Primary Birds of a Feather!

This is a simple project I do with both Kindergarten and 1st grade.  I'll admit that I got this lesson from my mentor teacher from when I did my student-teaching.  The kids love it, and it packs a lot of different Art concepts into one lesson so it's been a real win-win situation for me!  I begin by teaching students about the primary colors, and we discuss different shapes too.  I let the kids come up and draw different shapes on the board.  Then they get to make 3 different birds from construction paper.  So, in one lesson we cover our cutting skills, our primary colors, math-related shapes, and collage.  They then paint or color in the background.  I love the results!

I'll be posting more updates soon...Just taking some of the downtime from my Technology In-Service to catch up on all the projects I've done this year.  This lesson is great for winter time because you can incorporate science and talk about wintertime birds- (listen to sound clips, discuss physical characteristics-color, migration patterns, food, etc)  that is, if you want to get more involved in the lesson. I didn't do all of that...but those are my off the cuff ideas at the moment!  Have fun, and, I'll be posting more soon!

End of School Whirlwind!

Well, well, well...Hello everyone!   It seems that with the whirlwind of the last half of the school year, I've disappeared entirely from the blogging world!  The school year sure flies by after Spring break, doesn't it??

What has the end of the year looked like for your classroom?  How have you dealt with the rush of special programs, school assemblies, field trips, and trying to keep some sort of order in the class?  Some sort of consistency  Is it even possible????

Between the transformation of students from quiet, and well-behaved, to wild zoo animals that can barely contain the summertime excitement...it's a miracle to be able to get through 1 lesson!  I've discovered that sometimes it takes shorter, shorter, shorter lessons, with higher success levels and high expectations, but less time consuming activities.  it quickly becomes a juggling act of balance, entertainment, and engagement.  What are some of your activities?  Some of your solutions?  Come one, come all...share your stories!!

Technology and Displays, yay!

So,  I don't have my own camera, but my school has one....that means photos for my blog!  yay!

Just a little bit of an update for you today.  My little bitty rural school is doing great!  The faculty are super supportive, and they are spending lots of money on me to update my classroom with a new computer, an LCD projector, and  a Promethian board (yay!).  They are also going to tear down a half-finished frescoed mural in the hall, repaint the wall, and buy some display strips that I picked out so that I can display every student work together!  I CAN'T wait!  It's going to be great to have that space, because my students have been doing such an awesome job on their artwork, they deserve to have it on display!  (I have been 'borrowing' wall space from other teachers to get artwork in the halls...but soon enough, that will be done and over with!) 

  I'll be putting together an art display for the Board of Education meeting in March, and the artworks that get picked for it will also be displayed on the county website as well.  My students are super-excited for the opportunity to have a public art display.  So excited in fact, that they are making it REALLY hard to pick out the best work because they are all doing a great job!

No Sink, Not enough money...

It's been a few weeks into the new job here at my two teeny tiny rural elementary schools, and so far it has been crazy and exciting all at once!  The kids are great, and they really really want to start some painting...but there is one little problem at one little school.  My classes are ONLY 30 minutes long, and there is NO sink in my classroom!  That really makes for a challenge when it comes to anything like printing, painting, and sculptural artworks.  Are there any suggestions out there that might make this a little easier? 
I am looking into purchasing a portable sink, but they are too costly for my budget.  I only have 780/yr and the cheapest sink I've found runs $1200.  The other thing is my art budget seems to also be the school supply budget for things like printer ink, and copy paper for all the teachers... :-/  
 c'est la vie I suppose...but ANY suggestions on the no sink with only 30 minutes of classtime would be HIGHLY appreciated!  Thanks for stopping by!

NEW Job= New Art...soon!

Goodness, I'm terrible at blogging!  However, I hope to be able to pick it up more frequently now...especially since I'll be starting my NEW JOB tomorrow!  I'm so excited to be able to say that I've landed my first  full-time Art Teacher job.  It's at two teeny tiny little schools but I can't wait.  So, hopefully I'll be able to start posting lessons and pictures again, now that I will be more involved. 
    So, have fun, and I'll be posting soon!

Arts-Infusion AFRICA!

