Monet's Bridge: 4th Grade

So here are the mostly finished works that I posted about a week or so ago.  Over all I am happy with them, but part of me wonders if I should have let the students switch over to tempera paint for the second day details.  Over all successful lesson....and I know when I teach it again...I'll tweak a few things next time to hopefully allow for more individuality.

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!!!

Emotion Monsters: Kindergarten

I was teaching my kindergarten students about "expression" in art.  We talked about this in relation to mood/emotion.  The students enjoyed making faces at each other...attempting to show MAD/HAPPY/SAD/ANGRY/SCARED.  We discussed what the face "did" to express emotion.  We also discussed colors and how they related to mood/emotion.  

Each student was given a 12x12 piece of white paper & a diffuser circle.  They were instructed to trace the circle onto the white paper.  They then placed the circle out of the way & created an emotion monster.  Students then took their circle and drew lines of color on the diffuser circle using water based markers.  I then sprayed their papers with water.  The following week they got both the paper and the circle back.  We created a second monster with the diffuser circle itself on black paper.  Students used construction paper crayons to finish the monster from the previous week....and they used construction paper crayons & collage to finish the new one.  

DENIAL PROJECT

So I've been in denial....denial that winter is going to rob me of time with my students.   I've missed 10 days of class time over the past 3 weeks.  BOOOO!!!!  I hate missing school...I really do.  So this past week I started doing these rain collages (because I want it to be spring...NOW!!!).  Well..it didn't work...because we missed Thurs. & Friday.  However...I'm loving these pieces.  We talked about composition, contrast, and reviewed the elements & principles.  I also tried out a class set of "glue sponges".  The kids loved the glue sponges...I'm a bit mixed on my feelings toward them.  Maybe I'll do a post on that later.

WKU Art Ed PD Continued

Ok, I'm a hot mess or something....

I never posted the rest of the pictures from the Professional Development I did up at 

Western Kentucky University?!?!?!  

Here is the short of it...

I assigned the groups an artist.  They had to use that artist as inspiration to create a unit.  The unit had to be made of several projects...using several different media.  They also had to create one RAZZLE DAZZLE project that was using multiple sources to create(more than one grade level...whole school..parents...teachers...etc).

This is "kind of" the process we use when we're creating our ARTOBER lessons...or other district art projects.  I think planning with other teachers is such a beautiful way to create deep & meaningful units/lessons!!!  They are able to encourage, challenge, and bring their experiences to the table. That keeps things fresh.

Hands Across Time & Place: 3rd Grade

My third graders have been looking at cultural connections world wide.  We've tried to find themes, similarities, and shared experiences.  We've really enjoyed looking at "HANDS" through out history...and through out the world! Here is a great website if you are interesting in doing a project such as this ....... CLICK!!! -WEBSITE ON HANDS-CLICK!!!

::QUESTIONS::

"WHY WOULD HANDS BE A COMMON/SHARED THEME AROUND THE WORLD & THROUGHOUT TIME?"

"WHY ARE HANDS STILL IMPORTANT TO US TODAY?"

"HOW CAN WE MAKE HANDS PERSONAL?"

Students started by tracing & cutting out their hand.  On their first day they selected their color palette & used color pencils to go around their hands. On the second day they used oil pastels, watercolor, construction paper, and construction paper crayons.  The oil pastels & watercolor had to be within the color palette the selected before...and the construction paper had to be a contrasting color.  I loved the results, but do think we could spend another class time adding a bit more to them.

Focal Point Paintings: 2nd Grade

        

My second graders were looking at focal point in art.  We discussed different ways artists create this, and did some practice drawings before moving on with our final piece.  I limited their color palette(each class was given a different set of three!) trying to simplify the design & push the idea of creating focal points.  I really like the variety I saw coming from my students in this project!!  

IRONY

So last night I was the moderator for a "TWITTER CHAT".  If you've never done one...they are fast paced, fun, and informative!!! (JOIN US AT #k12artchat THURS. 8:30PM CST)  Mine was dealing with COPY CATS IN THE ART ROOM.  Do you see the irony of this??? :) ha ha  I've got a plan though!!!!!  The individuality will prayerfully come out next class time when I allow the student to add in plants/birds/animals!!  At least in my head that is how it will turn out!?!?  I'll post once we start seeing the results.  Until then...I'm going to need to think more about practicing what I preach!!! ha!

And.....WE'RE BACK!

Oh my goodness!!  I'm hoping that is the last we see of snow days for the year!!!  We've had school 2 out of the past ten days!!  Nashville just isn't able to deal with the ice & snow.....mainly because they don't have the equipment.  I'm more thankful than ever that related arts switched to a rotating schedule this year.  Instead of looking at it as Monday - Friday...we look at it as Day 1 - Day 5.  So we always pick up where we left off. Last year things got very crazy in the spring...and I ended up seeing one of my K & one of my 4th only two times in a nine weeks!!!! TERRIBLE.    The kids seem excited to be back...well...at least most of them!  

SO OVER THE SNOW DAYS!!!!

We have now missed 7 days in a row of school.  I'm not a person that enjoys missing school...FOR ANY REASON.  One or two snow days....I can deal with it....but....THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS! I have an all school art show in little over a month...and being out so many days makes me very nervous about actually finishing the projects.  I always start on the projects for the art show as soon as we get back from Christmas break...but a couple of them backfired & I had to come up with new ideas.  I'm sure everything will come together...even if we're working on them the week before the show....but I really don't like feeling rushed or behind.  

