Artful Artsy Amy

A Few, Quick, Awkward, Questions

2012-02-12T09:16:00.001-08:00

If you're friends with me on facebook, or follow me anywhere else online, you know that I got engaged over Christmas break! Yay!!!!!

I have a few questions to ask as I need a bit of "you-don't-know-me-so-you-can-give-me-un-biased advice".

1. My betrothed, Nick, and I did not exchange a ring. We will exchange bands. Our reasons are personal. What has been sort of a downer is that when my fellow teachers find out I'm engaged they immediately want to "see the ring" and when I say there isn't one I usually get a variation of this: "Oh, but you're going to get one, right? He is letting you design it I bet!" Ugh. It is so frustrating to have to explain my personal life in this manner and instead of simply sharing excitement, I'm stuck explaining something. And, it has gotten back to me that a few co-workers think that there is no ring because I'm pregnant and we're doing a quick wedding. I can't even get started on the many wrongs of that line of thought!! I've gotten to the point where I just don't share my news with co-workers anymore because it is always negative. And, if I do share and I do get the question about "the ring" I just say "it's personal and we're excited" but since this is so assertive it often puts off my co-workers. Any ideas on how else I can handle this?

2. I bought my dress and have pics of me in it on my phone. I shared these pics with a co-worker when she asked if I'd got a dress yet. Her response? "Oh, wow. You look a little pregnant in that dress." First, WTF? Who says that? Second, I love my dress, but now I have the "ohmigawd maybe I look preggers!?" thought in my head. I want to psychically kick my co-worker for making that statement. I know that people are going to share their opinions in this manner. For those of you whom have already gone through this, how did you deal?!

3. We are having a small wedding with a dessert reception in the church hall. As such, I am in the unique position that I don't need RSVPs because we are able to accommodate those last minute invites that I might have to send. This is great. I have a few students with whom I stay in touch. They are wonderful people and I take great joy in staying aware of their lives. Some have graduated high school, and some are in school still. I'm wondering, is it appropriate to invite them to my wedding? I want to share a bit of my life with them, but I don't want to be totally weird. But, you know, as a teacher, I have spent a great amount of time with these students and weddings are for sharing with people whom you care. I care about these students quite a bit. For all of the students in question, I know their parents as well and am fine with inviting them too (if that information helps). Should I invite them?

Thanks for your advice!!!

Lesson Plan: Creating Picasso-Inspired Cubist Superheroes

2012-02-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Cubist Mojo Jojo

I have to chalk this one up to Pinterest.

Through Pinterest, I came across the artwork of the amazing design firm, WonderBros, whom (among other amazing things) creates cubist superheroes. I knew this would be a great connection to Picasso and cubism for my students.

In years past, I’ve planned and taught the requisite cubist self-portrait and /or chair based projects. Some of the students get into it, but most of them are either bored or don’t seem to get it. Generally, when I hear a teacher utter a statement like that, I think: “Well, the teacher is probably bored by the lesson, which is why the kids are bored.” I stand by that statement. I’m a bit over teaching the “cubist self-portrait” over and over and over again.

Now, cubist superheroes . . . Doesn’t that just sound interesting?

It is. And, my students LOVED it. Here is what we did.

1. I introduced Picasso using the presentation below. The presentation gives a brief history of Picasso, touches on the blue, rose, and cubist periods, defines cubism, demonstrates exemplars of cubist superheroes, and then has a compilation of regular superheroes as reference. Please feel free to download and use!

Picasso and Creating Cubist Superheroes

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2. During the presentation I really focused on what defines cubism. So often, students think cubism is “making stuff look weird.” And, well, cubism does do that, but it also entails a bit more. My students really need concrete boundaries, so I did a bit of research and created a list to define cubism ( and in the interest of being honest -I can’t remember what parts of the list I created and what parts I sourced). My students and I defined cubism as a style of 2-D art that uses at least two of the following methods:
a. Abstracted
b. Broken mirror effect
c. Rearranged elements
d. Geometric
e. More than one view
f. Simplified shapes

3. Next, I had students peruse a packet of about 60 5 inch x 7 inch print outs of superheroes. They selected their superhero and spent a class sketching it in the cubist style. During this class, students could switch superheroes as many times as they liked. Many sketched as many as 5 different superheroes before deciding on one that suited their aesthetic the best. Ultimately, if you want students to have the maximum level of ownership over this project, taking them to the computer lab and allowing them to research and find their own superhero would be best. However, we have spent A LOT of time in the computer lab in recent weeks and I wanted the students to maximize sketching time. For me, it was of the utmost importance they understand cubism both as a concept and as a creation method.

4. During the next class, I spent about twenty minutes discussing painting techniques. We used tempera for this project. Many of my students have limited experience painting and/or using a lot of art materials other than crayons and markers. They were so excited to learn (as I encouraged them to think about how small brushes could be used for details and big brushes for larger areas) that they could use more than one paintbrush at a time, could mix their own paint, and could choose their own paint colors. Since color mixing can be difficult I posted the following “cheats” on the board:
a. Red + lil’ black = burgundy/dark red
b. Green + lil’ black or lil’brown = camo green
c. White + lil’ red = pink
d. White + lil’ brown + tiny red + tiny yellow = tan
e. White + tan = pale human color
f. White + lil’ black = gray

5. As students painted, I circulated and aided. They loved mixing paint colors so much. In fact, their delight at “discovering” color reminded of elementary students.

yes! Using our WHOLE BODY to paint!!

6. We used 5 classes at 45 minutes a day to complete this project. All paintings are 18 inches x 24 inches.

Cubist Batman (love the broken mirror effect!)

Cubist Aqua Girl

Cubist Batwoman

Cubist Batman

Cubist Flash (love this one because the student really got it and really got into it; this is his 3rd finished piece for this project!)

Cubist Batman

Cubist Batwoman (Batman/Batwoman was really popular, but I swear they had TONS of choices!)

Cubist Robin (note how even the title is "rearranged")

I Sound My Barbaric Yawp Over the Roofs of the World

2012-02-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

On the drive home today I kinda lost it and unleashed an unholy, loud, long, and enraged, shriek. It's not because I had a bad day; it's because I'm angry.

I'm in love with my job. Truly, I love my school and students. It has crept up on me in unexpected ways. One day I turned around and realized that while teaching in a Title I middle school hasn't gotten any easier, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I'm going to go even further and say this may be my favorite job I've ever had.

While I loved (and still love!) my private school students, this whole Title I experience is completely different. My former private school students have adults that are invested in them. . .At least to the degree that they are willing to pay tuition for education. Ultimately, those students have advocates, confidants, and adults they trust in their non-academic lives. Their needs at school are more in the arena of education and maintaining life during school hours. They don't necessarily need (even though many do receive and even want) teachers to fill any gaps because, other than education, there are very few gaps. I know that the previous statement is over-simplified, but I hope you get the gist of what I'm trying to relate.

My current students desperately need emotionally and academically invested adults in their lives. This fact doesn't necessarily mean they have "bad" parents. Many of the students in my school have parents that are working two and three jobs to put food on the table, and these parents don't always have the time to keep up with everything their child might need. Some students come from single parent households who are struggling with all the challenges that entails. Some have parents from other countries who aren't aware of how to take advantage of educational opportunities and/or don't understand the American system of education. Ultimately, the list goes on and on and it all adds up to students who need more from me than just the Fine Art curriculum per the standards of the state of Georgia.

Feeling needed is nice; I won't lie. . .But, being in a position to help is wonderful. My students are eager to see me, share their life stories with me, they come to me in the mornings to tell me sad things, happy things, share something important with me or to show off something sacred. I feel so inadequate, overwhelmed, and incredibly honored. I'm struck by how just the act of listening is a great gift.

I shrieked on the way home because I can't help all the students in all the ways I want. It is hard. I had to edit this post even because I veered so far off tangent when talking about their needs. But, let's juts leave it at I screamed in frustration and then cried a little.

Several of my students have gotten a lot of college packets in the mail due to high scores on the PSAT. These are students who would be the first in their families to attend college, and navigating pre-college collegiate leadership programs and the like is overwhelming. They have been bringing A LOT of these packets to me and asking me to guide them.

Let's not beat about the bush: education is a big business. A lot of the information my students are receiving are for big, expensive programs that, while good, aren't non-profit and do not offer scholarships. These programs are targeted for smart students who also have parents who are willing to pay for expensive programs in the hopes of giving their kids that "edge" needed for A.P. courses, Honors classes, I.B. high schools, and college applications.

My middle school students want to know which programs for which they should apply; they aren't thinking about what happens after they are accepted. I'm trying to help them understand that they need to take the cost of such programs into account and apply that to what they think their family might be able to afford. For instance, one of the programs I reviewed for a student today was for a week long leadership conference in Atlanta and it costs $3,000. For a week! I hope they get to meet the president for that fee!!!

I want to help get these smart kids into good summer programs and I need your help. I need names of good, educationally-based summer programs and/or camps for academically advanced students that also offer scholarships. These are smart children of several different racial backgrounds. They are all Title I students which means that they all would qualify for needs-based scholarships; many of them would also qualify for racially-based scholarships.

I promised these students I would help them find programs for which they could (at the least) have the opportunity to earn scholarships. I am doing my own research, but it is a bit of a needle-in-a-haystack. The students all prefer over-night programs and/or programs with dorms because they (especially as hopeful first generation college attendees) want the college experience. I would prefer programs based in the South; since that avoids students needing to purchase airfare. However, if all that stands between them and a great program is a plane ticket; I'll buy it myself.

While I'm sure there are all sorts of commute-based camps, this is not what I am looking for as my students do not have the ability to commute camps of any kind. All of their parents work and they all have siblings who also have places to go/schedules to manage. One student even had to forgo the opportunity to attend and academic, merit-based magnet school because his/her parents can't provide transit due to their work commutes. So, please no programs that are day-based or commute-based.

My students interests are in: leadership, science, math, studio art, forensic science, writing, law, humanities, and sociology (this is their list; impressive, no?).

Please leave me a comment and/or email me at artful.artsy.amy@gmail.com if you know of any good programs that also offer scholarships.

Thank you all in advance!!

Super Powers of Enterprising Teachers

2012-02-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

I came across this fantastic presentation today. Great inspiration for the Monday after a "big weekend"!

Enjoy!!

Super powers of enterprising teachers

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Lesson Plan: Black History Month & Creating a Self Portrait Using Text

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

In just a few days it will be February and Black History Month. It has always been important for me to celebrate Black History Month with my students. I know that sometimes people find celebrating one race for a month disconcerting. . .I've heard people say "Why isn't there [other racial group] History Month?" That is a long and lengthy debate; and honestly, I haven't ever found it very informative or worthwhile (other than to identify really unsympathetic people).

I find Black History Month to be a great, inclusive, and authentic way in which to encourage my students to talk about race, culture, and diversity in a positive manner. Some students want to share about African American triumphs and they educate their fellow students while at the same time, opening up the opportunity for students of other racial backgrounds to share similar histories, experiences, or understandings.

Additionally, I was floored when I realized my students didn't know what "civil rights" meant. Sometimes, we make assumptions that are really unfounded. Why would they necessarily know about civil rights?!

The most important thing to me is that my students develop a sense of global diversity and want to both learn and share about culture. In the spirit of that, I created this digital art lesson.

Step 1: Students take a picture of themselves against a white wall. You could take it the week prior to this lesson.

Step 2: Introduce the concept of cultural diversity and share the stories of specific African American artists. . .I think it is good to add other "non-dead-white-guy" artist as well!

Step 3: Introduce the project in full to students.

Step 4: Have students complete the "55 Words About Me and My World" worksheet. My favorite prompt: "15 words that reflect how I would like to see the world change are:"

Step 5: Have students manipulate their color photo into a high-contrast black and white photo using Microsoft Office Picture Editor.

Step 6: Have students go to www.tagxedo.com and upload their photo using the directions provided (my click-by-click directions are below and available for download!).

Turning your portrait into text

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Step 7: Have students enter text from "55 Words about Me and My World" worksheet and manipulate the font and color of their portrait. Save.

Step 8: Students insert their finished text portrait into MS Publisher and add their name beneath their portrait.

Step 9: Save and Print!

Modification, Differentiation, Adaptation and the Art Classroom

2012-01-21T06:49:00.000-08:00

Today, teaching in the diverse environment that we do, thinking concretely about modification, differentiation, and adaptation is vital.

Currently, I work in a Title I environment and my students represent an amazing range of abilities, disabilities, behaviors, and circumstances. Yet, there are a few commonalities. For many of my students, for a variety of reasons, home a pretty wretched place; unfortunately for some, school is not much better. There are quite a few students in every school who just seem to hate the place; and at my school that seems to be a pretty big number.

When I was in school Art is what made the rest of it bearable and manageable. It was a place wherein I was happy; I got to be creative, have multiple answers, and had my voice heard. It is important to me that my classroom is a haven of sorts for my students. I want them to learn about Art, true. But more importantly, I want them to develop their creativity and ultimately, feel good about themselves and about being at school.

Often, I am not able to do much to change a student’s home life, but I can ensure that at least one hour of their school day is pleasant, fun, and a place wherein they know that they are important to me and that their thoughts are important to the whole class. In order to do that, my Art classroom must be one of the most inclusive and open classrooms in the school.

I’ll tell you a quick secret. I have a nickname; it is “Wild-Child Whisperer.” I’m known for being “good” with the kids that are “bad.” I’m not particularly empathetic; I just want everyone to enjoy Art, and that means the so-called “bad” kids too.

Here are some of the methods I use to ensure the accessibility of Art:

Talk to your Special Education department. Educate yourself about students.

-If you are a “Wild-Child Whisperer,” your classroom will become a haven for difficult students.

-Make a point to discuss modifications and adaptations for specific students with your Special Education department.

-Respect your paraprofessionals. These are some of the most over-worked people in education and many of them spend all-day with some of the most nerve-trying students in the building.

-Enlist the aid of your paraprofessionals. Most paras don’t have certification and due to this their expertise is often over-looked. However, paras spend all day (or most of the day) with students and they almost always have all the ins and outs of students’ modifications and adaptations memorized. They also are privy to all the nuances of students’ behaviors, and often know a lot about a students’ home lives. Paras are power-houses of information and knowledge. When in doubt, ask a para. Also, as human beings, they appreciate having their knowledge base respected.

Students with auditory tics, who display un-controlled noise making, and/or blurt/yell uncontrollably:

-Ignore any and all noise the student makes. If you recognize it, the rest of the class will think they should recognize it too.

-If the students blurts/yells at another student call the non-noisemaking student up to you. Tell him/her “When someone butts into a conversation that they are not a part of, the best way to get them to leave is to ignore them.”

-If the noise-making student is ever late for class, absent etc. use that opportunity to talk to the rest of the class. It is unethical to share the any specifics about another student with the class but you can say something like “Sometimes we have classmates that make unusual noises. When that happens we are going to ignore those noises. If the noises in particular bother you, please don’t talk to the student making the noises. Please come and talk to me and we will handle it together.”

-Truthfully, there isn’t much you can do to stop any noise-making tics. If the student is blurting/yelling sometimes you can talk to him/her quietly and ask them to stop and/or talk to you prior to yelling.

Students who are EBD (emotional behavior disorder), have anger management issues, and/or are deliberately disruptive:

-Kids who are disruptive are usually displaying displaced behavior due to some really troubling circumstance.

-Raising your voice/yelling and/or getting into a power struggle with these students will not work.

-When at all possible, do not allow the disruption to derail your class. Instead, calmly say something like “Please stop; you and I will discuss this in a minute” and continue with class.

-Most anger is a narcissistic behavior. When you talk to an angry student appeal to the student’s sense of self by saying things like “I want to keep you out of trouble, I want to help you, let me know what I can do to help you succeed” etc. etc.

-Do not ask an angry student to empathize. Most angry students are angry due to circumstances wherein no one is considering their feelings. Asking them to emotionally give before they get will not work and is asking too much of them.

-Set-up a “cool down” place and share it with the students. Mine is directly outside my doorway in an alcove I can see inside the classroom. Students can go there to calm down, breathe deep, and/or wait for me so they can discuss what has made them upset. It sounds too easy, but I can’t tell you how much this works.

-Prevent angry behaviors by talking to the student prior to class about what you can do to help them. Developing a non-verbal signal they can share with you during class is helpful too.

avoid frustration and tantrums by anticipating the abilities of your students. For instance, I had student try using compasses and then provided this template alternative.

Students who have Asperger’s and/or are somewhere on the Autism scale:

-Since these students represent a wide range of skills and abilities, check the rest of the topics for specific information.

-Many of these students have very strong feelings about loud noises, high-pitched sounds, textures, and getting dirty. Since almost all of that happens in the Art room, you need to anticipate when a set of circumstances will be overwhelming to a student and provide an alternative.

-During days wherein there will be loud and/or high-pitched sounds I arrange for these students to wait in the classroom across the hall until the noise-making is over.

-I have a set of neoprene (latex is a common allergy) gloves and plastic baggies to cover hands to prevent distress about textures and dirt.

-These students are always allowed to use the sink, yet they often don’t. Just knowing that they have the power to remove dirt at any time from their hands seems to be enough comfort.

This student LOVED sewing but HATES glue!

Students with physical limitations

-Talk to your Special Education department about any current and/or on-going technologies and/or modifications the student is using and educate yourself.

-Develop a non-verbal signal for the student to ask for your assistance. To be truly inclusive, you cannot sit by the student and provide him/her with every small thing s/he needs. Instead, use a sheet of paper that is one color on one side and a different color on the other. Have one color represent “I’m good” and the other color represent “I need help.” By using this simple tool, students can try when they want and solicit aid discreetly when needed.

-Provide the option of table easels. For students with palsies and/or physically degenerative disorders table easels are easier to reach. If you do not have table easels ask the Technology and/or Typing teacher if you can borrow a few of their book stands.

-Provide the option of clipboards. For many of these students, working in their laps is the most accessible option; the clipboard allows for this.

-Develop modeling clay as a gripper for pens, pencils, crayons, and paintbrushes. Since many of these students can’t hold a tight grip, wrapping clay around a pencil provides for a great option.

-Provide scissors that bounce open on a spring. Fiskars makes an excellent variety of these. ALL of my students want to use them!

-Assign student helpers. Pick out students who are mature enough to be polite and discreet. Ask them to get to class early and move chairs of the path of wheelchair/crutches/canes/walkers. Ask these students to always get a double of any material they get up to grab and ask them to leave it in the middle of their table. In this way, they aren’t specifically getting a material for a “needy” student, but rather are just providing extra for the whole table.

