Glitterama!

What would elementary art be without glitter? Today we covered macaroni noodles with glitter- I got covered in the process... one of the first graders thought I looked like I was turning into a robot :)

new building, new students, new schedule...

I just found out that I will have another building of students added to my schedule.
A while back I got a phone call from one of my friends saying that it was in the paper that my school district was going to share "Activity Teachers" with another local private school. Art is considered an "Activity" class, so my friend was wondering if I was going to have to teach at this school.  I hadn't heard a thing about it, so I assumed that there were some arrangements that didn't include me. Well, I was wrong. I got the call this morning. I have until tomorrow to decide if I want to bid into a general ed. classroom or stick with the art job. Next year the art position will have 4 buildings of students. The schedule will be primarily divided between 3 buildings.  The art teacher (maybe me) will be at each of the 3 buildings for 4 week rotations. At one building the first class period will be at the new school. So, for one month out of 3 I would have to travel daily. Each building will have 8 classes per day, most classes have about 28-29 students.
I'm really not sure whether to jump back into the classroom, or stick with teaching art.

time out!

Jamie at the farewell assembly for his retirement.

We have just had some very exhausting, emotional weeks! My last day of school for the year was June 2nd. If you're a teacher you know how tiring those last weeks are! In my last 6 weeks of school I close up 3 rooms of art supplies, and I say goodbye to 1,200 students... While I was doing all of this, we were making some very tough family decisions.
After some very late nights and much discussion, my husband made the difficult decision to retire from his job as an Elementary Principal! The state put forth an incentive, but you had to decide fast! Friday was my husband's last day with students after many years of teaching, coaching, and being a principal. He's been a principal since he was 30 years old.
His last day was a very emotionally draining day. His school had a surprise assembly, and they really did surprise him. The classes each had a little presentation for him. It was adorable! Some sang, some read letters, some gave pictures, some presented gifts... we laughed, we cried. There was a slide show and one of the teachers sang. That's when everyone really started crying. It was extremely moving to see all those kids crying. Then there was a lot of hugging. There were treats for everyone. It was such a sweet way to end a year, and a career. What a lot of loving, caring, endearing children and co-workers! We are still talking about it, it was too much to take in! My husband was extremely touched.
Last Saturday his dad went into the hospital with heart problems. All evening there were tornado warnings- so the hospital staff kept having to move patients to the hall. The warning would be over, they would move patients back to their rooms, then a warning would start again! 3 times they moved patients to the hall and back. We waited in emergency until 4 in the morning- waiting for warnings to be over and he could be put in a regular room. He wound up having heart surgery a few days later. Now he's home and doing well. We are all recovering!
Between late nights with retirement decision making and paper work, days in the hospital, and many other events... like open houses, birthday celebrations, showers, etc. that come in the Spring ... and I had 2 days of curriculum workshops... I'm exhausted!
Hopefully next week will involve some quiet time for art work!

wonderment: empty room

...beginnings of a wild mask!

The students had their last day of school yesterday- of course it was wild happiness. The building could hardly contain all the thrilling fun that was happening! In stark contrast, the art room is pretty empty today. Tables are down, walls are bare, crayons are collected, tubs of art paraphenalia are ready to be tucked away. No giggling children... It hardly looks or feels like an art room now.
Every year I vow to take the time to sort through things better at the end of the year- but the time comes and I just want to hurry up and be done! Right now I am in negotiations with myself on this issue. Do I want to do it now, or in the Fall? This minute, I am leaning toward Fall...

wonderment: last few days

We are ending the school year earlier than was initially planned. Due to lack of funds, we are ending June 2nd! We are in the final days of school. Here is my wonderment; it doesn't seem to matter when the last day is- we still rise and fall to the occassion. There is a rhythm to the end, regardless of the date. Students and staff alike start getting rather excited when we are down to counting weeks not months, then even more excited and rather frenzied when we are down to days not weeks! We are trying to stuff the days so full they are busting at the seams. Our emotions are barely below surface with the dangerous recipe of staying up late and being more active with the longer daylight hours, testing students, packing our rooms up, preparing for summer and next year, and tear laden goodbyes to the classrooms of students we have grown to love! These last days are full of field trips, class picnics, plays and performances, field days... Anything that will corral all those wiggles and giggles while the anticipation builds! ...until we can set them free, and let them bust loose into Glorious summer Vacation!

wonderment: fun and games

Clay portraits by elementary art students

This was the last week of art for one of the buildings I teach at. The kiddos got to take their "portfolios" home! I wanted to teach them some games they could play this summer, so we played a game with the art books (this can be played with any book) where one person is the "caller" and the rest of the players have to find whatever they call out.  For instance, one thing I told them to find was "portrait", and the first person to find a portrait in the book was the winner. We also had winning teams- when the whole team found a portrait they all won! Now, I have been talking about portraits all year and I was amazed how many of them still didn't know what to look for... depressing :( However, it's amazing what one game and a little competition can do! All of a sudden, after one game, they all seemed to know what a portrait was! What a great way to reinforce vocabulary.
The other game we played was a version of 4 corners. I put the colors of the rainbow around the room. Everyone had to go stand at a color. I made a dice that had all 6 colors on it, we rolled it, whatever color was on top was out. Everyone could choose a new color- we rolled again, etc. The last person in was the winner. Then the students made their own color dice so they could play the game at home this summer. The game was a big hit! Making the dice was a great 3-D project, it's a very difficult thing for some students to figure out how to make a cube from a flat piece of paper...
Lesson learned, note to self, I will definitely be playing more games with them next year. The proof is in the puddin' They definitely learn better when they are having fun!
Search Amazon.com for art games

wonderment: coloring/ basic needs

 

As I am watching my schoolchildren today I am struck by how many choose the stations where they get to fill in areas with color. Today's station choices include: chalk -landscapes, or finishing portraits; yarn -weavings; craypas -abstract line designs; paper strip constructs or weavings... I am trying to be intentionally aware of the choices they make, and considerate of what the draw is to that station. So many of the students choose the stations where they are coloring, whether it is with crayons, chalk, colored pencil, markers, or craypas. Perhaps they like the mindlessness of it, and the big results. They love the abstract designs where there is no pressure to create a likeness. I am really wondering if coloring fulfills some type of basic need? We need love, shelter, food.... and coloring!