December 01, 2023

#turkeyaday23

 I started creating a Turkey-A-Day back in 2016 (I think..possibly earlier?).  Each year I change up how I create the turkeys.  I've done a paper doll turkey with a different outfit each day, class picture turkeys from different decades, art turkeys, media turkeys.....a little bit of everything! This year I created a cityscape and placed a turkey in the city each day.  It got kind of crazy, but it was also a whole lot of fun.

Here is the last day of #turkeyaday23! 



November 03, 2023

Clay With Large Class Sizes

 Class sizes have been an issue this year.  I know that others have it worse, but a large class size is a large class size.  Students do better in smaller classes...FACT!  We have four 2nd grade classes all at 25 students each.  We have four 4th grade classes now(as of a week ago), but my special area team voted to keep the old schedule to avoid having a split planning time(I did not vote to keep the old schedule), and have the three 4th grade classes at 31, 31, and 29 come to specials.  It is a struggle to restructure lessons and manage supplies when classes are large.  Just 5 to 10 more students than "normal" can really through the balance of a class off.  I have managed to do the coil pot lesson with 2nd grade, but there is more of a "rush" on my end of things in prepping for before class & firing.  I also feel like my flying through clay!!! How do you all handle large class sizes?  What are your biggest classes?(I'm coming at this from an elementary perspective.) 



November 01, 2023

Pumpkin-A-Day 2023

 I have been doing this for awhile.  During the month of October I create a pumpkin each day.  The "theme" changes each year.  This year I created a Turtle-Pumpkin every day. I mainly used alcohol markers. November I do #turkeyaday, and in February I do #heartaday.  Consider joining the fun. Low pressure & lots of creativity! 


















October 20, 2023

Santa Fe, NM: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

 If you are in Santa Fe, you have to go see the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.  Though it was extremely hard to find parking in the area & the museum was unusually loud (I'm use to people not talking loud in museums, but there were almost too many people in the museum when we were there!)...I still recommend going!  I've never seen so many of her works in one place. I also really loved seeing her supplies they had on display.  Be warned though...you have to have a certain "level" of membership in order for it to be reciprocal. Our Frist Museum membership did not help the price at all(know before you go). 















 


October 02, 2023

Kindergarten Fish Paintings

 I love kindergarten so much!  They grow/learn so quickly. I start each year with a "fish" unit so that my students can master the subject while being introduced to new media each week.  The last project of the unit is a fish painting.  We used the Crayola Washable Watercolor sets.  Not usually my favorite watercolor, but they worked nicely for this project.  They did such an amazing job. (sorry the pictures of their work was kind of a mess...I was in a hurry when I took them!).  






September 19, 2023

TESTING CRAYOLA SPECIALTY CRAYONS FROM DOLLAR TREE



As an art teacher and a dad, I was curious to all the specialty Crayola Crayons in stock at Dollar Tree.  Some I had experience with, but most I had never used before.  I wanted to test them to see if they were really  something I'd purchase for my students or my own kids.


WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER

BOLD & BRIGHT

Crayola's first version of construction paper crayons were good, but they leaned more towards pastel/muted tones. Sargent came out with their own version that was really wonderful.  The colors were truer & came in a wider range.  The Bold & Bright version of Crayola's construction paper crayons are really wonderful.  The 8 pack(what is available at Dollar Tree) is nice, but the 24 pack offers so many colors that are truly beautiful & work so well together.  


PEARL & PASTEL

I liked both the Pearl & Pastel crayons.  I'm not sure I'd say they are MUST HAVE's, but they would be nice editions.  The colors are nice & I feel they deliver on what they claim to be! 



NEON

The neon are just ok.  I think kids would enjoy them.  However, the color does not go down as well as regular colors & they really are a niche selection with limited use in most works of art.  


CONFETTI, METALLIC, GLITTER

Save your money!  I don't really get the Confetti crayons at all?! The ones that actually show other colors present kind of make mud.  The ones where the color doesn't show up just look like regular crayons. So why bother?  The Metallic & Glitter both have very little sparkle.  If you hold the paper just right in the perfect light, maybe.  Once again...why bother? Your money can be spent else where(like on the Bold & Bright!).  





Don't take my word for it...go to Dollar Tree and pick you up the ones you are curious about. You may love the ones I didn't?!? 

(One last test...all on black paper.)