Tints & Shades

I wanted a fun way to review tints & shades with my 4th graders before moving on to a "like" Chihuly based project.  I had them place a dot in the middle of the paper and draw 8 curved lines coming out from it extending to the edge of their paper.  They then placed a dot in the middle of every other one to let them know where the shade was to be placed(trust me..they need this..and even then..some of them didn't get it right?!?!?! ha ha)  This project can be done with younger ages, but I wanted a fun review that would look cool in the halls!!! 

Made me laugh...had to post!!!!!!!

This was a comment I received today....gotta love the tenacity!!!  So, if ya would...check out her blog & consider following!

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Hey! I am new to art blogging, and need some followers! I am not opposed to begging :)

Check me out  http://mrsarguetasartopia.blogspot.com/

AND THE WINNER IS......

Tisha Burke from Warrenton, VA
Check out her blog at....  http://tishalou.blogspot.com/

Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun!  It is nice to see other teacher excited about b-boards!!
I think I might do this again sometime...so keep your eyes open for the next contest!!!!!  And be looking for the board I'll be making for Tisha!!!! 

CLOSED!!! WIN A FREE BULLETIN BOARD MADE BY ME! CLOSED!!!

THE CONTEST IS CLOSED...A WINNER HAS BEEN PICKED!!  THANK YOU EVERYONE THAT JOINED IN THE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone!  Isn't it wonderful that we have this community of art teachers & people interested in children's art that can meet up here on the web!  There was a time art teachers felt isolated/alone in their schools.  Now that we have blogs and other such things....we can stay connected & be there to help/encourage/challenge one another. 

As of yesterday I had 92 people following my blog(well..at least those signed up..who knows how many stop by often that are not signed up?!?).  I am so thankful for all of you who take the time to look, read, and ask questions!!!  I know I've been blessed to have this means of connecting with others in art education. 

As a way to say thank you...and have a little fun....I thought I'd have a contest.  I will make a handmade bulletin board for the winner(I hand make all mine...many of you seem to like them).  You'll tell me what you want it to say, the colors you want, and how big the board is you'll be putting it on!  I'll make it and ship it off to ya!!!  You will need to provide your own fabric for the background & lamination if you want it laminated. 

Sound fun?  I love cutting out letters and making bulletin boards! 

All you need to do is send an e-mail to artwithmre@yahoo.com .  I'll put all the names in a hat and pick a winner next week!!!!  I'll notify the winner & they can send me their address & all the information I need to make the bulletin board!!!  My only request is the winner take a picture of the board once you put it up & send me it via e-mail. 

THE CONTEST IS CLOSED...A WINNER HAS BEEN PICKED!! THANK YOU EVERYONE THAT JOINED IN THE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Reading Area

I have had many people comment on my reading area.  I am blessed with a very large classroom, and have the space to create a reading area.  I know that many do not have this kind of space.  HOWEVER!  I think if you have a room...you can make your space work for you so you can have a small area.  I read to my kindergarten students every time they come in...so it is important to me to have it.  I also have a large section of art related books, animal books, season based books..etc. 

All great for students to look at if they have a question about what something looks like.

Best reason of all........I LOVE KIDS BOOKS!!!!!!

Welcome to My Art Room!

New Digital Camera

So our wonderful school PTO gave us each a $50 gift card to Staples.  I usually can find some things there that come in handy...Sharpies, staplers..etc.  This year though...as I was walking around...I saw this Kodak EasyShare for only $49.95!  I had been wanting a new camera that I could keep in the art room.  Ours from home is always full of baby pictures, and the schools camera could be about anywhere at anytime?!?!  Since I am the yearbook team(ha ha)...I knew that something like this would really come in handy.  It only has 3x zoom, but really...when you are taking inside pics...you don't need much more than that.    I LOVE IT!  Best purchase with a PTO gift card EVER!!!!!! 