-Talk to the student! It is important the student knows they can ask you for aid and also that you respect them as an individual.

-Push them to their limits (without going past the limit). Avoid making things too easy. Art should be accessible, and it should also be challenging. Students who have to try and then achieve something big are proud of themselves! You don’t want to deprive your students of that opportunity.

a great pair of "bouncy" scissors

This student sometimes prefers to work on a clipboard. I always put one nearby and he can choose his preference without making a request.

This student tried printmaking but couldn't control the gouge enough to make specific cuts. Instead, s/he used scissors to cut a plate

finished artwork

Learned Helplessness:

-Some students grow accustomed to being aided and prefer to be enabled.

-While the path of least resistance is to just aid them all they want, you are harming the student. Eventually, these students will be adults and your job is to help them be the best they can be. Some students will get upset and display negative behavior when you deny them over-aiding, but if you are well-educated on their adaptations, and modifications, you can be sure you are doing right by the student.

-Be fair, specific, and matter-of-fact. When asked to over-aid, tell the student you know s/he doesn’t need certain aid and make it clear you won’t be providing it.

-Be consistent.

-Reason. For example, I had a student who told me he couldn’t be expected to peel the crayon paper off the crayon because his hands were “too big.” I showed him my hands, which are bigger and then said: “Well, you obviously use your hands for lots of things because I can see callouses and dirt in places. I bet you can do this too!”

Differentiation:

-Have Plan A. . .But, have Plan B, C, & D.

-In nearly all of my classes I have at least two and as many as five students who have already taken Art this year. The reasons for re-taking Art vary according to student, but none of the students are re-taking due to grades or because they specifically wanted Art again. I do not want them to repeat projects because that is boring and because their boredom leads to poor behavior. Instead, I run as many as three different projects in my classroom at all times. I’m fluid about non-repeating Art students trying out the repeating Art students projects.

-Have modification and adaptation tools on-hand and ready-to-go. Over anticipate what you might need and have tools ready.

-Set up your Art room in such a way that there are a variety of tools and materials that students can access on their own, without request. This saves you so much time, and it encourages creativity and personal responsibility.

-Always, always, always have an engaging and fun “I’m Finished” assignment that students can access on their own.

Some of us were sewing, some of us were printmaking, some of us were painting! All on the same day in the same class!

A completed sewing project!

I hope you find these tips and tricks helpful! I’m curious. What methods do use in your classroom that are “indispensible?”

Lesson Plan: Albrecht Durer and Printmaking (on the cheap)

2012-01-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

This is a fabulous lesson plan I stumbled across nearly a decade ago on The Incredible Online Art Department. Over the years, I’ve varied it and seen all sorts of incarnations. This project is recommended for students in 6th grade or older as it makes use of linoleum cutters. However, with modifications like Styrofoam printing plates it could suit students as young as 4th grade.

Additionally, I’ve modified the original project requirements to create a less expensive version of relief-printmaking. It is important, especially in Title I environments, to find ways to incorporate advanced techniques and materials alongside frugality.

This project usually takes my students 2 weeks to complete. We meet every day for one 45 minute session. Even though my Art quarters are only 9 weeks long, I can justify this project because students are using so many different artistic skills to complete one amazing work.

Here are the steps I follow:
1. Introduce students to the art, history, and style of Albrecht Durer and Printmaking. I use the presentation below

Albrecht Durer

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2. As a class we examine the Rhinoceros by Durer . I hang a sheet of paper over the board (or use a SmartBoard) and students come up and trace over the patterns and textures on the animal. I then remove the artwork and just leave the student-traced textures. In this way students can see how important texture is to an artwork.

Rhinoceros by Albrecht Durer, 1515

3. Students invent textures using the texture/pattern worksheet below

4. Students go online and print out an image of an animal of their choosing. You can modify this by providing pre-selected images. I find, however, that students engage more when they have more ownership over their selections.

5. Students draw their animal in pencil on a 10 inch x 12 inch sheet of paper

6. Students add texture to animals

7. Students trace all pencil lines with a dark marker

8. Students paint animal with watercolors

9. Students learn how to create a relief printmaking plate; includes teacher demo

10. Students sketch for plate. This should be their “signature” and can be a design or a set of letters (like Albrecht Durer’s signature). Remind students that letters should be reversed and words must be backwards (tricky!)

11. Students sketch and carve plate (I use very soft linoleum to avoid cuts etc. and because it is easier for students to get details). I pre-cut the linoleum into 2 inch x 2 inch squares. . .But, I have considered using erasers too!

12. Demo how to print the plates using stamp pads (this is a huge money saver for me. . .Though, if you can, using brayers and tube ink is best!)

13. Students print a border around a 2nd sheet of paper that is 14 inches x 16 inches. I’ve used white and colors; they all look great!

14. Students glue painting into the center of their 2nd sheet of paper

15. Finished! (whew!)

P.S. Having fun is important too!

12 Powerful Words for Standardized Testing

2012-01-18T19:42:00.000-08:00

Recently, I discussed strategies you can use in your classroom to help integrate the yearly push to "integrate testing topics" into all classrooms. I know it is a hot topic for us Art teachers. . .Yet, you will be involved in standardized testing this year (one way or another!).

The literacy coordinator at my school gave me a list of 12 common words used on the CRCT (the Georgia version of the dreaded test). I decided to find visual reminders and make mini-posters for all the words. During my vocabulary photo search, I came across a fabulous little compilation made by another teacher. I put them all together in a presentation to share with you:

12 powerful words for the crct

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I like the idea of using these words in my classroom because ALL of them can lead to amazing art discussions. Just imagine starting class with "infer the meaning of this artwork" or "Compare and contrast the artworks below." While I know we all (as those who often feel as the last hold-out for educational creativity) balk at standardized testing, these words are powerful and lend themselves to our class easily. Additionally, these words are beneficial for my students to learn, regardless of a test. And, I bet you feel the same.

If you want to download each slide as a photo to print out for your class, try visiting the site of origin, here.

Lesson Plan: Op Art Spheres (the easy way)

2012-01-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

This is an exemplar I having been using for while; image from here

Teaching about Optical Illusions is so much fun. I have been doing the following lesson for as many years as I have been teaching. The ones I have here aren't quite finished, but I thought I'd share some in-process with you.

I recommend this project for students as young as 4th grade and as old as 6th. I have done with 3rd-6th. . . And, my 6th graders are working on it currently.

One of the great things about this project is that it is very math-relevant. If you like, you can use rulers and compasses to help students practice. In my experience, I usually offer the compasses and also offer various circle templates. If you are a new teacher (or a circle-frustrated one) here is a quick tip: spend an hour tracing and cutting out various circle sizes on heavy paper. I did this about two years ago, and I find them to be one of my most useful assets. How often do you hear: "Do you have something circle-like I can trace?" I don't necessarily want my students tracing all the time, but there are moments when it is appropriate and these little templates are a time-saver!

I also do not have a classroom set of rulers. Instead, I made several different widths of heavy cardboard "straight-edges" and we use those instead. . .Nearly free and perfect for use!

Below is the (super fun) presentation I use to introduce students to optical illusions. Easily a student favorite!

Optical illusion

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The traditional way to create an op-art sphere is to use measurements with your compass to "swing" an arc across your circle to create the needed illusion lines. For many (okay most) of my students using a ruler is a challenge. When my 1st quarter Art students used compasses it was too challenging for a few students. Several got so frustrated they shut down and felt as if they had failed. It is important to be sensitive to the needs of your classroom community. I want to introduce new tools to my students, true, but I don't want to overwhelm them either. In my classroom, we use a mix of circle templates, compasses, and this handy-dandy little "cheat" that I made up (check out my .gif below)

Webcam to gif

I love this shortcut! And, this is a great little video to upload to your classroom blog. Not only can students view it at home, but you can play it during class for an added visual reminder.

Here is a quick break-down of the product process:
1. students use the template circles or compasses to create 2-3 circles on their papers
2. students follow me using the steps show above to create a grid for 1 op-art sphere
3. I demonstrate how to color the sphere in a grid
4. I demonstrate how to use the "straight edges" to create a background grid
5. students work and color
6. I demonstrate how to add a drop shadow
7. students add a drop shadow and finish their work

-You can use anything from crayons to markers to colored pencils to paint to create these great little projects.

-For students who need modifications: you can rely on the circle templates and aid them in coloring by labeling their grids with the appropriate colors and/or helping them to label their grids.

I helped this student create colored "x's" to aid with the coloring

Enjoy! I hope your class has as much fun with Op Art as we do!

Permission and the Blog

2012-01-16T15:56:00.001-08:00

I have a feeling this little post may make me a little un-popular. . .But, just know that no matter your opinion, I still respect YOU.

First, a story:

About four months after I began this blog, I featured some ceramic jewelry that one of my students created (the post has been removed; you don't need to go look for it). In that post I had pictures of her work, other students' work, and a picture of me wearing the work (because I don't post images of my students on the internet). The images were a result of the interests of one of my students. This student, let's call her Ann, came to me with an image she found on the internet of ceramic jewelry; she wanted to make it. So, together, we broke down how to create this piece and then she created her own design based on the aesthetic of that first piece.

I was proud of Ann's work and celebrated it here. The following week, I received an email that was copied to all of my then professors (I was in graduate school at the time) and the Dean of my college. The email contained a formal cease and desist order and a letter my academic institution stating that I was turning in copied artwork for grades. The person who sent this email was the artist whose jewelry my student had copied. Somehow, this person became confused and thought that since I was in school, I must be turning in copies of her artwork for a grade. She had pictorial diagrams with arrows demonstrating how the work was similar.

I replied back to her, and copied my professors and my Dean, and stated that I was a teacher, that the artwork was created by an under-18 student, and that I had not aided the student for any personal profit or monetary gain, and that the artwork had nothing to do with my graduate studies. Furthermore, as the images were used in academic, K-12 setting for educational purposes, I was protected from copyright infringement (which is true; I check with a lawyer and an scholastic librarian). I concluded that I wished the artist had simply emailed with a polite request to remove the images as I wanted to promote positive relationships online, and would have done so immediately. In any event, I told the artist that I would remove any and all images pertaining to her artwork ASAP. And, I did.

I had to have a very uncomfortable meeting with my entire graduate department. They agreed I had done no wrong, and handled the situation correctly. But still, it was very embarrassing to have at all.

So, when we begin talking about permission and the blog, I have some real life experience.

Second, some thoughts:

In the DIY world there is a whole dialogue devoted to the "evils of the copiers." Some go so far as to say "Do-it-Yourself" does not stand for "Duplicate-it-Yourself." The point being that many cottage industry craft persons sell their wares online and that they lose money when their images are used to copy work. And, while they -for the most part- emphasize that they are not talking about people who copy for personal use, many would argue otherwise. Those in the wedding industry especially don't want brides copying crafts instead of purchasing. I empathize. At the same time, I would counsel some common sense. If you are a crafter, selling work online, and you have a blog, I would be very careful about what was posted. After all, if you are so foolish as to post "how-to" steps on your blog, you have freely given away the "recipe" for your craft.

Yet, it is rude to take. My mother is a professional photographer and in the days before digital she would give customers proofs with her copyright embossed. At that time, most photographers made money off of the number of prints ordered by customers. I can't tell you how many customers would just clip off her copyright and run down to Kinko's or wherever and have prints made. So, I do feel for people.

It is wrong to take images from anyone's internet site and post them onto your site without providing a source. If the images are copyrighted (and most are) then you are doing something illegal. But, once you get into the territory of posting your own images/ideas that are slightly altered from another online source, the water gets more murky.

Good manners (and ethics) would say that if you use someone else's idea whether written or visual, you should provide access to the source. The internet, at this stage, is like the Wild West, and you can't truly expect all people to do that. Unfortunate? Yes. Realistic? Yes. I would exercise caution. If you don't want your ideas taken (in every sense of the word), then I would not post them on the internet. Instead, write them up, edit them well and submit them to magazines and other, more scholarly and professional, sources.

If you find someone is using your ideas without permission and it upsets you, then I would contact that person. In my experience, most people are not deliberating taking, they just lack tech manners, experience, or foresight to list/link to a source Or, they may have simply forgotten they got the idea from you. If you are concerned about your images being re-used without permission, then put a watermark on them before you upload.

I know of one blogger who began watermarking images for a truly excellent reason (I'm not going to use her name out of respect). This blogger has fantastic ideas, some of which I have used (and always cited her as a source). People would see work inspired by her work on my blog and pin it to Pinterest. This blogger was the true source of inspiration, and that was important to her. So, she went in and under all of the images pinned from my site that were inspired by her work, she cited that and put a link to her site. Which I thought was cool; that gave the pinner 2 places to check out the project. Then, she began watermarking her images, which ultimately saved her a lot of time!

Closing Thoughts:

I try really hard to always cite my inspiration sources on both this blog and on all the presentations I upload to slideshare. But, I am human and I miss sources. I'm not treating every blog post as a graduate paper and combing over it to see if I've missed a source. I'm sorry for it, but I'm not a professional blogger, and this is something I do in the very limited time I have.

I know I have posted inspired items without a source, albeit unintentionally. In fact, just this week, I posted an image of a project I'm doing about Frank Big Bear and I know I saw something similar online but I can't find the source written anywhere or on my Pinterest board. Normally, when writing about lesson plans, I would list that the source was online and if anyone knew of it to let me know. But, since I only posted one image, not a how-to, I didn't stress overmuch.

My underlying point is that we have a really great little Art Education community here online. I know y'all are all good folks looking for great ideas and lesson plans and some of you are willing to share both in return. I don't think any of you would intentionally use a project without citing a source. . .But, we probably all should try harder to make sure we do. At the same time, I encourage you to remember that this is the internet, and it is likely that people will take your ideas and re-post them. If it bothers you to the point of distraction, I encourage you to be very careful about what you share.

Let's Get Testing!

2012-01-11T20:29:00.001-08:00

Not my best angle, but you know, who is Keith Loutit?

Okay. You're back at school and now that the holidays are officially over, your administration is gearing up for that official, how-much-funding-will-we-retain, AYP, testing!

We could all have an in-depth discussion about how we feel about testing, the merits, the drawbacks, the impacts, and the results. . .But the reality is that you, the Art teacher, will in some manner aid/abet/administer/supervise/organize/distribute state mandated tests of some sort this Spring.

And those tests have almost nothing to do with Art.

But, you are expected to aid the "bubble" students (those who are thisclose to passing scores on mock tests) during your every day Art class to succeed on a mandated math and language arts test.

This is reality.

My school has regulated collaboration meetings weekly. Teachers in similar subject areas gather together to discuss how they are implementing lessons and how they can collaborate to strengthen the curriculum. We are all required to collaborate. Since neither the Business Education teacher nor myself has another co-collaborator, we gather weekly and, uh, collaborate. Fortunately, he is incredibly bright and efficient and we do a great job of showing off how interdisciplinary our subjects are.

Today, we were asked to outline how we intend to meet the needs of "bubble" students daily between now and the test date. We weren't exactly expecting this question, but we handled it pretty well. We decided to develop a poster system in our classroom that uses common words from questions/word problems on the test.

These words include (but are not limited to): examine, evaluate, analyze, comprehend, compare, contrast, infer, determine, review etc. etc.

We intend to incorporate these vocabulary words into classroom discussions so as to increase student understanding of their meanings. The literacy coordinator was present at our meeting and she really warmed to the idea. She especially liked it when I explained how I often ask students to "read" and artwork to interpret meaning and to infer information. I'm constantly dumbfounded at how people simply don't realize how inter-disciplinary Art is.

Once I get a cute little poster designed, I'll post it here to share with you!

In the meantime, I came across these (incredible, amazing, darling, well-executed, helpful) great posters by the author of 3rd Grade's a Hoot. While her students are much younger than mine, I think these vocabulary reminders about addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division would be a great addition to any classroom, including Art. I mean, really, aren't you always using these words?!

She sells large copies of the posters on her website! So, you really must go check them out.

If you like the posters from 3rd Grade's a Hoot, I really, really, really encourage you to visit her great blog. I'd also remind you to pin for pinterest from her blog (not mine) because it will be more helpful to people if, when they click on her pinned art, they go directly to her site!

What's Happening in Art This Week?

2012-01-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

Do you have to blog as part of your job requirement? I do. Not here of course, but my school expects all teachers to keep a blog that is updated weekly. This provides an important resource for parents and students alike. Teachers use it in a variety of different ways in my school from a means to show homework, for reminders, for notes to parents etc.

As an Art teacher, I use it to share what the students are doing with parents, to give shout-outs to successful students, and to highlight the successes of the Art program.

I am going to begin to put a similar copy on this blog as well so you can see how I pace my students and what sorts of trouble we get up to!

This week in Art:

The 6th graders will be studying the nature of line and the art of Frank Big Bear. You can learn more about him here:

Frank big bear

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Here is an example of a 6th grade Frank Big Bear project:

The 7th graders will be learning all about texture, print-making and artist Albrecht Durer. You can learn more about him here:

Albrecht Durer

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Here is an example of the 7th grade project:

The 8th graders are going to be learning more about how to draw by observation. . .Specifically, they will be focusing on contour lines. You can learn more about contour lines here:

Contour line

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Here is an example of the 8th grade project:

Welcome to Quarter 3!

2012-01-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

Goofing Around with the Glue Gun!

Today was my first official day back at school after the holiday break! We didn't break until December 23rd and all of my colleagues commented today on how loooong the break felt because of the time we had after the 1st. It was awesome.

What really surprised me was how many of you commented that you only get one week off for the holidays! Even as a child I had two weeks off, and I think I sort of assumed it was a concrete rule. Funny how things you learn as a child seem so "absolute"!

I hope your new quarter is off to a fantastic start. I know I'm really excited about my incoming students. . .And, I'm really excited because I have a lot of students taking Art because it is so accessible to their various skill levels; that is a real compliment and a real challenge. I want to make sure their time in Art rocks!

Today was a teacher work-day and I had the BEST day because I got to spend all $2400 (I have about $3 left) of my grant money today! Wheeeeeeee! I purchased 18 digital cameras (one for every 2 students!), SD cards, USB drives, a bajillion AA batteries, 60 lbs of modeling clay and all the other fun findings for stop motion animation. The math coordinator and I are hoping to meet later this week to discuss how we can incorporate mathematical concepts into the project. I. AM. SO. EXCITED.

