona!" And they say, "Lisa!"

What do you teach the first week of school? How do you teach the rules? I'd like to know!

Thanks for reading and have a great school year!