Art Room Bulletin Boards 2010

Dr. Ed's Annual Art Drive 2010

What a blessing it is to have people that care about you, what you do, and the students you work with.  Dr. Ed & those that go to him...have once again gone over and above!!!!  I'm so thankful for the supplies, money, and giftcards.  They help so much in providing a quality art education to my students here at Tulip Grove.  With my budget being cut last year & being unsure of what will happen this year....I will use these gifts wisely!!!  THANK YOU DR. ED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Art Room Bulletin Boards 2010

Hey everyone!  I'm sorry I have not posted my art room bulletin board displays before now.  It has been a slow start for me this year.  Life with a 17 month old means a rearranging/changing of priorities.  My room has taken a back seat from past years...but it is slowly coming along & I'm ready to share some pictures.  More will be coming soon!!!

mini-Monet

I found this artical very interesting.  This child/artist made more in an hour and a half then I make in 7 or 8 yrs!?!?!?!  ha ha  Good for him.  I loved what he was saying about painting cows & horses.  Too funny! Enjoy the read!

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Eight-year-old-Hailed-Painting-Prodigy/ss/events/lf/081310kwilliamson#photoViewer=/100813/481/urn_publicid_ap_org6ee49a74333a4e49b8078b7104d3eebf

Chihuly Art Unit Blog

I created a blog for our Art Teacher Inservice, which is tomorrow.  I & three other art teachers are leading the sessions for the elementary division.  We'll have over 90 elementary art teachers coming through our classes & going on a field trip to Cheekwood & The Frist Center to see the Chihuly Exhibits.  Our sessions are hands on studio projects, but I wanted to have something that the teachers could revisit once they get back to their classrooms that they could actually use for their lessons.  On the site you will find links, lessons, videos, pictures, and more.  I thought I'd post it on this blog....because some of you might want to try the lessons as well (even if Chihuly's work isn't in your city).  There should be enough information & images for you to provide your students the background knowledge necessary for the unit plan.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions on it. 

http://chihulyelementaryartlessons.weebly.com/

The site is for educational purposes only.

A Comment Concerning My No-No Board

You will have those that do not believe in what you do.  You will have those that question your methods, styles, and teaching.  This is part of being a teacher, and also a part of putting yourself out there for the world to see (be warned bloggers).  I must say, I have only received a few comments like this over the past few years.  When people disagree with you...it allows you to reassess what you do & decided if the practice needs to be changed...or if you are right in what you are doing.  Let me present this to you.

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Comment from Evelyn Concerning My No-No Board:

  This is disgusting!!!!! If my child had this in their class I would pull them out immediately! Why don't you try inspiring your students with what they CAN do instead of shutting them down with what they CAN'T do!!!!! Make a board with good examples that you can encourage them to follow instead of just telling them that they are wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a teacher and I would never use this!!

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How does someone respond to such a comment?  Well, the first reaction is anger.  HOW DARE THEY QUESTION ME!  That passes quickly though.  I remind myself that they have never met me, never been in my classroom, have never seen me teach, have never seen my love for my students & my subject matter, do not know my students, and probably from their comment.....are not an art teacher.  This places the comment into a category that I can now handle/deal with.  They are speaking out of a one sided ignorance.  I'm not saying they are without right to their opinion or that they are ignorant...or that I should just dismiss what they say.  I'm saying that they are speaking from their side of the screen & their experiences. 

So why do I have a No-No Board?!?  Well, I'm guessing that Evelyn will never agree with me.  I'm ok with that.  I'd say many teachers that come from a Montessori background may not agree with me either.  I'm ok with that as well.  My No-No Board allows the children to know what I'm looking for in their work.  I'm an art teacher...I'm there to teach art.  I teach my students how imagine, how to draw, art history, how to paint, colors, elements of art...etc.   I am not there to give my students paper and let them make whatever/however they want.  That would make me nothing but a baby sitter with supplies.  Saying no to a child does not kill their creativity.  I never say no to anything without saying yes to something else!  Does letting a student know they have misspelled a word, used punctuation wrong kill their creativity in writing (I'm terrible at spelling & still love to write)?  No, because as a teacher you teach them how to spell or punctuate correctly.