And, I obviously needed to share!

On a related note, do you twitter? I recently began to twitter and I'll admit it is a bit addictive. I don't notice a lot of Art teachers twittering. . .Or at least twittering about Art teacher things. How cool would it be to share quick quips with one another during the day? You know, for when that cute kid in fourth period makes a hilarious joke about post-modernism and only an Art teacher would get it.

If you want to follow me via twitter, just search for me "artfulartsyamy"

The Fashionable Art Teacher

2011-12-31T16:27:00.000-08:00

Remember how I recently posted that I'm obsessed with fashion? Well, I broke down and decided to begin my own plus-sized, art-teacher-awesome, fashion blog.

There are SO MANY things that I want to wear but that are unrealistic for what I do, or are far too expensive for a teacher's salary, or that are too nice for me to wear in an art room with children. Can you relate?

For instance, until about two years ago, I regularly wore 4 inch heels in the classroom everyday.

Okay, just that sentence freaks me out! Argh! What was I thinking? The point is that I now know to wear comfortable shoes. . .But, trust me, mine still must be killah awesome.

If you are interested, head on over to my new fashion space, Leigh Amy (www.leighamy.com), to check it out.

And, NO WORRIES, I'll still be here, talking art shop, with all of you awesome people.

Lesson Plan: Maasai Inspired Tribal African Necklaces

2011-12-22T09:47:00.001-08:00

My exemplar

This school year my students are more diverse in terms of economy, skin color, culture, philosophy, and in variety of other, more specific, manners. Last year, I tried to bring more diverse projects into my classroom; I attempted to incorporate multi-cultural artists and artworks. . .But, honestly, I didn’t truly try as hard as I might have.

this was made using variegated thread

When I look back to this first semester, I am floored by just how many multi-cultural projects my students have completed. The odd thing is that I haven’t made any whole-hearted attempts to incorporate diversity. Instead, I’ve been trying to devise lessons and projects that incorporate the standards. I noticed, early-on, that when my students were interested in the project, their behavior was much improved. It just happened by coincidence that the projects for which my students have the most interest are primarily multi-cultural.

love the patterns this student used. . .and the Kazuri elephant bead

In my free time, I’m obsessed with fashion and the art of dressing. . .It sounds like a tangent; but trust me, it all comes together. Using my RSS reader, I follow about 400 different fashion blogs that talk about high, low, and costume dressing. One of my favorites is I Spy DIY wherein the author uses high fashion inspiration for low-budget DIY projects. A few weeks ago I came across the tribal necklace design based on the runway designs of fashion designer Mara Hoffman’s SS 2012 line. The moment I saw the project, I knew I’d find a way for my students to do something similar.

This student wound 2 colors of thread at the same time for a patterned-effect

Cut to the last week of school before the holidays. I easily “sold” my students on the idea of a project wherein they’d have a product they could gift to friends and family. I tied the project to fine arts standards, and my personal artistic experience, by incorporating the art of the Maasai tribe of East Africa (I have Kenyan friends who are Maasai). I also was fortunate enough to have a few beads my Mom brought back from a recent trip to Kenya from Kazuri bead to share with the students. And, whaddyaknow, I had a great, authentic, multi-cultural, and “standards-excellent” lesson plan.

Fashionista!

View all of the pictures I took of students working and modeling their necklaces:

African Necklace Creation

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You can view (and download!) my PPT presentation about this project below:

Maasai of east africa

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Enjoy! And, if you decide to try this project and feature it on your blog please cite I Spy DIY and Artful Artsy Amy as inspiration sources.

Crazy Things My Students Have Said: Semester 1

2011-12-17T20:59:00.000-08:00

Are you on Holiday Break yet? My last day is on December 22nd and let me tell you, my students are ready. In fact, they were ready this past Friday! All of the surrounding counties are already on break and we have four more days to go. Fortunately, we don't start back up until January 9th, but this has been a long stretch.

I have a habit of asking my students which projects they would like to do next. Truthfully, I stack the deck a bit and sometimes present two projects I know they'll hate alongside one that I know they'll want to try. All the same, it allows them some voice in what we do. I do, to ensure continuity, make sure all presented projects follow a sequence of my choice.

The students just finished two rigorous rounds of testing this week and I wanted to devise a fun, celebratory week in Art for them for this last week. I thought they'd want to do something holiday-inspired since most middle schoolers don't get to do "cutesy" stuff like that in core-classes anymore. My 6th graders loved this idea. . .But, noooo, my 7th and 8th kiddos shocked me and refused to do anything like that. Instead, they impressed me by requesting we make something they could give to family members as gifts. We settled on creating Maasai-inspired necklaces. . . I'm really looking forward to sharing the finished ones with you; they are looking SO great!

But, in the mean-time. . .I thought I'd share some hilarious things that have been said to me thus far this year:

"You a fat bitch."

"You a racist."

"Is that a wig? 'Cause my grandma has a wig that looks just like your hair."

"I'm sorry I was absent yesterday. I ate some bad meat and I'm full of parasites."

"Can I call you Mom?"

"Why you all up in my face?! You be thinking you be my mom!"

"Go FOCUS ON SOMEONE ELSE!"

"I'm MENTALLY UNSTABLE!"

"Yeah! I'm so glad I don't have to ride the short bus anymore!"

"You look fine Ms. J. You look like you walk on the street."

"Ain't drinking like swimming Ms. J.? You gotta take a buddy."

"Who the f*ck do you think you are?"

"Wow. You can really draw."

"How come every time I clean my brush in my water cup the water gets dirty?"

What kinds of crazy/funny things have your students said?

P.S. I should add I find all of this "hilarious" because the kids know right after they say something rude/uncouth/inappropriate I enforce some serious rules. I've long learned not to take any of it personally and my personal experience has shown it is often the ones who curse you the most who end up liking you the most. Primarily because you know they care and they know you won't tolerate that nonsense. . .But, those are longer, funnier, and different stories!

Clay Mugs: Mrs. Heller's Art Blog

2011-12-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

Photo from Mrs. Heller's Art Blog

Okay, I'm not one to re-direct to other projects often. . .

But have you SEEN these great mugs by Mrs. Heller's 8th graders?!

I know what I'm going to do when my next clay shipment arrives.

What Have I Been Up To: My Family!

2011-12-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

With the exception of yesterday, I've been missing from my blog. I have several half-written posts about what has been going on. . .But truthfully, I'm trying to find a good balance between work and home. My commute is anywhere from 45 mins to 1 hour and 15 mins one way. So, even on days when I go directly home after work, I'm still away for at least ten hours. And, honestly, I'm exhausted.

My school didn't have Art last year, and I'm working hard to show them how indispensable Art (and me) is. I've entered student work in a lot of contests, events etc. and those require weekend and after school hours. . . Not to mention fundraising activities and the like. The great thing is that Art is truly alive at my school, the kids artwork looks amazing, and all the work is paying off. The not-so-great part is that I went over 45 days without a single day off.

Then, I got sick. :(

But, now I'm better and working hard to find balance.

Here is a bit of what I've been up to:

1. Finding more time to spend with my loves, Nick and Fred (Fred is the furry one).

2. I work on the weekends at the front desk of the community center I taught in this past summer. It is in the back-end of a housing project. I found a 9 week old homeless, bony puppy and took him home. I though I'd end up finding him a good home. . .I did. Ours. His name is Tuck. We weren't sure if he'd make it through the 1st night. He was severely dehydrated and very, very, very, malnourished. But, nearly a month later he has shot up to 10 lbs and is such a joy. The vet confirms his breed as half black and half cute. ;) We named him Tuck. He and Fred adore one another.

3. Over Thanksgiving Break he fixed up the paint-spots I missed in our Malibu-Pink Barbie downstairs. And, we dyed the sofa from light pink to dark navy (and saved about $250!).

4. I applied for and WON a $2400 for a grant I authored entitled "Articulating Foundational Math Concepts Using Animation." The funds will be used to cameras and equipment to shoot stop-motion animation movies. I got to pose with this huge cheque; which seriously made my year!

5. I've been entering student artwork in contests. And, I've been making calendars, books, and holiday cards featuring students artwork for fundraisers. All have been met with great success. I'm waiting to hear back from several contests about student work. And, one of my students is a semi-finalist for a prominent Atlanta contest.

6. I'm still working on managing student behavior. They don't fight in my classroom, but it does happen in the hallways and bathrooms. I broke up this fight (between a boy and a girl). Which resulted in this nail polish bottle being busted (it was in the girl's bag and was kicked). Impressive, no?

7. I've been doing more cooking. Last weekend, I pickled some green beans (my absolute, hands-down favorite) and made some Dulce de Leche chocolate cookies (for Nick who is Brazilian and obsessed with chocolate).

8. Last, but certainly not least, spending more time with my adorable family.

Lesson Plan: Remixing "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa"

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

As an art educator working in an urban environment of diverse learners, I struggle to create lessons that are relevant to my students and still incorporate and uphold art standards. What I have come to realize is “diverse learners” doesn’t indicate a group of learners from cultural backgrounds and/or races but instead, refers to individual learners who come from varied cultural and racial backgrounds. When in the past we might identify students as one cultural or racial group, today we must recognize students have backgrounds that include one group, two groups, or even multiple groups. In some cases, student backgrounds may represent groups whom have been in conflict. And, as educators, we must strive to develop lessons that are inclusionary of such diversity. Today, I teach middle school students and have discovered my students are proud to discuss the multiple racial and cultural groups they claim. It is perhaps part of the adolescent development of identity, but students are eager to discuss not only their heritage, but also that of friends and family.

Nicki Minaj wearing a remix

Art History is vital to creating multi-tiered art lessons that reach beyond just product. Yet, as educators who do not see students on a regular, daily basis how do we develop lessons that reach beyond a product and are inclusionary of diversity? Several years ago, I began incorporating more Japanese and Chinese art into my classroom in an attempt to bridge the gap left in Western education when it comes to the Far East. What I found was my students loved learning about these cultures and far more students than I thought have backgrounds inclusionary of Eastern cultures.

As art educators we all know in late elementary and early middle school the student schema develops a need to draw “realistically” in order to feel success. But, it is difficult for students to curate such skills when such little time is devoted to art. I began to incorporate projects into larger lessons wherein students make a copy a fine artwork. There are varied views on student copying, especially when it comes to creativity, but what I have learned is it is easier to discover how to create when you are walking the path of another, master, artist. From the concept of copying and including relevance and diversity, I developed the lesson “Remixing The Great Wave off Kanagawa.”

Great wave of kanagawa

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A copy of the original on top, and the student "remix" below

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai represents one of the great appropriated images of Eastern art. I show the image to my students and many have seen it previously; in this way, we are able to bridge upon existing knowledge. As a class, we discuss the series that includes The Great Wave off Kanagawa; Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji. Students are encouraged to identify the importance of the artwork as relevant to the natural history of Japan and to the importance of art history. Each student is given a full-color copy of The Great Wave off Kanagawa and are instructed to copy and color it in colored pencil.

Upon near completion of the copies, the class discovers the appropriation of The Great Wave off Kanagawa. As a class, we define the concept of appropriation and homage as it relates to the use of pre-existing images. Appropriation of visual imagery can be an abstract concept for middle school students. Students are, however, familiar with the concept of sampling parts of songs for a new, original, musical composition. Recognizing this, I am able to make the concept of appropriation relevant, and thus tangible, when I compare it to “remixing” a song or track. We view a series of images that re-appropriate The Great Wave off Kanagawa from fashion, to functional art, to humor, to composition, to situational, to material, to color. Students are instructed to create 4-5 thumbnails that “remix” or appropriate The Great Wave off Kanagawa according to their own creativity using pencil and colored pencil. After a brief teacher conference, each student begins their final draft of the remix. Upon completion of both the copy and the remix, students mount their compositions side by side for display.

I love how this student remixed the composition, instead of the content

Part of creating lessons that provide profound learning is allowing students to share their discoveries and struggles. To conclude this lesson, we host a mini-critique session wherein students are encouraged to share their creations and the personal choices that aided in the development of final drafts. During this portion of the lesson, many students choose to share about their personal heritage as it relates to their creation. The success of this lesson is not dependent upon drawing ability, although it does include that, but rather creative concept. My experience has shown a lesson that bridges the gap to student relevance while incorporating diversity, art history, and a basis for stronger execution skills leads to deeper learning and understanding.

I LOVE how the remix is on an XBOX 360

Teaching for Artistic Behavior: Art is Not Easy

2011-11-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

Ha! I love the way our innermost thoughts work their way to the surface when we create. In this case, it would be this student's struggle to create artwork that matches his standard.

I'm now midway through my first rotation of Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) based lesson plans. Currently, four of my classes (the 6th and 7th grades) are working on TAB rotations. I thought it would be good to share my thoughts on this process.

In the event you don't know, TAB is, ultimately, a grass-roots organization that recognizes and supports the validity of choice-based arts education. An organization? Well, yes, but one that is heavily researched, provides conferences and learning opportunities for educators AND is endorsed by many academic institutions. It's also a bit of a philosophy as well. Some students work at the window while others mix color palettes at their seats.

If you've read here for any length of time, you'll know that I'm very interested in how the brain works when we learn. Specifically, I am interested in what the optimum conditions for learning are and how I can create an "optimal" experience for my students. One of my mentors has long encouraged me to do more research and test out TAB in my own classroom. And, I've been reluctant to do so. . .For many reasons.

For one, choice based arts education? The phrase alone sounds tricky, and trust me, when I first mentioned it to my administration I could see the "oh no the Art Teacher is a crazed hippy" look pass across their faces. It can be difficult to help your administration bridge the gap between thinking the students "do whatever they choose" and the students are guided carefully through a structured environment that provides for positive, creative, informative, choice making.

Secondly, giving students choices takes a lot of planning. TAB is no joke. You need to plan and anticipate certain questions, theories, and ensure the materials are available as well as the distribution. And, TAB encourages working in centers. There is no way that would work in my educational environment. The kids would treat it like recess. Which means I had to build kits etc. for different tables/materials so the media was accessible to all.

Thirdly, TAB ain't for sissies. While it does provide for some AH-MAZING authentic engagement, you better have some amazing classroom management plans. Because, a lot of TAB depends upon students being able to task themselves. On being personally responsible. In middle school. in elementary school. in high school.

So, when one of my mentors, way back when, encouraged me to explore TAB, I just nodded and walked away.

Look ma, we're engaged! And, we're all doing different stuff!

But, then came THIS year. You know I moan on here all the time about engagement and authentic engagement. It is soo important, critical, in the middle school years. For many of our students middle school marks the last time they will be actively enrolled in a visual art class. I want them to LOVE it. I want them to take away a lifelong love of some aspect of visual art be it art history, an artist, a style, a method, or aesthetics.

Also, I'm insane and willing to do anything to make this happen. I also, (insanely) want to be the best Art Teacher in the World. Ha! It is nuts. It is super crazy. But, when I think about lesson plans, projects, classroom management etc. I'm always thinking: "Is this the best for my students? Is this the best, period.?

Yeah, I'm crazy. Let's just establish that.

These two students creatively "feed" off of one another. They really are into peer-critiquing one another.

So, far, I'm LOVING how much the students are LOVING TAB. I've polled them -informally- and they really like having a choice. They also really like having their talents acknowledged. Most of all, I see so much more exploration and trying happening in class. And, I don't cringe when I have to say: "You have more talent that this piece shows. I know you can do better," because I know that student has options wherein we can better incorporate his/her talents.

exploring blending and shading -without prompting!

My TAB lessons are not entirely open to the students choosing whatever they want. I'm following a fairly tight structure, because my students aren't prepared for me to just "unleash" them. We don't encourage much independent, divergent thinking anymore at school. And, you should see how their minds are bent by directions that say things like: "You can also choose to do a project that is not on this list. BUT, you must first conference with Ms. J. and plan out your project." I've had a lot option to do this, and with great results btw.

If you are interested, here is how I'm structuring the "unpacking" of TAB right now:

1. I present a topic -usually based on Art History
2. We discuss as a class
3. I introduce a question/statement. I explain this is like an essay question that I expect the students to answer by creating artwork instead of writing. For instance, for the Pop Art project the statement is: "Your work should recognize that Pop Art refers to creating art from everyday objects."
4. I present 2-3 "five minute or less" demos on 2-3 different projects
5. Students can pick a project OR opt to design their own (but must meet with me first)
6. Students get materials and work
7. I keep a projection up with the overall question/statement along with a "To-Do" list and an "Expectation" list. Both lists have less than 5 items.
8. I circulate and aid as needed.
9. My grading rubric etc. refers back to the overall question/statement

What about you? Would you try TAB in your classroom? Are you doing TAB now? What do you think? DO you think your students learn better? Are they more engaged? Do you see more creative expression and exploration? I know my answers are emphatic "yes's."

Lesson Plan: Thiebaud Pop Art Cakes and Teaching for Artistic Behavior

2011-11-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

My Thiebaud Cake exemplar

This is the Part II aspect to my utilizing the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) philosophy to teach a Pop Art unit.

In case you missed the first post, here's a quick review: TAB recognizes all students are creative and artistic to some degree, and that all engage in creative activities in different manners. Ultimately, the point of TAB is to authentically engage students is to engage in such a manner that they are expressing ideas and concepts of their own choosing that still meet the required expectations of an assignment.

printed TAB packets, ready-to-go

My students are learning about Pop Art. I expect them to be able to express the foundational idea that Pop Art celebrates everyday, commercial, imagery. They have a choice of two projects: a Lichtenstein portrait or a Thiebaud cake. Students will have two packets about each project with step by step written and visual directions, examples, and special references.

blending reference page for students

What I'm not telling my students is that I want them to deviate even further away from the two projects I've assigned them; to get super creative. But, I know if I simply tell them that. . .Many will hear "do whatever you want" instead of "you can meet the expectations of this project utilizing whichever creative means and mediums you choose." I know some will deviate anyway, because that is who they are. And, as students deviate, I'll celebrate that with the class and discuss how these deviations are positive and encouraged.

Baby steps y'all.

Okay, back to this specific project. I love Thiebaud, and you know, in my experience students really get him too. Students will learn about Thiebaud during our Pop Art intro and will use an in-class packet to help them follow the directions to create their own Thiebaud-inspired project.