   So, I believe I already gave you the skinny on what an Arts-Infusion lesson is in my last blog...but, a really quick follow-up:  I co-teach visual arts lessons with the regular homeroom teacher to reinforce learning in other subjects.  It's the opposite of Interdisciplinary Arts.  Arts-Infusion helps to address different learning styles, because ALL the Special Area teachers are required to do it!  Also, lessons have to be much more efficient, and focused because it uses the Homeroom Teacher's instructional time.  I have chosen to link the lessons into my regular art classes with certain topics because I'll get more QUALITY from the studio assignments!  
  
  Okay, now that you know what it is.  Here is a  cool Arts-Infusion lesson I'm working on right now!  I'm super-excited about 3rd grade!  They grade are learning about Africa, and I just so happen to have lots of stuff from Africa because I know people who lived there for about 9 years!  The kids learned all about the SAN who live in BOTSWANA.  Then they learned about some of the arts and traditions of the SAN.  We talked about how the small villages don't have running water, or McDonald's at every corner.  We counted to see how many of us have ever used a plastic bottle to drink water.  Then, I taught them about the San tradition of using ostrich eggs as canteens.  Sometimes they would decorate them too. 


   So, we are in the process of picking an animal that represents each of us.  Then we sketch it using library books as reference.  Next, the students are making their own Plaster of Paris ostrich eggs!  (It has been a MESSY ordeal!)  I recommend parent volunteers, or EA's to help out on this.  Last, the students will paint their animals on the paper mache, and then create a patterned border for the top and the bottom.  They are also learning about COLOR, PATTERN, SPACE, BACKGROUND, FOREGROUND, CRAFTSMANSHIP, painting, and sketching!  


  I don't have photos of the studio assignment in progress, because the kids needed about 6 of me to get things done, and I was the only one there!  However, here are some pictures of my display, and the start of the paper mache ostrich eggs post-studio attack:

a typical toy for a San child.  Everything is homemade.  This is made out of leather, beads, and old hose or leggings.

hand-woven basket; I have several, but only brought in 2.  You can actually still smell the sweet scent of the grasses from the drying process used before it was woven!  

Many of the following items are more artistry or craft these days, sold in the markets for an income.  They are all still authentic, made with materials on hand and by hand, just not entirely the essentials it used to be.

hand-carved animal figurines from the San.  

I believe this was a painted fabric.  It feels waxy but it doesn't sport the heavier outlines found in batiks.

Ostrich Egg from Africa!  The kids went wild over this!  
San would use these to hold water in them, after they drain them and eat the egg yolk/whites.  After the eggs get worn and cracked over time, the San would use them to make highly prized, and highly labor-intensive ostrich eggshell beads, by hand.  They wear the beads almost as a status symbol; more beads means more wealth, beauty, etc.  and they wear them all over...in their clothing, hair, as necklaces, bracelets, anklets, etc.

Animal carving and seed pods, that, when dried, make excellent rattles!

Painted tablecloth.

Full display.  I have more, but just haven't brought it in yet.  Hopefully, I'll be bringing in a butterfly collage, banana leaf prints, and a video of some of the San children singing in their Khoisan language as well.  It is very interesting because it is a click language!


Anyways, this is all I have for now.  Enjoy!

Oh the Joys of teaching ART!

First Month Down...
  So, a little bit o background:
  I just graduated this past May, and right now I am working as the Interim at a wonderful Elementary Arts Academy in my hometown.  It's really just been fantastic!  Because it's an Arts Academy, I also get to teach Arts-Infusion lessons in the regular classrooms.  Basically, that means that I co-teach art lessons with homeroom teachers in order to reinforce learning in Math, Science, Social Studies, etc.  Wherever there is a natural connection between the subject matter and the visual arts, then we connect it.  Together as a team.  It has been such a neat learning experience to be involved in this.  I've never seen a program quite like it before, but it really should be incorporated everywhere! :)


  Aside from the Arts-Infusion, I get to teach my regular art classes, k-6 all day, and then I also sponsor an Art Club in the afternoons.  Soon, we will be working on a Mural with a very special Artist.  The kids are super-excited about it because we've been planning it out and working with the principal on it.  We should be getting to meet the Artist to discuss designs pretty soon.


  Anyways, first blog post down, more to come, with photos too!  Yay! :)