TAEA TUESDAY: Summer Conference/Workshop

SUMMER WORKSHOP!!!!!

HEY TnAEA FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!  The summer workshop information has been released!  Now the workshop is in Middle TN...but if anyone else wants to come...we're not going to turn you away.  (KY peeps...easy drive to Nashville!!)  It will be held at beautiful CHEEKWOOD.  How fun is that?!?!!!!!!!!!!  I'm going to be leading a workshop on Mixed Media Collage, called LAYERS OF MEANING!!  I'd love for you to come.  It will be a great day of creating our own work...thinking of how it could apply to our students...and just enjoying each other's company!!(how fun to hang out with art teachers makin' art!!!)  If you want to attend...the information is below!!!

TAEA TUESDAY: STATE PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

To all my TAEA friends who are in the counties doing the State Portfolio Assessment....

HOW'S IT GOING??

April 14th will be here before you know it....so how are you doing in preparing for your submission?  If you are in your second...third...or forth year....you should be doing well(I hope!).  If this is your first year to do it....there are some things you can be doing to set yourself up for success & not stress.

1) TAKE PICTURES...LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES!!!  

Don't be overwhelmed...I'm not asking you to take pictures of every students work in the whole school!!  What I do is select a class in each grade level....and I photograph their work.  Within that class...I know I can find a emerging, proficient, and advanced student!  This makes it more manageable for me.  Do you have to do it this way...NO!  It's just what works for me.  If you want to track a handful of students in every class..that is fine!  Just keep photographing their work so you have your two points in time!!!

2) CREATE THE POWERPOINTS NOW!! 

You can go ahead now and start setting up your power points for the pictures you're going to plug in later.  You can write the domain, grade level, background info on the class...etc..etc.  This will help you when you do set down to select images and such.  You won't be able to write lesson objectives and such...unless you already have an idea of what you are doing.  However...just having the 6 to 8 slide Power Point already created will help you out in the long run!! 

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

You are going to rock it...no worries!!

TAEA TUESDAY: $MONEY$- 4 - sUpPLiEs?!?!?

How you get  your supplies...or your money for supplies is always a hot topic when art teachers get together for any length of time!  There are many blessed in our area (Middle TN) with great budgets for art supplies.  This is not the case EVERYWHERE...and it varies greatly even within Middle TN.  Actually, it varies greatly within our district! (which is a topic for another post?!?!)

So where does money come from?!?  Oh how I wish it grew on trees!!!  The first place to look is from your school administration.  If they hold the purse strings..they are the ones to ask.  It might be good to ask around to find out how money is dispensed & the history of funding for classroom teachers & special area teachers before speaking to your principal.  You need to make sure you don't have unrealistic expectations for your school...and possibly offend those who control the $$!  

The hope would be that the school will give you a per-pupil amount that could fund your program for the year.  When I first started teaching in Nashville, we were given $3 a child.  That was 18 yrs ago, and was a pretty nice amount.  However, the past few years I've received less than $3 a child.  That is hard when you think a ream of paper use to cost $9...but now is $14.  

Some schools will give their art teacher a lump amount.  If the lump amount is large...AWESOME!  However, many times that is not the case.  Teachers need to pursue other avenues of funding if little or no money is given them.  Crowd sourcing sites are abundant.  Some are better than others...and you'll need to do some investigating if that is the direction you want to go.  You need to find out how your school district handles such things also...because that could come back to bite ya in the butt!!  So talk with your school book keeper/secretary.  They should be able to tell you the district policies on such things.    If website fund raising isn't for you....you may want to go a more traditional!  There are many are related school fund raisers out there.  Once again...you need to to check with your book keeper...or principal about the ability to do such a thing.  I am not allowed to do such fund raising.  We have 2 main fund raisers in our school a year...and they are done by the PTO.  

Asking parents & community members for supplies...both new or recycled materials is also a way to accumulate things!  The problem with this is it is inconsistent. However, if you are in a situation where no money is being given you....you could probably make it work!!  If you are working with a limited budget...think of what items you'll be able to receive for little to no cost.....and what items are a must purchase.  You have to have the priority items to make your art curriculum work....and hopefully if your school is giving you any funds..it will be enough to cover those (at least!!!).  

Get involved in your community!!  I've had businesses, individuals, and churches "adopt" me...and they've collected supplies for my program.  They might not always be what I'd buy, but something is better than nothing...and I'm always appreciative of people wanting to be a part!!

Grants are few and far between, but possible!! Keep and eye out...and it never hurts to try!

Honestly though...I don't want to have to raise funds for art supplies if possible.  I think that a school should want to fund the arts!! If I start raising money for the basic needs...then they will not see a need to support me & what I'm doing with my students!! (I know..ideal thinking!!) 

TAEA TUESDAY: TN History In The Art Room

How many of you have been asked to include TN History into your curriculum?  I'd say a few of you have (or those from others states have been asked the same thing about your state).  At first you might have a gut reaction of disdain & annoyance.  But wait....can we do some awesome projects off of this request?  You don't need to create a book of state symbols or coloring pages of state symbols!!!  The classroom teachers already to such projects.  We can reinforce our state history/facts using the skills we're already teaching the students!  State flowers make AMAZING watercolor/painting projects!  You can look at Van Gogh...and then bring in the state flower..BAM!!! GREAT LESSON!  State flag...you can talk about symmetry/asymmetry, design, symbolism...look at the state flag...and then have them create their own personal flag that represents them or their family...BAM!!!! GREAT LESSON!  I'm personally thinking about using our state reptile, the Box Turtle, and creating a zentangle inspired lesson for the shell!!!! BAM!!! GREAT LESSON! ha ha  

Don't get your undies in a bunch too quickly when administration or classroom teachers ask you such things.....think creatively how you can be a part of a global process of learning.  Being able to work with students prior knowledge is in everyone's best interest for success!  

Now...if they are asking you to do things that detract from your program...then you need to have that discussion with the person asking.  You can not forsake your students art education to teach another subject area's content.  Just see if it is possible before you say no though...we are part of a TEAM!!!  

TAEA TUESDAY: Learning A New Skill

TAEA TUESDAY-  This is a feature I'm adding to my blog to address questions/concerns/situations from my TAEA Elementary Division Peeps!  HOWEVER....EVERYONE CAN READ ON!  It is just good teaching info funness(not a word..I know).  

This is in regards to taking on Practicum & Student Teachers.  In TN we have a TON of universities.  There are many opportunities to mentor if you make the connections to do so.       

 

I think most of us can say that "ON THE JOB TRAINING" has taught us a great deal!  I know that even though my training at Bowling Green State University was AMAZING....there were still some holes in my knowledge base.  Come on...we teach in a HUGE field.  ART!  How can you know it all...EVER?!?!? :) ha ha  So my first year of teaching...I learned circle weaving.  It was in the curriculum...and had to be taught.  Lets just say...it was a rough go!!!  However, over the years I've grown to love this project....and it is one of my favorite times of the year.  So today...as I was talking to my practicum students from MTSU...they told me they had never done circle weaving before!  Well...I didn't want them to have to learn the way I did...so during planning...I taught them a new skill!! If you take on practicum students or student teachers...try to find a media or project they may not know how to do & teach them!!!  Think back to your first year or two...and pull from the many things you didn't know how to do!