Here is the packet my students will be using:

How To Thiebaud Cake Project

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Lesson Plan: Lichtenstein Pop Art Self-Portrait

2011-11-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

My self-portrait exemplar

Pop Art is an exciting genre to teach. I find that my students are easily are excited about any kind of art that they perceive as heavily referencing their culture. . . i.e. "pop" culture. And, even though the Pop Art you and I think of is not really our students' current culture (it is more the 1960's), there are residual elements of that culture still around today.

I love to teach Pop Art, but I'm really over all of the Warhol projects. Honestly, they bore me to death. A lot of this stems from the fact that I'm not exactly a huge fan of Warhol or his art. Was the guy a genius? Absolutely? Did he turn the art world on its head? For sure. Was he a huge jerk who used his subjects cruelly? Yeah. I know the whole "that artist was a jerk" philosophy can be applied to a lot of artists (Schiele, Degas, Michelangelo just to name a few). The issue I have is that Warhol is so contemporary, and when his artwork is filtered down to a student project, I fail to see my (note I say "my" 'cause it might be how I teach to them) students get authentically engaged. Jerkiness + boring = no good for me.

They get bored. REAL bored. They tire of copying the same thing over and over. They "putt" out in the last portions and I'm left with one or two pieces that are truly phenomenal and the rest are just kind of "meh."

Instead, I focus on the still highly famous, but less talked about in the classroom, artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Wayne Thiebaud, and Claes Oldenburg.

I'm trying to incorporate more and more of the "Teaching to Artistic Behavior" philosophy into my classroom. And, as such, my students will have two product choices for our Pop Art Unit: a Roy Lichtenstein inspired portrait and a Wayne Thiebaud cake design. I've seen similar versions of this Lichtenstein project done elsewhere online. This is the version I've been doing for a few years now. I prefer to only do the facial tones in the dot matrix and leave the rest fully painted.

Here is the Power-Point we will use in class. I've modified a great PPT I found online. You'll find the original cited on the front page of the presentation:

Pop art

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Here is my how-to steps for students:

How to lichtenstein project 972003

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I can't wait to post what the students' products look like!

FYI: How to Make Slime

2011-11-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

We have been using a liquid starch mix as a papier-mache vehicle. Today, I ran out of liquid starch about halfway through a class and began pouring some watered down glue (I had already prepared for such a moment).

After about 10 minutes the noise level got very loud. . . Lots of exclamations. Screaming with delight. Discovery.

Here's the deal. If you so happen to mix school glue with liquid starch you make a cohesive, sticky slime that will mold into stuff.

And, you know, just for your information the slime makes a great projectile. It will totally stick in some weave. And hair. And on clothing. Yeah.

Just Sayin' ;)

P.S. My boyfriend asked me to read this post to him. . .So, I innocently did. THEN, he took my words and made this song with it. Hilarious! You have to click on the link to hear it. http://khu.sh/usersong_4eb1fc7b97799

Papier Mache with 32 Students

2011-11-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

Wow. Just wow. I have 4 different classes working on different papier-mache projects right now. We have already gone through 8 gallons of papier-mache mix.

Here are some images from one class. I wish you could see their faces! I loved editing and looking at these pictures. Sometimes it is hard to assess in the moment -when you are trying to keep everyone on-task and safe- how much fun the kids are having. Based on the pictures, my kids are having a blast!

I, however, may have earned a few gray hairs. ;)

When To Worry About What a Student Creates

2011-10-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

We've all had a student (or students) who've created something odd, unusual, frightening, creepy, and/or alarming that may or may not be in context. I'm sure we've all spoken with the school counselor (or even the school psychologist if you're lucky) about what the student drew. On one or two occasions, the school counselor and I have followed up with family etc. But, we all know that context is important, even key, to these situations.

Here are some great thoughts on what kids draw from Notes From The School Psychologist (not reading her? You should!!):

My Favorite Halloween Game.

I have this game I play whenever I’m testing students around Halloween. It’s called “Halloween or Emotional Disturbance?”* Around this time of year, when I ask students to draw for me, I often get some pretty disturbing stuff—zombies eating people, ghosts, headless horsemen—and it begs the question, “Is the child emotionally disturbed or just thinking about Halloween?” I was reminded of this problem in assessment when a friend of mine posted this picture on her Facebook and asked, “Should I be concerned?!?”

She of course was not concerned because she knew her little treasure was going to be a vampire for Halloween. Yes, yes, that makes a difference in context. Now if her kiddo made that drawing on a random Tuesday in March, it would be a different story, no?

I have a memorable assessment from last Halloween time to illustrate the point…I was walking this kiddo to the testing room, when I spotted a huge spider web and a spider was chilling in the middle. I am not a huge spider fan, but I do anthropomorphize every spider into being that nice spider from Charlotte’s Web, so I said, “Oh look! That spider made us a web for Halloween!” The child turned to look at the spider’s web and then started spitting on the spider, yelling “Die! Die! Die you mother*#(%#@!” Whoa. I did not see that coming. Later, when I asked him to draw a picture of a person, he drew a vampire with a machine gun, blasting all the spiders in the world. Soooooo, you’re not a fan of spiders, eh?

Kids’ drawings are awesome. They are one of my favorite parts of the assessment process. Aside from the comorbidity of creepy drawings and Halloween, drawings can reveal a lot about our students. I especially love the Kinetic School Drawing, which is basically a way to see how the kid feels about school. You just ask them to draw a picture of themselves at school at any time of day and see what they come up with. I wish I had kept this drawing of this 10th grade student I was assessing for ADHD (who later cornered me on the streets of SF with his pack of friends yelling, “Hey, that’s the lady that put me in special ed! Thanks lady, special ed is way easier!”). His drawing was a cartoon-style sequence of him getting in trouble (“Here’s where my pencil accidently flies out the window, then here is me getting kicked out, and here’s me going down the stairs to the dean’s office, and here’s the dean saying to get a pass, and here’s me going back up the stairs, and here’s the teacher saying I can’t go back to class without a pass, and here’s me going back to the dean’s office…”).

Another kiddo who I was assessing for Asperger’s syndrome drew the most literal interpretation of the drawing I’ve ever seen. He started drawing every facet of the school building, including the irrigation system out front. When I asked him to draw a picture of himself in the drawing, as if I had a camera and took a picture of him at school, he drew a picture of me jumping out of a locker with a camera, taking his picture. HA! I love it.

My absolute favorite drawing was actually of me (not a Me-Monster story, I promise). The kid was 6 years old and in a school for students with emotional disturbance. The kid hated testing so much, it was torture to get anything done. After daaaaaays of trying to get something out of the guy, I finally asked him to draw a picture and tell me a story. He drew this monsterously fat and ugly person and said, “This is Dr. Fat, no I mean, Dr. B. She was a horrible fat person who made kids do stuff. She has a timer and her pencils and a monster ate her.” Soooooo, how do you feel about testing, little buddy?

So, as you go forth and test students on Monday on Halloween, look out for ghosts, goblins, spiders, and creepy drawings! You might also want to look out for REDRUM as the answer on a spelling test. Now that's a scary reversal...

*My friends and I also played a related game around Halloween when we were in grad school at Berkeley called “Normal dress or Halloween costume?” So, when a cloaked man entered the “Games of Berkeley” store, was he normally dressed for his fantasy board game club, or was it a Halloween costume? Is that a hippie costume or an actual hippie?

Beyond the Pencil: Great Concepts and Ideas from an Amazing Art Teacher

2011-10-27T08:12:00.001-07:00

High School Art Teacher, Ian Sands of Art of Apex High School made this amazing presentation about "going beyond the pencil" at the South Carolina Art Education Association Conference. I sure do wish I could have seen it/met him! Did any of you from SC get to go and meet Ian?

Here is the (fantastic!) presentation:

Yeah!

2011-10-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've got a lesson plan posting planned for later in the week. . .

But I just wanted to share some great news. . . I have over 50 kids interested in Art Club! I'm SOOOO excited.

And, students are moaning about the end of art class. . .Which means they are so happy to be here that the end of it is "sad." Which, wow! That makes me so proud. :)

Thanks Guys!

Elements and Principles

2011-10-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Elements And Principles of Art

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Lesson Plan: Hip Hop Contour Line Shoes

2011-10-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Ever have a lesson plan you back into that ends up being awesome? Yeah. This one is kind of like that.

I wanted my students to have more opportunities to work on their drawing skills; specifically, their realism drawing skills. I knew completing a contour line assignment would be a great project to build these skills, but I feared my students would get bored. I've talked -extensively now- about how I have a few students who are hard to engage. I also have a lot of students who have a hard time sticking with a project once it becomes "hard" or "too real."

I knew if I wanted them to do some contour line drawing, I'd have to create some kind of really great "carrot."

Shoes are a major part of my students' self representation. They wear uniforms to school, but are allowed freedom of footwear. Additionally, shoes seem to be important in the community in which I work. So, while many may not come from wealthy backgrounds, they do have quite nice shoes. They brag about shoes, compare/contrast shoes, talk about prices etc. all the time.

I figured we could draw our shoes. But then, I got a little bit concerned. My students enjoy aggressively teasing one another and love using smells (farts, chemical odors, cooking scents) to make noise and derail the class. I didn't want to give them an opportunity to attempt to take control of the class. And, well, I got worried that some of them may not have clean socks OR that some students may not have nice shoes and this may isolate them.

Eventually, I decided to take the students to the computer lab and let them use the Nike ID, MI Adidas, Vans, and the Converse websites to customize their own shoes. I asked them about this first because I was concerned they wouldn't like customizing shoes that they couldn't buy (or maybe couldn't afford), but was reassured by their enthusiastic response.

Y'all, I've never seen them so well behaved as the days we went to the computer lab. They LOVED tinkering with the different websites to create cool shoes. I used this as an opportunity to do a presentation about how desire drives design.

They had directions to follow and had to print out at least 2 different shoes. The next few days we focused on contour line drawing. The students had to complete 2 different contour line drawings of their shoes. They had to color the shoes in either colored pencil or marker and then create a black and white (or colored with permission from me) background of doodles. I then laminated the final versions.

My students loved every part of this project. They really enjoyed drawing their shoes and I had virtually no complaining during the difficult drawing process. And, when I asked the new crew of students what they wanted to do during this 9 weeks of Art, I had many reply "I want to draw shoes."

Quick Thoughts on the 1st Day of the 2nd 9 weeks

2011-10-17T13:36:00.001-07:00

Whew! Today went by fast!!

Nothing like having new students, new rules, new portfolio, new, new, new to make the day go by quickly.

As you all know, I've been writing a lot about engagement. As art teachers, I think we really strive to create learning environments that encourage authentic engagement. Honestly, I want my classroom to be an exciting, fun, and special place to be.

Today, to begin my 2nd 9 weeks I decided to ask my students to write about themselves. I gave everyone a notecard and instructed them to answer the three following questions:

1. Are you excited to be in Art?
2. List three things you hope you get to do in Art. (I told them to think of the wildest things!)
3. What is your dream? (I kept it general because I wanted to see how they would respond)

I explained to students that I wanted them to be honest, and that I wouldn't be upset or hold it against them if they weren't happy to be in Art class. I told them it was important to be honest, because I do want them to be excited in class. So, if I learn their dream is to be an NBA star, then I'll try to work basketball into the projects. The kids really, really, really loved this, and they were so honest.

And, wowza! I got some great responses and some amazing ideas for how to change my lessons to better suit my student's interests.

Here are some of the most popular "things" my students want to do in Art class:
-sculpting. EVERYONE wants to sculpt
-sewing. A lot of students want to learn to stitch
-computer art. Quite a few kiddos are into technology and/or are interested in game design.
-origami
-art with bubblegum. What a cool idea!
-go outside. YES!
-Jewelry. LOTS of requests for this.
-Play-Doh. I had a lot of mentions of play-doh. Interesting.

As for the dream question; I was pretty much humbled by their dreams. They range from being lawyers, veterinarians, artists, comic writers, doctors, ob/gyn's, Navy SEALs, Engineers, to being wealthy, living a good life, and helping others.

I was touched by so many of their dreams but this one left me teary. I leave you with this great response to "What is your dream?"

"I want to go and graduate from Emory University, become an orthodontist, and give my dad his dream of going around the world."

I hope your week is off to a great start!

End of the 1st Nine Weeks

2011-10-15T06:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the last day of the 1st 9 weeks of the year. I am really excited to get a "new" batch of kids. I haven't had the luxury of being "done" with certain behavior problems in just 9 weeks in a looong time. On the other hand, I wish they were in Art year-round. . . And, when I really reflect on it there are SO MANY kiddos I'm bummed I won't get to hang out with everyday.

I wrote in my "Ouchies" post that teaching in my current environment seems like a day-to-day thing. Some days are awesome, some are less than awesome. And, well, that is true. Yet, I'm trying to make everyday awesome. What I've come to realize is that right about the time I feel totally overwhelmed and/or think "I'm not qualified enough to teach these kids" something happens to make me change my mind.

I've been working hard to make Art visible in my school as this has never been the case. The kids love (LOVE!) seeing their artwork on the walls so much that it is a huge motivator (and this has never been the case anywhere else I've taught). The teachers also love seeing the artwork on the walls and they make a point to tell me how much they appreciate that. And, wow, you guys just hearing that someone likes it makes me not only proud but hugely validated. It has made me realize it is critical in environments like mine to positively "cheer" on others.

I also made a Shutterfly book showing off some of the strongest accomplishments from Quarter 1. The artwork isn't necessarily the best or strongest, but it represents students who gave it everything they had. I put a copy in the front office for parents to check out while they wait for kids/meetings etc. And, I gave a copy to my principal. This also has been a huge positive incentive for the kids (and me). The principal is thrilled with the book and loves how we can show off to visitors etc. I researched and found out that schools can set up their own Shutterfly accounts from which parents can buy merchandise online. . .And the school can set the prices. Meaning, hello minimal effort fundraiser! I do teach in a Title I school, so I was unsure if kids could afford the book, but after asking around I feel quite sure we could make some money. And now there are plans to make a calendar and holiday cards. Woot! (You can see the book below, it cost $15.00 to make and we plan to sell for $18-$20).

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly offers exclusive photobook layouts so you can make your book just the way you want.

In the midst of all of this, the Special Ed. department has been conducting yearly conferences to review student accommodations and modifications. Something really great happened in those meetings. Almost all of the parents made a comment of some kind or another about how happy they were that their child was in Art class. AND, the parents made comments about me and the accommodations and modifications I made to make the class accessible.

Then, last week I got some new Art Supplies (my orders had been placed and arrived!). Super Woot!

So, things are really looking up. I feel as if I'm not just merely treading water anymore.

I know we've all been sharing about classroom management in at-risk kid environments and I wanted to also share with you some of the changes I'm making for the 2nd Quarter:

1. I got rid of all the rules! Ha! I know a lot of you thought there were too many. And, that number has worked for me in the past, but I'm simplifying down to 6.

2. I have 3 concrete reflection areas in my room instead of 1. The primary area is beneath the rules and has some motivational posters.

3. I'm organizing the clean-up procedure. It will likely take 8 minutes instead of 5, but I want the kids to be more personally responsible for material clean up.

4. I'm controlling bathroom visits. The students like to leave everyday and I'm culling it down. I'm not going to do "only 3 per quarter" because I don't want to monitor it. But, I am writing down their visits in their agenda, so when I do say "no" I can prove that it is a habitual way of avoiding class.

5. I'm sending home artwork every 3 weeks. My state standards require the kids keep a portfolio. But the work just got too bulky and would jam the storage drawers and art would get lost and torn. So, they can still keep a portfolio but take home older work regularly.

6. I'm tracking down the social worker to help me get phone numbers of students whose listed phone numbers have been disconnected etc.

7. I'm giving the students a weekly warm up sheet instead of them keeping track of it in a binder. I started this a few weeks ago. Too many kids just won't do it if I don't give them a sheet. It is a lot of sheets for me to run weekly, but it is worth it to see the kids come in and get started.

So, what about you? What have been your successes so far this year? What classroom procedures and/or rules are you changing to better suit the needs and demands of your students and your classroom?

Value Shading and Self Portraits

2011-10-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

Value, as you all know, is deceptively easy to teach. On the one hands kids "get" that there are shadows and light areas appearing on what see. . . But, trying to get them to illustrate this understanding can be an epic struggle. As I'm now teaching Middle School students full time, I've had a very quick reminder of how they feel their art is "unsuccessful" unless there is a positive, cohesive (usually realistic), final product.

I started doing this variation on the value shading project a few years ago. I honestly can't remember if I devised the idea or if I was inspired from somewhere. . .So, if you've been doing it for awhile too, feel free to share a link in the comments!

Students begin with learning about value and completing a value shading worksheet. During this time (or during the studio session for the previous project) I take a picture of their face. I print their faces in black and white on the printer. Each student receives his/her face image and uses a marker to outline all of the various different value areas on their face. Next, they are presented with one paint color cup, one white paint cup, and one black paint cup. Students must paint the values on their faces using only these three paint choices. I keep several copies of their faces on hand, because many of them rush through the first attempt (which ends up a mess) and want to try again.

The results are usually quite beautiful. . .And, because they were painting on top of a photograph (in essence), the end result, at the very least, appears humanoid. Which means, even my most insecure middle school students have a modicum of success. I'm not sure if this is the MOST student creative project. . .But, I have found that it sets an excellent foundation for value and enables me to introduce more complicated and creative painting concepts.

The lesson plan and value shading worksheet can be downloaded below. The worksheet includes images from two online sources, which are cited on the sheet. Please keep this in mind when you use it. You are welcome to use these items in a non-profit manner in your classroom but not for commercial reproduction.

Value Shading Worksheet

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Value Painting Lesson Plan

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Ouchies

2011-09-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'm soo enthusiastic about art and about teaching art. In fact, when I look at my facebook posts, nearly 90% are about art or teaching art. I've never (NEVER) had an issue with engagement before. . .But, I'm having some challenging situations with it this year. I have quite a few kids in every class that just refuse to engage.

I've tried positive incentives, consequences, modified projects etc. etc. But, these hard-to-engage kiddos mostly are peeved they can't sit with their friends (because they prove over and over when allowed that they don't work and/or don't behave when allowed to do so). When I ask what sorts of projects they want to do it is always "Graffiti." Which, I'm not against at all (Banksy is one of my favorite artists and I subscribe to Juxtapoz Magazine), but this is an, at-risk kid environment. And, every. single. time. I've ever taught graffiti at least one kid has gone out and committed a crime because of what s/he was inspired by in the art room. I KNOW these kids would follow suit; in fact, they admit to wanting to learn how to tag stuff it in class!