Anyways?!?!?!  To each their own.  I have 13 years worth of proof

No-No Board has never killed any one's creativity. 

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?? 

There's a Wocket in My Pocket!

I found a wonderful Dr. Seuss book called THERE'S A WOCKET IN MY POCKET!  Each creature's name is associated with and object or place...they just change the first letter or couple letters of the object or place.  So I had my students brainstorm some ideas after I read them the book(had to be different from the book).  We then created these acrylic paintings.  I LOVE THEM!!!!

Green Eggs & Ham...with a twist!

My summer camp kids created a picture of their fav. foods!  We then talked about how we can use mixed media & a variety of greens to create an interesting picture.  I really loved the results.  We used red or orange to pop the image. 

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Responding to Heather...

Heather, thank you so much for your question & for trusting me to help you with it.  I did not have an e-mail for you or a way to contact you...so I hope you find this post!!!  

Curriculum mapping is challenging...and when you're a new teacher & it isn't your actual trained field..WOW!  Blessings to you as you work through this.  I will tell you that there is no one perfect way!  So give yourself grace as you work through it.  Plus..I'm sure your administrator will allow some wiggle room as you are progressing through the year if you deviate from the original plan. 

Take your State or National Standards to reference as you are planning.  You may want to base your projects on themes.  The themes could run for a week or two....or could last a whole nine weeks(or however long your grading period lasts).  The themes could cross over multiple media/concepts/projects.  This type of consistency of theme will build excitement in your students.  Say you want to do farm animals in the lower elementary age....they could do a drawing, a tempera painting, and a clay animal.  In the lessons you can focus on space/landscape, texture, color/color mixing, proportion..etc.  You have covered a grading period & hit a ton of standards.  In this...you can bring in elements of art/principles of design...AND art history.  Breaking these up and teaching elements, principles, history for the sake of teaching them feels too disjointed. Approaching it more fluid will feel more natural to you and the students!  I'm not sure how much this helps...but it was a really big question.  Get back with me and ask more questions...that will help!  Or..if you feel comfortable..it may be easier to talk on the phone.  You can e-mail me if you like at artwithmre@yahoo.com

Here is Heather's comment/post to me...if any of you have other thoughts you'd like to share with her..please post a comment under this post!  Thanks so much for your help.  Together we're stronger!
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Hello Mr. E.

I have just accepted a position as K-8th grade Art teacher in a private christian school. This is my first teaching job and I only have a minor in art. (So I did my student teaching in a regular ed. elementary class.) Currently, I've been instructed to come up with a curriculum map of what I will be teaching and when (for the year.) My question for you, where do I begin? ha ha.. big question I know! I have been given a few art curriculum books but have been told to "run with it."  I'm not sure if I should divide the year up into the elements of art and teach history, periods, and different mediums in with that or if I should section it by; elements, periods, artists, 2d, 3d art...
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One Fish Two Fish....well..actually...A LOT OF FISH!!!

For the Who's....they were my younger group...we focused on One Fish Two Fish!  They did an acrylic painting & a collage.  I'm having trouble with the new upload and arranging of photos...so sorry they are not all together neatly!! 

Seussical the Musical Camp!

This is my second year teaching at the arts summer camp for the Donelson Station Fifty Forward.  They have a theater company and do a kids camp that connects to the production.  Last summer was Beauty and the Beast(you can look back to see those projects here on my blog).  I really enjoyed the projects I did with the students, but the situation was a bit difficult.  I had 2 groups of 30 students each(in a small room with big tables)...in each group were ages 6 to 13 yrs old.  As you know...this is a challenging situation.  I wasn't sure I wanted to return...HOWEVER...when I heard they were going to do Seussical the Musical I just couldn't pass it up.  What fun projects could come from that theme!!!  The best part was they changed the set up...I had 3 groups of around 20 & they were broken up more based on age. 

So here comes the projects I did with the students!