I get what Lumiere said...."Life is so unnerving for a servant who's not serving!"  

#k12artchat

                                 

Join me and a ton of other cool art peeps from around the world tweeting it up Thursday night at 8:30pm central time!!  Never done twitter chat before...look at the handy dandy infograph below..and you should be able to jump right in!!  Don't forget to follow me @ArtWithMrE!!!!  See ya there!!

                                                   

                                             

  

What Would Jesus Glue?

You know those things that just make ya laugh....and you can't stop....and you want to share it with EVERYONE!!!  Well....this is one of those things for me.

I captured this picture from an Art Teacher Facebook page.  It is a real thing!!!! 

 I looked it up...here is the AMAZON link

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_office-products?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Walk+With+Jesus+Collection&node=1064954 

The comments under this picture had me in tears!!!!

"be forewarned, it might leave the paper HOLY"

"It's heavenly!"

"Wait until you try the Walk on Watercolors!"

"..when you think their isn't enough, it miraculously refills."

"Does this mean we need to establish separatioin of church and....art supplies?"

"Comes in a 12 pack...one will go bad & one will deny he ever glued you!"

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SIDE NOTE:

 I'm a Christian, and not ashamed to admit it.  I also am not ashamed to crack a joke or two at churchie Christian "sub" cultures!  I really don't understand the need for "Jesus" glue.  If you want to be a Christian company...then make the BEST GLUE EVER...

and treat your employees & customers like GOLD!!!! 

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Wester Kentucky University: Art Ed PD

Me at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY!  

This is just an hour drive north of Nashville.

I had the chance to speak at their annual professional development they have for their current students, and past graduates.  SO MUCH FUN!!!  I "ran" into the crew last year on my way to NAEA San Diego at the airport....and now have, what I hope to be, a great & lasting relationship

 with the Art Ed program at WKU!! 

(I'll do another post about what we worked on during my session!!!)

See this lady...if I turn up missing...it was her!!!(KIDDING!!!) 

She's a fan of Art With Mr. E...and was excited I came.  She also has a ton of energy...and I think would make an amazing blogger herself!! 

Here is the whole gang!!!

 Prof., As. Profs, Current Students, and Past Students

This is the coolest!!!  The WKU campus is a mix of VERY old & new....you can look at buildings and name the decade!! I LOVE THAT!  

Exit Tickets Mr. E's Way!

Do you do "Exit Tickets" in your room?  There was a big push in our district a few years ago.  I loved the idea..but wasn't sure how to "MAKE IT WORK" in my room(imagine Tim Gunn's voice).  Post-It Notes are expensive when you think of how many kids we see as art teachers!!  How could I make "Exit Tickets" work for me?

WELL LET ME TELL YA!!! 

I purchased a piece of foam core board from the Dollar Tree(yep..$1).  I purchased two packs of clothespins($2).  I hot glued the clothespins around the edge of the board..but completely on the board.  I felt if they were hanging off...they would break off/fall off easier.  The board gives them some support.  I used tacky glue to attach images I cut out of old/discontinued textbooks to make the whole thing a bit more fun & arty!!  I poked a hole through the foam core toward the top and reinforced the back with duct tape. I then used yarn the same color as my walls to hang it from my tile ceiling(using a paper clip to slide into the tile support bars).  I did this up against the wall.  I then got glued the paper clip to the support bar to make sure it didn't slip.  I also hot glued the board in two places on the back to make sure the laid flat to the wall...and some of the weight/stress was taken from the string.  You can use scarp paper...messed up/abandoned printed paper from the copy room/notebook paper....WHATEVER!!  They are clipping it to the board..so it doesn't have to be sticky!!

Ok..probably longer than you needed...but wanted to make sure I explained my process...in case anyone wanted to try it for themselves!

OH OH OH!!!

If you don't do exit tickets....all ya gotta do is ask a question to see what they got out of the lesson that day!! "Tell me one thing you learned today in art!"  It allows you to see what they learned...and maybe what you need to bring across better!! 

   

AOE Winter Conference 2015

I hope many of you took advantage of the AOE Winter Conference!!!  I was not able to watch all the presentations the day of because I was leading professional development at Western Kentucky University, but have really been enjoying the After Pass...to watch & rewatch the different presentations!!  Amazing content in short art teacher attention span bursts!!

I'm not really obsessed with selfies...though....it does seem that way!! ha ha  I was showing my environment for the portion of the conference I was able to attend.  The prof. at WKU locked me in the computer lab!!!! ha ha  It was nice quiet...and very very white?!?!?! :)  

OH OH...IT'S ME..IT'S ME!!!!!  It is always very odd hearing yourself...and watching yourself?!?!? Don't ya think??  I love to talk...love to share...not a fan of listening & watching myself.  Hope you all don't find me as annoying as I do! ha ha  

If you have not attended an AOE Conference before...they are great fun!! There will be another one this summer!!!!!!!  CHECK IT OUT!!!!  

Here is the recap from The Art Of Education site!! 

http://www.theartofed.com/2015/02/02/aoe-winter-2015-online-conference-recap/