I know now that a lot of the engagement struggle has to do with supplies. My school had no Art teacher last year, and the teachers readily admit that they "fleeced" the art room of supplies. My supply orders for this year have yet to be placed, which means my primary art tools are: crayons (only the original 8 pack of crayola colors), paper, and. . . . ? In fact, I went and purchased 30 pairs of scissors just so I would have some in class. There is paint, in random colors, but the only brushes I've found are the plastic ones with the plastic bristles that come free in a watercolor set.

This week, we painted. . .crappy brushes and all. . .And, like, WOW! What a difference it made in engagement for those kids who seem to struggle with being on task. They were just so. . .happy. I was and am thrilled. I was beginning to think it was all me, and it is frustrating when you feel so helpless to fix a negative situation.

But, THEN, today this happened. An 8th grade student (definitely the group with the largest number of hard-to-engage kids) said: "Are you the one doing the Art Club?" I replied, "Yes." To which she responded: "Oh, then I'm sure not doing Art Club!"

Sigh. That just made me deflate inside. That she would consider Art Club and then NOT do it because of me just makes me feel like a failure. To be fair, this student struggles with her behavior at times and may have just been saying to "get my goat." But, you know, it is hard to avoid feeling as if you -meaning me- are the problem.

Sometimes, it feels like it is touch and go, no? I wish these kids could understand how much time I spend thinking about the projects they do, and how excited I am to see what they do. . .I always try to praise and remark on the positive things about their work. I hang work etc. etc. Next week we are doing "Day of the Dead" inspired projects and I *really* hope my hard-to-engage kiddos are inspired.

And, I hope my little negative Nancy decides to take Art Club anyway.

P.S. I will say that one of my male students who got into A LOT of trouble in Art a few weeks ago was really inspired by our project this week. Turns out, he loves painting. He made one of the best works of the week, and I made sure to lay on the praise and show off his work. He just preened like a little rooster. And, me? I'm so happy I get to see this side of him and I'm sooooo thrilled that he and I could turn around our negative student/teacher relationship!

Digital Avatars in the Classroom

2011-09-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

A few years ago my then media specialist (who is now a professional ceramicist!) taught me about a cool online program called, Voki. Voki is a website that allows you to create a customized, personal, animated avatar. . .that speaks! In fact, if you have access to a cell phone or a microphone, you can even use your own voice. If not, there are plenty of voices from which to choose.

She discovered it was used for mainly social means, but she saw the potential for education. As I am total technology nerd, I quickly developed ways to incorporate this totally engaging digital exploration into my digital art class. My students -at that time- created wikis about famous artists. They had to create a Voki of their chosen artist and articulate that Voki. It was SOOO cool. We ended up with animated version of Pollock, Rothko, and Warhol that spoke right to us.

Well, Voki has discovered the "untapped" resource of education and now has an entire Voki service devoted to students and teachers. I REALLY encourage you to go and try it out (I promise they haven't paid me). I believe this resource has endless ways to be used as both an engagement tool and a means for higher order thinking skills. . .Also, in tons of different courses. It would make you look so slick to bring up Voki's at your school's next collaboration meeting (just sayin').

Above, you can see a Voki I created for one of the several claymation websites I've developed in the past few years for student use (you can check one out here). Enjoy!

Tessellations

2011-09-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

A collaborative tessellation I supervised during a curriculum night years ago

This next week my 7th graders are going to be doing tessellations. I do a tessellation project based on an equilateral triangle. There are tons of great tessellelation ideas online!! Tessellations is a great cross-curricular math-based art project. . .So, if you're in need of something like that, this is a good one for the "lesson plan arsenal."

My students begin by creating three symmetrical faces. I encourage them to add in "funky" extras like cool hair, glasses, earrings, etc. etc. Next, students draw one half of each face onto one edge of an equilateral triangle. Students need to either trace over darkly with pencil or trace with black pen. They cut out their triangles and I make multiple copies for them on the school copier. They cut, color and assemble their triangles into an amazing tessellation.

The only rubs with this assignment are students forgetting to put names on triangles and then they get "stolen" (i.e. lost!) and students cutting off the black lines of the triangle. It is important to have the black lines of the triangle so students can have the most accurate cut when assembling their tessellations.

So, to solve this issue, I made this handy-dandy worksheet that has a built-in safety net for that. I used an exemplar image from another site, and you will see that citation on the worksheet. Enjoy and share, but do not financially profit or sell. You can click (to make bigger) and then right click and save this one. . . .

Click to see a bigger version

Or, you can download this version here:

Tessellations

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Try a Little Tenderness

2011-09-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

I'm working really hard to develop quality relationships with my students. I believe this will help me to remember to be graceful with them, as they endure much AND I believe it will help with classroom management.

Today, a student asked me if I had always loved art. I replied: "Yeah. I went to college and studied art."

Immediately, one of my "blurters" said: "You got to go to college?! Wow. You are LUCKY!"

Yes. Yes, I am. ;)

This, That, and The Other

2011-09-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

THIS:

I miss you guys. . .I miss posting. Honestly, my lack of posting isn't because I'm lost under a stack of paperwork. Oddly enough, I seem to be hitting my stride with all of that. I'm a lady who likes to get that "stuff" off of her desk. So, typically, I divide and conquer that paperwork. Yay!

THAT:

What I am lacking is some posts about lesson plans. I do have several ready-to-go. I am however, submitting some of these to publications for review. And, while I am intensely inspired by all of you, rest assured these are all original (to my brain at any rate). It is frowned upon to submit and/or publish information to other publications simultaneously, and I suppose that applies to blogs as well. So upon the (likely) rejections, I'll be posting them here.

THE OTHER:

As we are all now "in-school" I just want to remind you to be careful about posting images that include your students' faces. Many schools do have sign-off sheets about printing student names and images on the internet. Please double-check your school's policy about posting such information on blogs.

My school has a very public-access Art blog. Since there is no log-in for parents; it is not secure. This means that anyone can view, right-click and save any image they see. . .Just like here on blogger. My school last year had a log-in, but the sign-off permission sheets about student images only permitted posting images on the school-secure websites.

I am not a parent. But, I do know that should I ever be blessed in that manner, I will be very restrictive about my child's face and the internet. I wouldn't want creeps looking at his/her baby/childhood images now or ever. I would flip-out (to put it mildly) if my kid's face (or niece's or nephew's) showed up on the internet without my permission. And, you know, a lot of parents, guardians, and school administrations feel the same. Protect yourself accordingly.

MORE OTHER:

My school has some discipline problems. When I talk to other educators and educational professionals about how trying this atmosphere is, I am met by an almost unanimous response. It seems many feel that I need to put in my "time" in a Title I school in my county in order to be "transferred" to another, non-Title I school next year. There have been a lot of comments about "cutting your teeth," "paying your dues" etc. etc.

And, they're probably all right.

But, I would like to point out something my sister, a child life professional, pointed out. When we discussed the whole "paying my dues" thing she said: "That is just so sad. These kids are human beings; they matter too." See, my sister works with severely poor kids who are in very ill or life-threatening situations in a hospital. She is so great that at the ripe age of 25 she is running the department. While not a highly empathetic person, she does highly value life and other the rights of other humans. I've never seen her judge parents' decisions about their child's health (and trust me, there are a lot of situations where it is easy to get "judgy"). Her point is that we shouldn't be "putting in time," "cutting teeth," or "paying dues" with Title I schools. We should be teaching there with as much grace, professionalism, and hope as we can. Instead of focusing on when we leave or simply surviving a year or two, we should focus on how we can have a positive impact now.

Her words meant more to me than I can tell you. I definitely put on my big girl panties today and felt that it went much better than usual. What do you think about this attitude of "paying dues" in tough schools?

AND YET MORE OTHER:

I'm so excited because in three weeks the Visual Arts Coordinator for my county is hosting an after-school get together for all of the Middle School teachers. We are going to share lesson plans and ideas. . .But most importantly we are going to talk about classroom management strategies and engagement activities. I'm so excited. I can't wait to pick up some more CM strategies to add to my arsenal. If you were going to this meeting what would you most want to share and what would you most want to learn?

I hope your week is off to a great start!

Visual Art Standards Matrix

2011-09-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

After the past four years of teaching in a zero-accountability atmosphere, you can imagine this year has been a bit of a head-spin for me. Everyday, I feel like I am struggling to catch my breath. This past week was the first one wherein I felt, "Okay. I got this." And, let me tell you, I'm the original "I got this!" girl. It is hard. And, while I have mixed feelings about the current level of teacher accountability (do students and parents have any accountability? I can't tell?), I do very much prefer having some accountability.

Here is the issue with a zero accountability environment: Some kids will get educated and some will not. No one will know, and it is unclear if anyone cares. The other issue is that there is no way for your administrator to evaluate you. . .And, imagine if all that kept you employed was if your administration personally liked you or not. I know it often does feel that way, but at least when there is some accountability there is a method for measurement. It isn't perfect, but hey, it is better than "I like you; I like this." My final issue with zero accountability is everyone is getting paid the same whether or not they are doing the work. Work with some folks who don't work and earn the same as you. . .It will eventually chafe.

I was flummoxed to hear at my pre-service training for my county that I had to have a "Standards Wall" wherein I kept a list of what we were learning. . . AND, that this wall had to be interactive for students. This Standards Wall is a replacement for the "outdated" Word Wall concept. After the exhaustive explanation, it seemed it was designed for year-long "traditional" studies, NOT the 9-week cyclical Connections (Music, P.E., Art etc.) courses. My fellow art teachers and I pointed this out, only to be met with the (typical) bureaucratic stance of "of course this works for you." Uhhhh.

Well, we sure as heck made it work for us.

At our little hold-out fine arts table, my fellow art teachers and I concocted a series of concepts for making the Standards Wall work for us. Some of us thought about creating something that met the requirements but for which we would have to do little work. I get that, and I work on the same philosophy for some items in my educational life. If I, however, have to make some big bunch of "accountability" for one of my walls, I wanted to make it WORK for me. I love this model that some of my fellow art teachers developed. It was a very collaborative experience, so I can't claim any ownership.

We decided to work on the premise below:

The idea is that you can list "1 important Standard" (I know all of our projects have at least 4-5 standards we use, but focus on one for this), and then have the subgroups for the Comprehensive Art Model follow. As a part of review my students and I devise which categories the history, elements, vocabulary, products, and personal responses to the art we are creating go. We write them on index cards and then use double-stick tape to adhere the cards to the appropriate category. I leave the cards up for the entire 9-weeks. In a way, it serves as a Word Wall and a Standard Wall. I regularly see my students reference it as we review etc. So far, I really like it, and it appears my administration does as well.

Here is what my Matrix looks like on my wall:

taken prior to school opening, so no index cards are adhered just yet!

So, take that bureaucracy! We made it work. . .And work way better than you would think.

Also, unrelated to this post, but something I want to share: One of my Georgia Art Teacher buds has started a great web space, The Crayon Lab. I hope you go and check out what is going on! She is sharing some great stuff!!

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

I hope you have enjoyed yourselves and this holiday! It is my last "holiday" before Thanksgiving, so I made sure I enjoyed myself! I know for many of you this marks the end of summer vacation; may the beginnings of your new school year's be positive and productive.

I have a lesson plan posting in the works, but until then, I have something amazing to share. I was out of town over the weekend, and my mom dog-sat my maltipoo, Fred, for me. My parents live on 4 acres of wooded lot and their home is at the tippy top edge of their property. This means there is a long, winding driveway that goes through the woods and over a bridge.

While leaving yesterday I spied a hawk on the side of the drive with a freshly killed squirrel. The squirrel was too big for the hawk to fly away with, so he was eating. . . a la carte? The local squirrels wanted him to go away so they grouped up and started aggressively chattering at him. This made him VERY angry and he squawked and spread his wings to full span.

sorry for the blurry image. Fred and I were moving around in excitement and it is shot with a phone!

During all of this I was about 4 feet away. I figured he wouldn't bother me unless he saw me as a threat to his dinner. . .But, he didn't like how excited Fred got about the squirrels and started looking at him like he was dessert!! So, we got in the car and I hung out about a foot out the passenger side window and took this film.

It was so amazing to see a wild hawk doing his hawky thing!

Lesson Plan: John James Audubon and Texture Techniques

2011-08-28T11:03:00.001-07:00

I love drawing birds. Oddly, it isn't something I would think of if someone asked: "what do you like to draw?" But, if you look at my portfolio birds appear over and over again. Well, birds and squirrels ! I love squirrels too! Birds have easy-to-draw bodies, and not unlike butterflies, if you get the coloring wrong, they can still look fantastic. I find that a drawing assignment for students wherein they have to draw birds is always successful. Furthermore, I find it helps my students to bridge the gap between drawing what they know, and drawing what they see.

My 6th grade students created these sweet birds during a recent unit on John James Audubon. We created an interdisciplinary unit by connecting the work of Audubon to nature conservation and recording. . .My students got a huge kick out of the fact that Audubon would sometimes kill the birds in order to observe them more closely!

While typical Audubon projects would focus on watercolors, I decided to focus on oil pastels. My students tend to be heavy-handed with materials and I think they will really struggle with applying watercolors so that they look like watercolors and not tempera paint. Notice, I said "they will struggle" because we will climb that mountain, but I want them to have more control over their drawing skills before we get to that place.

So, instead, we used a medium they really seem to like: oil pastels. For the first day of this project, we all worked on creating texture using four different shading techniques: blending, impasto, hatching, and fragmenting. Each student created a texture "cheat sheet" they could reference later in the project. Their final project was to observe a photo of a real bird and to draw it as realistically as possible. They were required to incorporate at least one texture technique into their composition.

My students really loved this project. It was a real success for them. As an added bonus: this class is a inclusion classroom and we had several students with specific abilities. Several of these students haven't been able to participate in art in the past (I wasn't their teacher!), but were able to fully participate in this project. Awesome!

Here is the Lesson Plan:

Audubon Lesson Plan

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Here is a video I made -using my Doc Camera- of me making the texture cheat sheet in class. I edited it for the web. My absent students were able to use this video to catch up!

Untitled from amelia johnson on Vimeo.

Here is a mash-up of several presentations from slideshare that I pushed together to make what I needed:

Audubon

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Here is a presentation demonstrating several student exemplars.

Audubon birds in process

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The format for these lesson plans is one that I use for my school. I did not create this lesson plan, so while you are welcome to use it, please be careful to not violate copyrights when sharing.

**you are welcome to share this lesson plan on your website or blog but please credit Artful Artsy Amy as the source. Please do not re-publish this lesson plan for profit or for a grade.**

Amazing Brain Arts Presentation

2011-08-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

I'm nerding out on this amazing presentation, featured on slideshare, about the brain and fine arts.

Enjoy!

Brainarts

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Behavior Bingo!

2011-08-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, an interesting discussion began over on The Art of Education about behavior management. Essentially, Jessica points out how difficult it is to keep track of award boards and incentive programs for students in th art room. She also points out how it can be frustrating to devise incentive programs when being in art is truly a privilege.

You know, I agree with her in so many ways. Honestly, it is a PAIN in the BUTT to keep up with who is getting what and when for their good behavior. It does often feel as if you could spend an entire class on "getting stuff for being good." And, some students feel the deserve something for behaving in ways that they should without prior motivation. I also whole-heartedly agree that students should be excited to be in art class, and that privilege should be enough to encourage positive behavior.

Her post got me thinking about how motivating tools are used in my world.

Recently, I had to attend a week-long 40 hour "new teacher institute" for all educators new to my county. There were teachers in my class with no prior experience and teachers with 34 years of experience. I was extremely lucky that my county offered a program that took the time to "teach" me about the county expectations and how to begin the school year on a positive note. I was further "lucky" that this program was free and offered the opportunity for me to earn PLUs (professional learning units) needed to renew my teaching certificate.

Yet, even with all that "lucky" the course was still butt-numbingly boring and it took everything I had to stay on-task. I moved, rocked, scooted, talked, giggled and was generally quite disruptive (even though I tried really hard not to be that way). One of the county teachers running the course was the county director for the special education programs. He took pity on me -and many of the other adults like me- and had an "incentive" program for participating in the classroom discussions.

Sometimes, when we participated, he would give us a little ticket to write our name on and he would host a mini raffle. The winners got to pick from a small assortment of "prizes" from the "prize table." The prizes came mostly from the dollar store and were the sorts of things teachers like to have in their classrooms. Honestly, I wouldn't have participated in the discussion unless I had the opportunity to win something.

The incentive motivated me.

And, I think our students are the same way. They are lucky to have access to free education, and they are extremely lucky to have art in the classroom. But, incentive programs can help them to be more motivated and participatory in classroom activities.

I'm using Behavior Bingo in my classroom this year. I made a little chart, and when I notice a student doing something "above and beyond," then I allow them to write their name on the board. Once a student gets his/her name 4 times in a row, then s/he is eligible for a prize. This program is easy because I don't have to keep track of it. Students write their own names on the board, and as such, they keep track of their progress. It is a rule in my classroom that if a student asks for a reward, then s/he will not receive it. This rule keeps students from asking to get their names on the Behavior Bingo all the time.

Behavior Bingo Poster

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The chart is paper and I can add more tiles to it when needed, so we can play the same game for a 9 week period. I don't start over after one student wins; we just keep playing. Students love the opportunity to block one another from winning as well; and that makes things interesting. I also reserve the right to cut the squares up and randomly select winners if we go too long without a winner. . . All in all the system is really working thus far.

My school is a Title I school. I'm offering prizes like sketchbooks, coupons to local restaurants, educational toys, and educational materials. The local restaurants donated free meals when they realized I was trying to recognize local students (awesome!). So far, the favorite prizes have been books and sketchbooks.

Ultimately, I think it is all about balance. Everyone has to find what works for them, their students, their classrooms, and their schools. This incentive program works for me. . . But, I know many teachers who don't like and don't use incentive programs. . . And, their classrooms run great. So, to each his or her own. If you are in to incentive programs, I hope you find this helpful.

My Behavior Bingo poster is enclosed. Feel free to post, resuse, and share this with your teaching community. If you post online, please link back to this post. And, please do not share for a grade or profit.

Lesson Plan, Kandinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Non-Objective Art

2011-08-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to a new school year! Last year, I started a feature called "Lesson Plan Wednesday." This year a I have a new job, in a new town, with new students! The nature of how I will be teaching this year is changing how lesson plans will be posted during the school year. I am going to try and keep the lesson plan posts coming, but they will more spaced out than last year.

THIS lesson plan is about Kandinsky, Tchaikovsky, and non-objective art. My new middle school students have not taken an art course since elementary school, and I wanted to start the year off with a project that enabled them to celebrate their own innate creativity. Also, as you will remember, I groove out on the way the brain works when we learn. As such, I am attempting to create projects that align with brain-based learning and that help students cultivate the ability to creatively transfer skills between disciplines.

Examples Non-Objective Student Art

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My 8th grade students created these projects during the first week of school. Students learned about and how to differentiate between abstract art and non-objective art. I am really excited about what my students learned. I am even more excited about how the students talked about transferring the ways in which they "brain stormed" to science, math, language arts, and social studies classes.

Kandinsky 8th Grade Art LP

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Kandinsky 8th Grade Art LP Week 2

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Vasiliy kandinsky

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Kandinsky

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The format for these lesson plans is one that I use for my school. I did not create this lesson plan, so while you are welcome to use it, please be careful to not violate copyrights when sharing.

**you are welcome to share this lesson plan on your website or blog but please credit Artful Artsy Amy as the source. Please do not re-publish this lesson plan for profit or for a grade.**

GAEA Fall Conference 2011

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Georgia Art Education Fall Conference will take place October 20th-23rd at the Hilton Conference Center in Marietta, Ga.

The all-inclusive registration fee is $225.

The choose-your-own adventure registration fee is $100

Special room rates at the Marietta Hilton for the weekend begin at $109 for 2 double beds.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE WEEKEND SUMMARY AND TO REGISTER!

This event is sure to be one of the best conferences ever. Guest speaker Enid Zimmerman will be speaking and participating in a conference panel. Also participating on the conference panel will be Dr. Melodie Milbrandt from Georgia State University and Dr. Mark Runco from Harvard University.

Atlanta Clay is donating a kiln to be awarded to one lucky conference participant based on a juried application contest.

The High Museum of Art will be providing transport and FREE! admission to the opening night of the new show "Fourteen Modern Masters From the Permanent Collection at MOMA."

There will be 88 workshop presentations with a few of the workshops repeating for a total of 100 presentations. PLU credits (Professional Learning Units) are available.

The following companies are making donations for raffle and other small items at the conference: Atlanta Clay, Sax Art, Mayco, Sakura of America, Square 1 Art, Pottery Making Illustrated, School Arts Magazine, Hollander Fused Glass, Blick Art Materials, Arts and Activities Magazine, High Museum of Art, Art Stamps, and Art Images.

The NAEA has begun an initiative about arts advocacy this year. As an arts educator, in this climate of standardized testing, you cannot afford to not be advocating for the importance of arts education. I know it is easy for us all to get wrapped up in what is happening in our home schools and home counties. But, it is incredibly important for arts educators to participate in our professional associations. The GAEA sponsors almost all of the state-wide arts contests and scholarships for students -included the All State Art Symposium.

I encourage you to join and I SUPER DUPER encourage you to sign up for the conference. I hope to see you the weekend of October 20th!

Rasterizing Images to Make a Giant (and cheap) Poster

2011-08-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

lean your head waaaayyyy back from the screen to get the full effect! :)

Thanks for viewing the video of my new classroom; I'm super excited about it! Some of you really appreciated my ginormous Magadelene image (by Da Vinci) blown up to epic proportions on one of the cabinets in my classroom.

I've been making a new rasterized poster for every school year since I started teaching, so I don't think too much of it anymore. At my old school the parents and students were used to this. . .But, at Meet n Greet last Thursday, nearly every visitor to the art room was thrilled with the Magadelene!

Rasterizing images to make a huge poster is very easy and super affordable. My favorite part is that you can choose to laminate the pages to keep the poster for every year, or you can toss it when you get bored with it and not feel any pangs of regret. It is that cheap!

Rasterization is the task of taking an image describe in a vector graphics format (shapes) and converting it into a raster image (pixels or dots) for output on a video display, printer, or for storage in a bitmap file format (from wikipedia).

If you use Photoshop, or similar programs, there are ways to rasterize your images. . .But, to have this huge output, I use an online program called The Rasterbator (I know, I cringe at that name too!). You can download the program, but I prefer to use the online version, and save space on my computer. The Rasterbator outputs your poster into multiple 8.5 x 11 sheets in a .pdf format.

Here are the steps I follow:

1. select an image you like (any image)

2. save it to your computer

3. visit The Rasterbator site (http://homokaasu.org/rasterbator/)

4. click on "rasterbate online"

5. select "upload image from your computer" and click "next"

6. choose your image and click "next"

7. click "crop" and crop your image (if needed)

8. click on "size." The rectangles you see represent 1 sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper. Resize your image to desired height (hint A4 is 8.5 x 11 paper)

9. click "next" at the prompt select "continue"

10. view the choices, choose what is best for you (hint the smaller your dots, the more detailed your image will be)

11. click "rasterbate" and wait

12. now you should have a pdf file that is your image. It will contain ALL the pages of your poster. When you print out, keep your images IN THE SAME ORDER.

Hints

-remember how many sheets of paper tall and wide your image is before rasterbating. That way, you will know how to lay out your image.

-lay out your image before trying to assemble to work out any kinks

-keep your print out in the same order. SO IMPORTANT, or you are trying to put together a crazy puzzle.

Enjoy! And, if you make some awesome art posters, be sure to link to them in the comments so we can all "oooh and ahhh!"

My Decorated Art Room!

2011-08-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks, I posted a video that demonstrated my excitement at seeing my art room for the first time. Below, you can see the art room all decorated!

The kiddos return to school Monday, and I'm super excited! I'm NOT super-excited about wearing uniform on Monday, though. Fortunately, it is just for the one day -to model the uniform for students- but I'm a wee bit concerned because all of my fellow teachers love (LOVE!) the idea of wearing a uniform every day.

Me? Not so much. I plan on using the bedazzler a little bit this weekend!

But, if that is the WORST of my worries, then I am one very lucky lady. Which, of course, I am. I can't wait to share what all happens this year with you all. I can tell already I work with some people with wonderful senses of humor!

Being the New Kid is Hard

2011-08-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

In the last two weeks nearly all of my former (*sniff*) students have returned to school, but none of them have returned to the same school. Without even a world of "we're closing" my former school never opened its doors for school this Fall. For many of my former students this means new school full of new people, new procedures, rules, new experiences, and new walls. Most of my students attended my former school from pre-K to at least 6th grade, but many more continued through high school. To go from being one of three hundred students to one of thousands is very. scary.

I have a rule that once I am "no longer their teacher" my students can friend me (with parent approval) on Facebook. I'm also friends with many past parents and keep in touch with former students etc. in this manner. My page has been inundated in the past weeks with upset kids and parents. Let's just say, that with few exceptions, that first day of school wasn't so great for anyone.

Many students, wrote their parents, came home in tears and didn't want to go back. More talked about eating lunch alone and not making any friends. They and their parents wrote to me and to many of their other teachers asking: "What do I do?"

We (I'm friends with the teachers too) all wrote back to be strong and to be the great person they were and that things would get better with time. It seemed to be a cold cup, but for many it was true. Within days parents and students filled up my page with good news about good things and happy kids.

It has been a looong time since I've been the new kid.

Today was my very first day in my new school. Last week was new teacher training for all of the new hires in the county. Last week was great. We were all new and even though we didn't know one another, we bonded over that "newness."

Today was really, really, really hard.

Even though I was supposed to get my computer and login information last Tuesday, I still do not have it. This means I have no access to email, class lists, rosters, syllabi, standards etc. and basically cripples any plans I had to pre-plan. I finally got onto email late today only to discover my administration has been emailing me about specific items since June. Even though I had no means to read them, I am still responsible for knowing their content. I hope I haven't already made a bad first impression.

My classroom is at the end of a long hallway full of communal use labs. This will be great during the school year because I can stay in my "art zone," not bother anyone with noise, and get a lot of work done without distractions. Right now, it is pretty lonely. The rest of the new hires are part of the Math or some other department. I'm the only Art teacher and the only "Connections" teacher on my wing. . .So, I don't have a quick, friendly face to ask questions. Instead, I have to go into the administration office and ask them my question while interrupting their work.

I tried hard to meet new people today, but there has been a recent tragedy at my new school and everyone is more consoling one another -not into explaining or meeting new people. So, that makes things very hard.

On the upside I met with the PTSA president about fundraising and working on some student literary and visual art competitions. I think we hit it off rather well.

Oh, and then I broke the laminating machine. To be fair it was already glitchy (the media specialist reassured me), but I was the one using it when it broke big time.

We have a big meeting tomorrow and I hope for a lot of questions to be answered. In the meantime, I'm totally overwhelmed.

I keep telling myself to take a dose of my own medicine! Being the new kid is hard, and it will get better with time. I just have to be myself and remind myself to breathe.

I do know, that I have the upmost respect and sympathy for new kids and am already thinking about what I can do to make newbies feel more welcome!

First Day of School (For Teachers)

2011-08-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day back "at school." I'm off to work in one of the best metro Atlanta school districts, and I honestly couldn't be more thrilled, thankful, and happy about it. Here's to hoping that this is the best year ever (only to be followed by many, many more excellent years).

And, as always, let us hope that it is full of hilarious awesome-ness. ;)

How to Reach and Teach Difficult Students

2011-07-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

some of my favorite rowdy students from long ago!

A few weeks ago, I made mention of "That Kid." If you are a teacher, you have no doubt, encountered That Kid. You know him (although it can be a she as well), he's the one who gets your nerves all grated just by walking by him in the hallway.

We all have personalities to which we are more drawn and ones which we avoid. I highly suspect that we are programmed to avoid those we dislike just as we are programmed to avoid stress. Often, That Kid, is someone who is disruptive in some form or another, avoids classwork, and spends a lot of time in the Principal's office. My experience has shown That Kid frequently has an IEP, and/or some form of an emotional disability. Frequently, That Kid suffers from instability in some for or another, be it insecurity, social status, family life and/or financial reason. Yet, it is hard to factor all of that into account when That Kid is raising hell in your classroom. But, as teachers, we have a sacred, ethical responsibility to ALL of the students we teach.

So, what do you do when you have a student whom you wish you could avoid altogether?

1. Involve the student in classroom activities.

One of the easiest ways to "win" a student over is to get him involved in the classroom community. By being a "helper" he can serve a powerful role in the classroom. These tasks can range from handing out materials to being a "classroom mentor" to another student. And, when he is helping in the classroom you have an opportunity to praise him and observe him in a positive manner. This aids you as you are able reassure yourself that there is good in him somewhere. ;)

2. Find Positive Incentives

Whenever you "punish" someone that is negative. I don't like being punished and neither does That Kid. Instead, find ways in which you can encourage positive behavior through incentives. These can range from something simple (earning a special treat) to something more complex. I've called home and arranged for parents to give students an extra hour of video game time after consecutive classes of positive behavior.

3. Find time to talk to That Kid

It is important That Kid knows that you have his best interest at heart. Frequently, That Kid, feels victimized by teachers and adults alike. Letting him know that you truly care goes a long way to forming a positive teacher-student relationship. Find time to sit down with That Kid and discuss his behavior in a manner that is constructive. Explain how you are trying to help him and ask if he has any ideas on how to the two of you can work better together. During this conversation it is important to speak to That Kid in a very conversational and adult tone; talking to him as if he is inferior won't work.

4. Discover That Kid's interests and dreams

That Kid frequently avoids working in class. This could be for any number of reasons. The important part is to narrow down that list. Find ways to discreetly identify if That Kid has any learning disabilities that might cause him to avoid work. You can do this through speaking with other teachers and carefully observing him in class. If he has learning disabilities differentiate assignments to accommodate That Kid more fully (I've had students range from color blind to totally illiterate who were That Kids).

Discover what bands, artists, interests etc. That Kid has and find a way to differentiate projects to accommodate his interests. I had a student years ago who wouldn't participate in any work who had genius level intelligence. I discovered that he really loved the Beatles. So, together, we found ways to incorporate the Beatles into his assignments. I'm not going to say that all of his projects were "amazing" or befitting his intelligence, but at least he was doing work!

5. Be Consistent

Whatever your behavior management plan, stick with it. It is important That Kid know that you will follow through on your plan. At the same time, you don't have to fulfill the plan on angry terms. Try to be as calm as possible.

6. Think Fondly of That Kid

When all else fails and That Kid is really trying your patience, start thinking of all of his redeeming qualities. Everybody has a few, and it helps to calm your nerves when you can identify the "good" points of a person even when they are behaving rudely.

You'll notice that I didn't include "talking to other teachers" in this list (other than to identify learning disabilities). My reason for this is that we all have bias, and if you have That Kid, then you don't need to know anything more "bad" about him or her. And, in all likelihood, That Kid probably acts up in all his classes. Try to observe him with fresh eyes!

I hope this helps you to teach and reach That Kid!

Art Classroom Decor

2011-07-21T13:45:00.001-07:00

I have had such grand plans of getting over to my new school and getting my new classroom set up. But, my summer has been busy (camp, conference planning, 2 other jobs). As a new teacher to the district, I have 2 weeks of pre-planning that begin on August 2nd. And, if my six years of previous experience have taught me anything, it's don't plan on having any time during pre-planning to work in your classroom. Is that something that is only happening in the South?

Most of my past experience is in private schools. And, what I will say is that my previous principal was very concerned that if s/he gave us time to work in our classrooms that we wouldn't do any work. . .So, his/her answer was to keep it deliberately super scheduled and it was "understood" that we had to stay after school or come in prior to pre-planning to get our rooms squared away.

What with my only having one opportunity this summer to visit my new classroom, I'm really hoping I get a bit of time during pre-planning to work. . .In any event, I'm SUPER prepared to hang out at school until after 7pm.

Fortunately (well, now at least) my previous classrooms haven't had much in the way of bulletin boards. My new classroom is the same! All of this plays out well for me, because I have quite a bit of handmade posterage that is ready to hang. I've posted these images before, but they are among the most popular on this blog. I should mention that one of these includes the infamous no-no board (this is not to re-start the discussion; if you want to add to that discussion please do so here).

SO, once again, here are my favorite art classroom posters.

Art Education Classroom and Behavior Management

2011-07-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Enclosed below is my behavior management plan for the 2011-2012 school year. This year, I will be teaching middle school art. The rules for my behavior management are modified and inspired by "The Essential 55" by Ron Clark. You are welcome to download use and share this plan, but please do not republish without crediting this source AND citing "The Essential 55" by Ron Clark.

After my plan, you can download editable verisons of my "conduct reflection" forms. The images for these forms come from free-for-teachers Discovery Kids clip art. You are welcome to download and use and share these forms, but please do not republish without crediting this source AND citing Discovery Kids clip-art.

2011-2012 Classroom Management Plan

View more documents from ksumatarted

Conduct Reflection Forms, Middle School

View more documents from ksumatarted

Getting Ready for Fall: Free Art Education Templates

2011-07-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

My school year begins (for me, the teacher) on August 2nd. I can't believe another year is ready to begin. It seems like yesterday I was writing about making torte for the cohort (and that was last summer).

Some of my most popular blog posts are those in which I include copies of the templates I use for lesson plans, behavior management, and assessment. Since some of us are getting ready to go back to school (and those of you who are not, will be going back all too soon) I'm re-sharing my templates with you here.

I've enclosed the templates as jpgs on this blog posting. That seems to be the preferred method for most of you. If you click on the image it *should* open on a new page and in a larger format. As always, ALL of these forms are available in downloadable (and sometimes edit-able) formats on my scribd account: http://www.scribd.com/artfulartsyamy

Unfortunately, I can no longer email the forms directly to you -as I have in the past. I get so many daily requests (ranging from a request to reformat the templates and resend and/or someone who just simply misunderstands how to download the form and wants an email copy) for me to keep up. I wish I had the time to keep up.

If you have an issue, you are always welcome to let me know (artful.artsy.amy@gmail.com) but just know I many not get to you as quickly as you might like.

Art Education Lesson Plan Template

Art Education Visual Rubric (images from free-for-teachers discovery kids clip art)

Specialist Behavior Reflection

Teacher Portion

Student Portion

The Black Girl Head Roll

2011-07-17T12:10:00.001-07:00

I've recently written about how we, as art education bloggers, need to discuss the challenges of cultural, racial, and financial gaps present in the classroom. One of the commentors on that post, brought up an excellent point. It is awkward, challenging, and even risky to discuss race, culture and finances in relation to a difference between ourselves and others. We run the risk of making racist, unsympathetic, and misinterpreted comments. Yet, every time we type anything into the internet, we run that risk.

I've written about many things that gracious commentors have been quick to point out as being a little bit less that what one would desire. The truth is that we all make mistakes and that part of the reason we blog is to open ourselves up to the idea of others. I'm not writing this blog because I have the answers (sometimes I'm convinced I don't even know the questions!), but because I need a sense of community and feedback about what I do. . .And, I like to share; and this community gives me an avenue in which to do that. No matter if we always agree or not, no matter if I disagree with a comment, I'm always happy to have them.

crayon batik made in the much-endured trailer

I can hardly ask others to take the risk of writing about gaps between ourselves and our students if I'm not willing to participate. So, in that vein, I share with you the story of how I learned to do the "Black Girl Head Roll."

If you've read here before, you know that during the 2006-2007 school year I worked in a very racially and culturally diverse environment. This environment was compounded by issues from the school district at-large, which during the 2007-2008 school year lost it's accreditation through SACS. The school was not financially diverse, but over 1/2 of the school population qualified for free breakfast and lunch. For nearly ALL of my students this meant the only meals they received at all were during the school-day and were free.

I was raised in an upper-middle class environment by two very caring people. We weren't rich as my father began a new business (which is now doing great) during the recession of the 1980s, and because of that I was well aware that most everyone I knew was "better-off" financially than me. Yet, still, I wanted for nothing.

I have 3 younger siblings and we all attended award-winning public schools; all of which were predominately white. My brother's graduating class had such a large percentage of "gifted" students that it was tossed out of the averages when the state test scores were averaged (because it was such an anomaly). All of my siblings and myself went on to attend large, well-respected public Universities. Today, my brother is a "molecular architect" working on his PhD, my sister works as a child-specialist advocating for serious ill children in a prominent hospital in Georgia, and my youngest brother is finishing up his last year in college and is studying ecology and has completed two National Outdoor Leadership courses and has traveled to 5 of the 7 continents.

It is important you know the above because when you compare my background to those of my (then) students, you can already see a gap. The school I worked at was 78% black, 15% hispanic, 6% white, and 2% Asian/Pacific Islander. You should also know that prior to the 1996 Olympics the city of Atlanta decided to relocate Public Housing to outside of the city, in an attempt to mask the large numbers of impoverished persons living in Atlanta. They relocated these people into the school district in which I worked. And, while, all of that happened 10 years prior to my working in the district, this relocation meant that a large number of the students I taught were children of relocated persons (who were already impoverished at the time of their forced move).

a project we did about "diversity." Notice how the student had difficulty finding other races represented in magazine articles. Can you imagine how frustrating it must be to have so few references to someone who looks like you must be?

For the first 1/2 of the school year the entire school was in a series of trailers located on the grounds of another school. My school was "new," but the building wasn't finished at the time the school year began. My "trailer" was the furthest trailer from "civilization" and the point at which students would try to "escape" from school. There was also a neighborhood pervert who hung out in a tree just off of the school grounds and would hungrily watch my students. I called to report him several times, but as he was sitting in a tree off the school grounds not much could be done.

I'm not going to lie, I did use that creep as a strong argument for staying on campus when I reprimanded those attempting to skip out.

My only materials were crayons and paper. I had no sink and no easy access to water. I also had no "call button" with which to alert someone that I needed help. AAnd, y'all I NEEDED HELP all the time! The school leaders weren't good, in fact one is gone from the county all together. Fortunately, the football coach, also white, had the trailer next to me. He had a similar upbringing to me, and was a semi-new teacher like me. We bonded over a mutual sense of culture shock and he kept an eye out for me. I was assaulted physically by students more than once. Nothing long-term damaging, but it felt good to have another adult witness the madness.

The first day of school the students got into a huge crayon fight (new crayons were broken into bits and hurled at one another). Instead of this being funny, those "hit" were highly offended and "disrepected" and a physical altercation had begun. I had been taught by the school district officials to not get involved in fights, to let the kids duke it out, and call for help. But, out there in the last trailer of civilization, how was I to call for help before more kids got entangled in the brawl?

I shrieked for everyone to stop in my high-pitched white-lady manner and that illicited no response. I tried to get to the students fighting and the non-fighting students locked arms to prevent me from getting to them (I guess it was entertaining?). I finally ended up crawling over tables in a skirt and heels and jumped from the tables into the fray and stopped the fight the way I knew how. I may be a white-lady but all the neighborhood kids growing up were boys; I know how to scrap.

By the time I got things calmed down (as much as it was going to happen), it was time to go. The students all dashed for the door of the trailer and hauled out. As I was left with the epic mess of the crayon fight to clean up, I started wondering what I had got myself into. When I found fresh, human urine in one of the chairs; I cried. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

My eventual "new classroom" (look Ma, no crayon fights!)

I had started the year knowing there was going to be a culture and racial gap between myself and my students. And, I thought that any attempt to look and/or behave as if I knew something about their culture was going to be offensive. I mean, no one wants some geeky white lady to start trying to talk like she knows anything about the 'hood, right?

Well, yes and no. I was grew up to value school and most of my classmates had similar values. We were also taught to "avoid fighting" and taught that true respect is earned, not demanded.

Well, my students didn't know any of that. To them, respect was something you demanded, and if you didn't get your due, you did something -usually painful- to demonstrate that you were owed that respect. I can hardly blame them as this is how a majority of their parents behaved (based on what I witnessed). This bizarre to me definition of respect continued in strange ways. Once, when I called home to report a student who was being a little too aggressive her mother told me: "I told her, 'Baby Girl, you gots to go and get your revenge!'" And, this concept was very common thinking for many of my students. In their line of thinking, sometimes people needed a good beating just to stay in line.

I mean, y'all, I can't say I haven't thought that before. . .

Community projects: working on a cathedral

The first half of the school year continued in much the same way as my first day had gone. The students would act however they wanted, I had no ability to control them, and sometimes someone would get hurt. I felt like such a failure. I cried every night. Once I got my head out of my butt, I started looking around, and I noticed that NONE of the black teachers had the issues I did. Honestly, some of it could have been due to the fact that they were black, but I would say nearly 90% of it was due to something else. The black teachers were going about classroom management in an entirely different manner. They were loud, they sometimes shouted, and while they often sounded crazy angry (to me) the students sometimes chuckled like they were being good-naturedly teased.

I decided I would try to get in touch with my "inner black girl." I tried talking to students in the same manner, but mostly they laughed at me. I was sometimes called racist, and I'm a lot of things but not racist. This continued until a the technology teacher, a very nice black lady named Ms. Thompson, saw me floudering while trying to emulate the black teachers.

Ms. Thompson waited until the students were dismissed and said: "Little white girl? Little white girl come here. I'm going to teach you how to do the black girl head roll."

And, she did. After that, Ms. Thompson would give me small hints and tips about how to have "swagger," and how to "get down." She LOVED laughing at my worst attempts, but was always really kind about it.

At some point during these lessons something occurred to me. I wasn't being racist to try and emulate a culture to which my students responded. I was still me, and my core values at their deepest point, were very similar to the students. I, too, wanted everyone to respect me, and I, too, had a hard time understanding that it must be earned, not demanded. Most of my students came from a culture that was raucously loud, community-driven, joyful, proud, and enduring. I'm 100% down with celebrating that, aren't you?

My students were never going to responded to quiet cajoling because very few people they admired spoke in that manner. I had to be loud so that my students knew I meant business, and if I could make it humorous, well then, that was better. Saying something like, "Please stop telling me what to do, it is very disrespectful," relayed very little to my students. If anything at all, it told them I was being disrespected, but was too "weak" to do anything about it. When, what I wanted them to do was simply shut their mouths. So instead, I would put my hands on my hips and say: "Young man, once you go to college and are grown you can speak to me like that. Until then, shut your mouth."

Once I got in touch with my "inner black girl" things improved quite a bit. But, the other half of getting control of my students was reading "The Essential 55" by Ron Clark. These rules are meant to teach communal respect and extend to the teacher. My students LOVED enforcing rules on me when I broke them (sometimes on purpose, just to see if they would catch it). I venture to say that once I used my new schema for school and employed the "Essential 55," I was running a tighter ship that a few of the seasoned teachers at the school.

And, even at the private school I had a black student who would frequently back-talk me. I took him out in the hallway and unleashed "inner black girl" on him and he responded so quick. After we worked out our differences there in the hallway he even said "Wow, Ms. J. you're like my Grandma!" haha!!

I hope this is just the first time I share how I handle and hurdle gaps between my students and myself. I also hope that I haven't been offensive, and if something I've written has offended you, it was unintentional and I would appreciate you letting me know, so we can discuss it.

2011-07-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've jumped on the Pinterest train. After hearing so much about it on the Getty Art Education listserv, I was piqued. . . But, truthfully, it was my sister's cajoling that got me to join.

When I went to register, I was put on a "waiting list." Now, honestly, I just think this "waiting list" stuff is just great PR. It gets you thinking, "Wow, this is so popular, I have to wait." I don't do waiting very well. Haha! Well, that is putting it mildly. Anyway, I had my sister "invite" me using my email address and I was able to register "immediately."

I was reading over on Mr. E's page about his love of Pinterest, too. I have to say, I find Pinterest very easy to use, very intuitive and just like Mr. E, I find it a great way to "Pin" projects I really want to do eventually. I also really like that it automatically embeds the URL of the item you "Pin," so if you end up doing the project a bajillion years later and have forgotten who to credit, you can easily find that.

You can see my Pin Boards at http://www.pinterest.com/artfulartsyamy

So, darlings, are you Pinteresting? If so, please, please, please, add me a friend (name, Amy Johnson or artfulartsyamy and email artful.artsy.amy@gmail.com); I'd love to share with you and to see how you are using it. If you need an invite to Pinterest, just email me at artful.artsy.amy@gmail and I will get on it!

Recommendations

2011-07-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

First and foremost: Have any of you ventured out to see "Midnight in Paris" at your local movie theater? If not, you have GOT to run out and see while it is still in theaters. I don't watch too much T.V., hadn't seen a promo, and ended up seeing it on a hot day wherein I really just wanted the escape of the heavily AC'd theater. I saw that it was advertised as a typical Woody Allen film about how people relate etc. etc. and had Paris as a very romantic backdrop.

And, well, the film IS all of that with one minor exception. The protagonist, played by Owen Wilson, is a writer who accidentally ends up slipping back into 1920's Paris. While there he meets Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein (and her partner, Alice), Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda Fitzgerald, Salvador Dali, and Man Ray. . .For a few minutes he slips further and meets Monet, Degas, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Yeah, I actually gasped out loud when I figured out someone was Dali. It was such a fantastic treat. Please, do go and see it.

And, in another recommendation is a mixed request. This Fall -well in 2 weeks really- I begin my work at my new school. My new school is a very different environment from my homogeneous private school experience. The student body reflects a wide range of diversity culturally, ethnically, and monetarily. Also later this Fall, I will be presenting a workshop at my local Art Education Conference about creating and participating in collaborative online art education communities. As I mull both of these important topics (well, in my life at least), I'm struck by one thought: Our online community doesn't reflect much diversity other than the fact that all of us art education bloggers live in a variety of different places.

We don't talk about the challenges of diversity, culture, and various financial issues bring into our classrooms. Well, at least not, as a major theme. And, if I look at myself at the very least, I see a long range of projects that aren't particularly diverse and do not address the interests and backgrounds of a diverse set of learners.

Knowing the little I do about what my Fall is due to bring, this a is a major issue. It leaves me in a place wherein I am doing research about creating a more diverse set of lesson plans, behavior management etc. etc. When I think about what we can do as bloggers it is simple, we can work more to introduce such hard topics as culture and race into our writing. I don't mean just introducing lessons that reach out to different cultures (although that is good and I want that too). I mean more writing about how to overcome the challenges we face when we come from a different culture than our students, and what we do to bridge the gap (if one even exists).

The other thing I think we can do as bloggers is to encourage our colleagues to blog as well. We can't change who we are, what our interest are, and where we teach. And, a vast lot of us, teach in environments that are similar to how we grew up and/or what we relate to. . . I think we need a more present voice of those who teach in environment vastly different than our own. I think that this will help us to grow and it will open our eyes to addressing concerns of which we aren't even yet aware?

Finally, when I look through my cache of art education bloggers, I would say at least 85% of us have blogs that address the needs -primarily- of the elementary art room. We need to encourage those teaching in older age ranges to participate in this community. I secretly think that the strongest force is elementary because those elementary kiddos finish projects quick and elementary art teachers need a huge battery of projects! :)

Does any of this make sense and/or does any of this resonante with you?

Summer Camp and Surviving "That Kid"

2011-07-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

Every year I swear that that THIS will be the year I do not work during the summer vacation. I went off to College in 1999 and proceeded to go to school and work year-round; I never took a summer off to just play. And, that has continued into my professional life. The past two years were intense with graduate school, so I had very high hopes for a nice relaxing summer. I haven't had a vacation that was more than 2 days ever. But then, all the madness happened with my former school and I realized I HAD to work this summer in the event my contract pay wasn't honored for the summer.

Back in April I landed a job at the Art Director at a Summer Camp a few towns away and was really happy about it. My last day of post-planning for my former school was on June 6th, and I had to report for my first day of Summer Camp by 11 a.m. on June 6th. I literally did not have a day off from the end of the school year.

I didn't do too much research about the Summer Camp for which I work. It is associated with a Recreation and Parks system I know very well, so I was laid-back about it. The camp, is a truly unique program that offers a valuable service to the local community. If a parent can prove that he/she and/or his/her child is on some kind of government support then that child is eligible for 40 hours of summer camp care for only $36.00 a week. I told that number to a friend and she said: "Um, is that a good deal? I dunno." Y'all. It is 40 HOURS of childcare with 2 hot meals a day included for $36.00; it is a flipping steal!

Right. So, uh, nothing prepared me that first day of camp for the 46 (46!) 5-6 year olds I had all at one time for an hour for "Arts and Crafts." The camp, understandably, is pretty overloaded. I have campers for 1 hour shifts (including 5 year olds, which I think is just too long for them) two days a week. The age ranges from pre-kindergarten to pre-8th grade. I had a fairly limited budget, but I think we've had a lot of fun considering.

In the midst of all of this, I have a responsibility-heavy role planning for an upcoming conference; so the days I'm not at camp i spent a lot of time on the conference. I also wanted to do a lot of pre-planning for my new school, but the time has just not been available for that.

Camp this week has become super stressful. The counselors at the camp range in age from about 18-23 years old. Almost all of them are either in or finishing college (one or two are finishing graduate school!); so they are highly educated and motivated people. But, none of them are studying the field of child development and/or education. So while they are incredibly devoted, kind, and enthusiastic, they have very little classroom management skills. Well, I take that back. They are great at yelling and carrying-on, but that drives me nuts.

The counselors are kind enough (I think they are required maybe?) to stay with me during Arts and Crafts. The issue is that every time I open my mouth to discipline and/or quiet the class down the counselor (all of them!) feel this need to yell over my voice to get the attention of the campers. It is soo problematic because the campers don't see me as an authority during this time. So, when the counselor has to leave the room, the kids act as if the "teacher has left the building."

A lot of these students come from low-income households. From what I've seen, they have really great parents, but because of their living situations they aren't as sheltered as my students at the private school were. This means that most of them are a bit more mature and sophisticated socially than you would think, and this also complicates the classroom management issue.

Honestly, I don't want to rock the boat. I'm only at Camp two days a week, and the counselors are there for over 40 hours. And, these counselors, man, they really work hard and put up with a lot. I don't want to point out issues etc.etc. Ultimately, it is their Camp more than mine. But, it can be very frustrating. Especially since the number and kids change so much from week to week.

I'm a huge proponent of strong classroom management and it has been driving me a little kooky.

In so many ways, camp has been a great readjustment to what my Fall will likely look like, as a lot of my new students will come from similar backgrounds. So, that has been really good. And, in a lot of ways, I enjoy how much the kids are excited to make things and am realizing just how much I was over the entitlement issues I was dealing with at the private school.

However, this week at Camp we had a new student show up. He is the 6th/7th grade age range and he wants to run the class. You know that personality, right? He has to have a smart-ass comment and some little snide aside for everything. He is also a bit of a motormouth and just can't seem to stop. And, when requested to stop, he points out that he won't. I think his favorite past time must be arguing. The other issue is that he must be somewhat popular at school, because he is highly effective at rallying the other boys (who have previously been really, really, really good considering they are middle school boys).

We did silk painting today -usually a favorite project of the kids and me- and this kid managed to really make it suck for everyone with his constant outbursts etc. etc. I don't like yelling, so I went out of my way to point out the good things he did, tried to find some common ground for us to "bond" over etc. etc. and I just got nothing. Everytime I redirected him, he tried to argue (which I'm good at shutting down real fast; I don't argue with kids 'cause I'm in charge). Yet, when I tried to shut him down, the counselor would intercede and buddy up to him, and argue with him, which really only made it worse.

Ooooh at that point he became "That Kid." You know, that kid that you just have to look at to get all grated and worked-up? I was already mentally tacking off the good points of the kid and the reasons for which I would not get all worked up etc. etc. Lol!

After clean up That Kid came back into the Art room and sat down eating a piece of cake. While he shoved his mouth he asked if I'd taught at this camp before. I told him that I was new this year. He then wanted to know if I'd been teaching art for a long time and I said "Yes." He then asked if I'd been teaching at the camp the whole summer; and I said, "Yes." He nodded and then asked if I was going to stay until the end of summer. I looked at him oddly then, because I was wondering what was going on in "That Kid's" head and slowly said "Yeeaaaah."

By this time a few of his classmates has filtered in and were also eating cake. "Good," That Kid said, "We've never had an art teacher survive whole summer before. Usually the kids are so bad she leaves."

This startled me. Over the course of the summer I have heard vague rumblings about this camp being "tough" and that a lot of teachers and/or counselors "didn't like it," but never had this much information.

I looked at all the kids eating cake and asked them: "Is that true?" The kids all eagerly told me that it was and then began describing how much they hated all the other art teacher and how bad they were.

So, considering I made it nearly 6 weeks before I had an encounter with anyone that really riled me, I feel pretty bad-ass.

Well, bad-ass but exhausted. I start back to school on August 2nd. Where did the summer go? I'm definitely not working next summer on anything but a tan.

Asserting Art

2011-07-02T07:58:00.001-07:00

Tact, subtlety, and withholding have never been talents of mine. When I was a child, my frankness often caused me a lot of pain, anguish, and friends. I -famously- one time told the most popular girl at my middle school: "I like your hair cut so much. It looked so stringy and dirty all the time when it was long." Oops. As I've aged, I've learned to hold back a bit more, much to my detriment. The older I get, the more I realize I just need to be my frank self. Sure, there are moments, when keeping your mouth shut is best, but the true test of maturity (for me) is to know when those moments are and when they are not.

I say all of this because it seems like the whole world (myself included) has a hard time understanding that your right to swing your fist stops at my face.

As an artist/creative person, do you ever get tired of constantly having to prove and/or validate your existence, career, chosen path, and passions? And sometimes, this is even to other artists?

I was at a dinner party years ago at a colleague's very fancy downtown apartment. We have known each other for years, and while we have never been close friends, we have found ourselves consistently in one another's social circles for a long time. She, and many of the other people at the party, work in the visual aesthetics industry and are amoung the social climbers of the Atlanta social scene. She asked what I had been up to, and I replied that I was still teaching art. To which her eyes grew very big and she said: "Wow. Still?! But, you're studying to do something more right? You don't just want to be a teacher?"

I'm southern. So, while i'm appallingly frank, I also know that when you are a guest in someone else's home, you never (NEVER) make an untoward comment or action towards them. And, as such, I kept my mouth shut. Luckily, my date that night is even more frank than I am, and is not southern. My colleague got quite a mouthful!

Year later this comment still haunts me. And, it has very little to do with my colleague. Honestly, I think she was just verbalizing a nasty little "opinionated truth": Celebrating and pursuing art for the sake of art is questionable at best.

As teachers, we teach art because we love art. Art has been a lifetime study for us, and it will continue long after we retire. I think we have to struggle to find the intersection of celebrating art and being seen as professionals.

Look, we all know that we are professionals. But, for whatever reason, everyone else can't seem to wrap their heads around this fact. I think some of this has to do with how Western society categories pursuits. So many people take their hobbies and put them into cottage industries and/or find ways of making their hobbies financially viable. Truthfully, I think that is beyond awesome. Yet, it also can be a rub.

As an illustrator, my friends are constantly telling me about the some-what hair-brained schemes they have for me to "make more money off of art." It is sooo hard for them to understand that I am primarily just interestd in making the art. It would be great to make money from it, but marketing and selling items takes time away from art making. . .And, I don't have enough time for art-making as it is.

I don't know what the answer is. My gut tells me that we need to always strive to be as professional as possible. . And my heart tells me we need to bring some of our frankness to the table when our passions are questioned. For instance, what if -all those years ago- I had asked my colleague: "Well, don't you think it is important to have quality, talented artists who teach art? Didn't you have a phenomenal art teacher who made you want to pursue the aesthetic industry? I do serve an important role, and I love it." There. not rude, not rude at all, but still assertive and clear!

In closing, I have to leave you with this hilarious story one of my cohort members (we're still hanging out long after graduation -yay!) told me this week. A wildlife photographer attended a fancy dinner at a colleagues home. The colleague having seen the photographer's pictures said: "Wow these are wonderful photographs; you must have a great camera." The photographer said nothing and finished his meal with gusto and then said: "Wow that was a wonderful meal; you must have a great oven."

Happy 4th everyone!

My New Classroom

2011-06-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

I snuck over to my new school this week and got a first look at my new art room. You can get a real feel for how over-excited about everything I am!

The Year in Review and 10 Things To Do in Tough Work Situations

2011-06-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

By now, most of us are enjoying our Summer breaks. It seems those of us in the South go back to school earlier and thus, end the year earlier, than those of you in the North East. As such, I'm about three weeks into my summer vacation. I've blogged a few times about how tumultuous my school year was, but I've never quite gone into specifics. Mainly that is because this is a blog about teaching -not complaining- and my emotions were still swirled up in the ever-constant-unfolding-drama that was this year.

Yet, I find myself wanting to share with you what happened this year for cathartic reasons. . .And also, to know if this is common, and (maybe) to give you a bit of perspective should you even find yourself in a similar circumstance (I pray not).

Here is the bare-bones of my experience this year.

In December I was due to finish my Master's degree. In early November, I had an interview literally "fall" in my lap and was offered an art teaching position at a nearby school. Since my income was 20% less than the state average for a first year teacher and I did not have benefits, I considered the position seriously. Upon encouragement from my professors and mentors, I approached my principal and asked her to if she would be willing to release me from my contract in light of the fact the position I was offered was a $14,000 pay raise.

She flat-out refused (which is her right) citing that since the position was not considered a "promotion" it would be in violation of my contract to release me, and that she could get in trouble with the school's board of directors (which I later found out she lied about as my school didn't have a board of directors). I was, to say the least, quite upset because since the position paid so much more, it indeed felt like a promotion to me. I countered this, and was met with a lot of excuses. This basically upset me to my core, and was to become symbolic of how all of my interactions went down with my principal.

At the end of this meeting my principal full-stop asked me if I would be returning for the next school year. I replied that I had to consider my livelihood and told her that I could only consider returning if my pay was returned to the state average for someone of my experience. She ended the meeting by stating she would pray for me.

My principal had signed on as my "collaborating teacher" for my Master's degree. In fact, she insisted on filling this role and refused to delegate it to anyone else on staff. This role depended on her coming and observing me in my classroom. In four years I was never formally observed in my classroom by my principal and she made up the information on the documents. In December she was slow to turn in the final documents needed for my degree. I kept reminding her about the deadline, and she kept saying that they would be ready soon. On the day the items were due, I still did not have them. I went by her office to check and see if she had them and she said this: "I'll get those documents for you, but it may not be on the time line you want, or in time for your professors."

Honestly, I felt like I was being punished for considering another position. And, I couldn't graduate without those documents, which she knew. I instantly called my lead professor and explained the situation to her. Since I had consistently turned in my paperwork on time, and because my professor had had issues with my principal concerning my Master's degree paperwork previously, my Master's program was able to work something out for me wherein I was not on my Principal's leash. My principal never completed the paperwork.

I graduated and received my Master's degree.

In March, my principal gathered everyone for a faculty meeting in a room we never previously had met in. The room was circumspect because it is the furthest room from anyone or anything else in the school. This meant that parents, who were frequent visitors to our school, could not witness the meeting. At this meeting the founder of the school stood up and made a 45 minute speech about how bad the economy had hurt the school and ended it by saying that he was excited to announce that a buyer for the school building had been found. Once the school building was sold, the school would no longer have any debt.

We, the teachers, were speechless. All of this was news to us, and it was especially surprising since we had just finished building a huge gym and performing arts center the previous school year. The school founder went on to state that a new facility would be found for the school, and that obviously there would most likely be a reduced staff. He finished by stating that we were to stay upbeat for families and students because we were a family.

The next day it was announced in the local paper that our school was in foreclosure and that the "buyer" for the school was the bank. The school founder countered -in his only public statement- that it was "technical foreclosure" and meant good things for the school. I, quite meanly, thought: "As in we have no money."

That day, all hell broke loose. Parents, many of whom had sent their children to my school since pre-kindergarten were outraged. In December, they had been offered a special incentive to re-enrolling their child for the 2011-2012 school year. If they prepaid the 2011-2012 school year tuition in advance, they would receive a discount that -to my understanding- saved them approximately $5,000. Upon the notice of foreclosure all of the prepaid tuition money was "locked" into an account and could not be released until June 10th. Many parents had $10,000 or more locked up in the pre-paid tuition account, and they couldn't get a solid assurance that they would ever see that money again. Additionally, in December, the parents had fund-raised and put in new tile in the school foyer. The parents felt, quite rightly, that the school administration had known they were facing foreclosure and failed to state this to the parents prior to the parents improving the school facility. The school administration continued to ask for money from parents knowing that the school environment for 2011-2012 would not be the same; the parents felt deceived, and they were ANGRY.

It became unclear if the school would have enough committed students and families to financially continue for the 2011-2012 school year. The students, parents, and teachers went from March to June not knowing if the school would continue for the next year.

The parents started an online chatboard wherein they could share news, ideas, and vent about the foreclosure. During this time, it came out that the mortgage for the school building had not been paid in over 2 years. And, as the school was a 501-c3 all of the information about salaries for administrators and boards SHOULD have been public. The salary information is public as that is posted through government websites, but since founder of the school owned several LLCs under various interpretations of the school name, it was hard to figure out this salary information. It did come out that there was no official board of directors other than one person, who -based on vapid gossip- had little to do with the school.

I found the chatboard to be a consistent source of both amusement and stress.

The chatboard was a place of vicious gossip and accusations. There were two camps of parents on the chatboard: those who supported the school continuing, and those were wary and felt deceived. Those who felt deceived and/or desired to question the school used false names and those who supported the school used actual names. Eventually the chatboard became a place wherein one group called the other group "cowards." Finally, as the whole thing made our school look like a bad episode of "Family Feud" it was taken down.

During this time, teachers were scared to death. Most faculty members strongly felt that the likelihood of the school continuing to be very small. In that same vein, we all faced the loss of our jobs in a very tough market. Parents wanted to vent with us, and we were afraid to say anything other than the official school line. . .Yet, the administration demonstrated no loyalties to us either.

Letters were released from various people in leadership positions at this time discouraging teachers and parents alike from contacting lawyers as doing this would cause the loss of monies needed to refund pre-paid tuition and to pay teacher salaries. Lawsuits, quite understandably, were filed anyway.

Once teacher salaries were mentioned all of the faculty began to panic. We asked the administration confirm that we would still receive our summer paychecks. There was a lot of concern that once we had finished the last day of school, that the administration would have no incentive to pay us any longer and would stop. Rather than confirm our pay was safe, the administration used our salaries as a wedge to get parents to continue making their tuition payments. A letter was sent to parents stating that as long as they continued to fulfill their contractual obligations that teachers would be paid.

During one of these meetings, after one teacher voiced some concerns, the principal asked: "Did you get your paycheck today [it was payday]? The teacher affirmed that she had and the principal look relieved and said: "Oh, good."

Yeah, so the faculty was at an all-time high stress level. You can imagine the gossip and lies that spread quickly during this time. The administrators began to expect more and more work out of us in the hopes of keeping parents devoted to the school by demonstrating how involved the teachers were. I had several incredibly tense meetings with administrators in group settings during this time. Honestly, the air was ripe with dissent and it really began to feel like us against them.

Several parents filed lawsuits and I talked to a lawyer myself about protecting my pay. But, I was told -quite rightly- that it was best to "wait and see."

In the midst of this, I very aggressively went after jobs for the following school year. I committed to my path that I would not return. . .And, eventually, altered it that to "under any circumstances." I was offered three positions on the contingency that they could speak to my principal on the phone and confirm my employment. They did not need a reference, they just wanted confirmation. I lost all three of these jobs because my principal kept the following work schedule during this time: She would arrive around 10 a.m. and then leave around 2 p.m. She simply wasn't around.

As you know, I eventually landed a job. As of the last day of school I was one of only two faculty members at my school to have a job lined up for next year. And, we were still unsure if we would be paid for the summer.

The day before the last day of school, the administration formally announced that it planned to continue for the 2011-2012 school year, families would be receiving pre-paid tuition back and that teachers would be paid summer salaries.

Unfortunately, the damage was done. I also went through the school rosters -available through my teacher grade-book as I taught everyone in the school- to see who all was enrolled for the next year. As of the time I looked, 20 students were committed (out of over 300) for the 2011-2012 school year.

I left after post-planning with a sense of distinct relief that I wouldn't have to go back to the school ever again. The doors were formally closed to my school forever on June 15th. The lawsuits, which include punitive damages, are still pending.

Last week, I received a letter in the mail from the presidents of our Parent's Club. The Parent's Club had been disgusted with the school administration from the announcement of the foreclosure. They planned to officially disband at the end of the school year. But, since they were an entity devoted to raising funds for school use, they would have return all money in their account at the end of the year to the school administrators. They did not wish to do this. Enclosed in the incredibly kind letter was a cheque for $100.

And now, it is over.

Here is what I learned from this experience:

1. Do your best in a high-stress situation to avoid gossip. It is SOO tempting, but mostly it made the work environment really toxic.

2. Remember why you are there. I was there because I like teaching. When I focused on the students, no matter how insane the day was, it always improved.

3. Band together. Instead of looking on your least favorite co-workers with disdain, find a way to work together. You, ideally, should be doing this anyway. But, it makes a huge difference to feel like you are "in it together."

4. Never underestimate parents. I had parents come out of the woodwork to help me pack my room, offer support, and help out. They really did try to understand what the teachers were going through and wanted to help.

5. Don't complain about work on Facebook (at least in an obvious manner). That, my friend, is a dangerous thing to do!

6. If there is a chatboard. . .Don't read it; be above it. I wish I had never read some of the hurtful comments on that thing. It raised my blood pressure and made me think less of many people I genuinely had previously respected.

7. Be polite but distant from your administration. Do what your told, and keep your head down -when you can.

8. Be active with the students; volunteer. The parents will appreciate that you are still a professional in a tough situation. I've recently found out about several former coworkers who are working for businesses student families own. The parents were impressed with them.

9. Do not be afraid to stand up for yourself. There is asshole, and then there is assertive. I was really surprised at how my many of my coworkers were afraid to ask my administration questions. You many not like the answers, and should be prepared to be polite about that, but you still have the right to politely ask. I'm all for keeping distant -see above- but when you have a question -ASK. Asking is SO much better than speculative gossip. I never once had a "bad" meeting with my administration because I asked a question.

10. Attitude is EVERYTHING. You have to be positive or it will really be miserable.

And, as for #10, I have many of you to thank for that! Your kind comments and thoughts really shored me up. Simply knowing that there is a community of art educators out there makes me feel good.

Thanks Y'all!

Summer Series #1: School Should be Fun(ner)

2011-06-14T11:24:00.001-07:00

I'm motivated by fun. If it isn't fun, I'm not terribly interested in doing it.

Laundry? Not fun. Cleaning? Not fun. Nonprofit paperwork? Not fun. Playing with my dog? Fun. Reading? Fun. Making Art? Fun. Results from Nonprofit paperwork? Fun.

When I need to do something that isn't fun, I always attempt to make it fun and/or give myself a fun incentive. For instance, I will tell myself that once the house is clean I will curl up with a book etc. etc. I know you do this, or something similar, as well.

Honestly, as educators, we all probably find learning and researching fun to some degree or another. I mean, why else would we spend so much time doing it? One of the issues I see for us in classroom is that we enjoy learning quite a bit. We all liked school so much that we went on to get college degrees (and even further). And, then, when we still didn't get enough school, we decided to become teachers and thereby make school a major part of our adult lives. The awesomeness of summer vacation notwithstanding, you stay with teaching because you believe in education and school. The issue for us as classroom teachers is that very few of our students love school in the same manner.

Have you ever wondered why school is represented as a place of negative, boring, mind-numbing thoughtlessness in the most popular children's cartoons and children's tv series? It is because above and across the board children -and the adults they grow up to be- believe school sucks. School was not a fun place for them; it was something they endured.

As educators, we are setting ourselves up for failure if we do not acknowledge and plan around this very simple fact.

School needs to be fun.

If you read here regularly, you know I have been fortunate enough to visit Kenya twice. During both of my visits once someone realized I am a teacher the inevitable comment would be made: "You should teach here. The children are so excited to be in school, not like in America." Well, yes, almost all the children I met in Kenya are either proud to be in school, or are looking for a sponsor to put them in school. The educational system in Kenya is very behind in terms of organization and equity. It is only in the past three years that free primary education (up to grade 5 equivalent) has been offered.

When a child's choice is to stay at home and keep house in a mud hut or to go to school and have the possibility of obtaining more for himself/herself than his/her parents, that is a major motivation. To students in Kenya, school IS fun. School -with 60 children to a classroom, textbooks with no pictures, and exceptionally demanding teachers with corporal punishment- is fun because it is much more stimulating than hanging around their homestead.

School is fun to Kenyan students much in the same way school was fun to American settlers: it is a pleasant diversion from the hard manual labor of day-to-day survival. It is fun.

American students are much more sophisticated than students living in third world conditions. They have televisions, quick transportation to friends, extracurricular activities, community centers, organized sports, access to computers, the internet, smart phones. . . . Essentially, they have constant stimulation of their own preference for a large portion of the day.

Personally speaking, if I had a choice between doing what I want to do all day (including having near constant access to stimulating visual information via gaming, internet, and TV) and sitting still in a desk listening to someone lecture me and/or doing written work, I know my answer would be consistent: Let me at the fun!

I've spoken here before about how neurologically speaking, the brain is set to avoid boring situations. If we, as humans, become bored enough, the fear centers of our brains are triggered and release powerful chemicals. Essentially, what this means is that if we become too bored, we become afraid of being in that boring situation again, and as such, avoid it like the plague. Think back on your life; is there a boring situation you fear (mine is babysitting btw)?

There are always naysayers about the classroom being fun. . .And they point out that learning is important and "not everything in life is fun." And, they are 100% correct, and they are right to warn everyone that students will need to learn about how to deal with boredom and self-motivation. Yet, I cannot help but feel that the world is going to consistently force our students to become self-motivated and skilled at dealing with boredom. The DMV, if nothing else, is a perfect example of this.

Our responsibility, as educators, is to teach our students about a subject, to create life-long learners, and to develop character traits that will help our students become the most successful adults they can be (and there are many definitions of success). And, to do this, we need to trigger the "fun" centers of the brain.

Just as the brain can log boring situations as "fearsome places," the brain can too log stimulating situations as "fun." When you are having fun, your brain releases serotonin, and we are all -to some degree or another- addicted to serotonin and to fun. We seek out fun situations more than we seek out anything else.

Our classrooms and our very selves need to be associated with fun for our students.

But, as educators how do we do this? We are not all fun people. We are not all designed to be the coolest teacher ever. For some of us, lecturing and learning that way IS fun. How can we as "lovers of the lecture" diversify for our students?

I have my own thoughts about this and have listed them below. . .But, what are YOUR thoughts? I'm intrigued to know how you create a fun learning atmosphere and how this keeps your kids excited about your learning environment!

My thoughts:

1. Think on your classroom. Think about YOUR students. Based on what you know about what they like is your classroom and environment a place in which they would have interest? How can you add/subtract from your classroom to better suit the interests -and still serve your subject- of your students?

2. Do you act like you truly care about your students as individuals? I've known teachers who are actually quite timid and very traditional in their teaching styles who are enormously popular and thereby interesting and fun to his/her students. The reason? The kids love them because they feel loved in return. It is amazing what a little bit of care can do.

3. What is your teaching style like? In what ways can you enhance your natural skills to become more engaging and interesting to your students? I think it is a mistake to try and be more outgoing when you are not. Instead, work with what you have. For example, I was once struggling to garner respect -and thereby some level of interest- in a group of high school students. Finally one day, I broke down and showed them my art portfolio. Sharing that part of myself -and still maintaining professional distance- earned me HUGE brownie points.

Hello Kenyan Friends!

2011-06-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

This blog had some visitors today from Nairobi. I do have some friends and family currently doing educational work in and around Nairobi and other parts of Kenya right now. . .

So, if you are new-to-me-Kenyan, a Kenya friend, or one of my visiting friends and family: Hello! And, I miss you!!

Did You Receive Lesson Plans?

2011-06-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

I've sent off compressed, zip files of Lesson Plans to our lucky winner and to those of you who requested the sample set of 20 (or so) LPs. A few of you indicated you wished to receive the LPs, but I did not receive an email address from you. . .

Jodibobo

Mum2Maggie

Waahhchooo

Angie

D.Mellott

Ms. Walsh

Becca Ruth

Kaycie.Rose.K

ArtTeacherLeigha

If you DO want the LPs, if you could please drop me an email, and I'll send to you ASAP (artful.artsy.amy@gmail.com). Also, if I accidentally missed your email and/or request for LPs, please let me know.

And, while I do *adore*sharing I ask that you please do not make an initial request for LPs at this time. I'm trying to make sure I honor my obligations to folks who made original comments on my job query postings etc. etc. I do promise that there will be AMPLE opportunity in the near future for LPs!

Thanks Everyone!