NASHVILLE ARTS MAGAZINE: Guest Blog Post Aug.

Nashville Arts Magazine has asked me to do a monthly guest blog for their website.  This month the article is Art Teachers & Organization 

(click on the above link to read the article)

WRITE YOUR NAME

I always have a WRITE YOUR NAME board in my room. 

When they forget....I can just point & tell them there are no excuses!  

Crayon Border

My students always ask......"Are those real crayons?"

The answer is "YES!"  Many many years ago...a restaurant went out of business in our area.  They donated all of their 4 packs of crayons to our school.  There were HUNDREDS & HUNDREDS of boxes.  There was no real reason I needed all of them for coloring purposes.  So I decided to create a fun border/backsplash for my counter.  

It was pretty easy to do.  I cut cardboard to be a bit shorter than the crayons...and slathered it with craft/tacky glue.  I then rolled out the crayons and lined them up with the word crayons facing me.  They've lasted through three room changes!!!  A fun & festive DIY for the art room!

Want More Mr. E?

I just found out my proposal for NAEA Fort Worth was accepted!! 

Blogging & Other Shameless Self Promotion 

I am so excited!  I have never been to a national convention...and look forward to meeting as many of you as I possibly can.  Did anyone else apply?

Seeking Advice: Class Set Digital Cameras

My PTO president is trying to get a Smart Board in every classroom in our school.  She asked me if I thought I would use one....or if there was other technology I might like to have for the art room.  I have a laptop, LCD projector, and my Lady Bug....I'm pretty set.  However...I have long wanted a class set of digital cameras.  I want to have the information to provide her when I present my idea. So...who has a class set of digital cameras out there?!?!  

SWPBS...XYZ

Our school has adopted School Wide Positive Behavior Support (or something like that).  That means out with my old classroom management system....and in with SWPBS system. The classes are able to move up and down the scale...starting each day on green.  For recording what each class gets when they come, I used empty crayon boxes.  At the end of class, I place a stick that represents the color their class ended on.  At the end of the nine weeks, the class with the most blues/purples will receive a fun pencil(they are so excited).  

Welcome Sir-Arts-A-Lot

Sir-Arts-A-Lot comes to me from Ms. Malone's school ( http://msmalonesartroom.blogspot.com ).  He used to be in her school's library.  However, the new librarian wanted to clean house (the library was a bit cluttered).  No one wanted him!?!?!?!  Who wouldn't want a knight in their room?!?!?! So I adopted him.  He's taller than me...but I have a large classroom & he does not clutter up my space.   He holds the book of the week that I read to my kindergarten students.  

Red Grooms Inspired Collage Taxi: 2nd Grade

This year our district is focusing on Red Grooms for the Nashville Artober Celebration.  He is a home town ...and the kids love his work(the ones that we can actually show children!).  I'm having my 2nd graders create a collage taxi this week.  Next week we'll take their collage taxi and use markers to add to it...as well as do two profile drawings to place in the taxi windows.  In my mind this project is going to be a lot of fun...stay tuned to see if it actually works out.  

?!?!?!800?!?!?

Pure nuttiness?!?!  800 of you wonderful people are following Art With Mr. E!  That just blows my mind.  

I decided to tip my hat to the Line Design lesson.....I know that (and Pinterest) is what has brought many of you to my blog.  Hopefully you've not found me to be a one trick pony though....and have enjoyed the other content I've "put out there".  I would have never guessed 4 yrs ago when I started this blog...that I'd has such a wonderful community of people.  The questions, sharing, & ideas have challenged & encouraged me.  Thank You!

TEACHERS GET 25% OFF!!!!!!

I'm getting no kick backs from Jo-Ann's(trust me...I used to teach scrapbooking there).  I just wanted everyone that lives near a Jo-Ann's to know about this sale.  From what I understand..it is on non-sale & sale/clearance items.  That is pretty darn good!!!!  You need your teacher ID & a photo ID. 

 Happy Shopping!!!

Is Mr. E Moving???

Nope! ha ha  I am always looking out for the best way to store art work in my room.  It isn't easy when you see nearly 600 students a week(I know some of you see more...and hats off to ya!!!).  I got rid of my several old selves when they installed my built ins.  However, I did not like the idea of the art work laying out all messy looking.  I'm a bit OCD that way.  SOOOOOOOO...I wanted to box their work up to keep it orderly.  Plastic was too expensive for the 27 boxes I'd need.  So I purchased these boxes from Staples.  Still more than I wanted to pay, but not horrible.  They were 10 boxes & lids for $16.  All the same size..all the same color...WONDERFUL!  I have them arranged by grade level not days of the week...because my schedule is extremely screwed up.  More on that later!! ha ha  

APRONS!!!!!!!!!

I just received my latest batch of aprons from my friend Janet ( http://msmalonesartroom.blogspot.com ).  A couple years ago I began wearing aprons in my classroom as not to ruin everything I wear.  My students really enjoyed the fun/crazy aprons...but I only had 4 different patterns. I picking up fun (and on sale) fabrics over the summer, and Janet the Wonderful...graciously created 8 new aprons for me!!!  I may model some for you in a future post! ha ha ha

Did You Hear About The Possible da Vinci??

I looking through Yahoo! News today & found this article.  

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/possible-da-vinci-painting-found-scottish-farmhouse-could-183847385.html

I think it is pretty amazing that work by da Vinci is still (possibly) being discovered!  Makes me want to keep my eyes out at Goodwill, yard sales, and such!!! ha ha  

An Art Outlet During Inservice

My principal asked me to come up with something for inservice for two half hour sessions so the teachers could have fun creating together.  Our theme for the year is Cultivating a Community of Learners....so I went with a collage sunflower.  The teachers worked in teams of two and had access to a number of items to create & embellish their flowers.  

Sneak Peek Into Mr. E's Room 2012-2013

I've never felt this far behind before in creating my bulletin boards & organizing my classroom!!! I guess having two kiddos changes things.  I just be at school for a week or two before school nonstop like I use to when I was single....or even married without children?!?!  Family first though...and the bulletin boards will get done...sooner or later?!?! :)  ha ha  

Elmo ELMO

Guess what is under the Elmo?

AN ELMO!!!!  

This bit of fun was created by one of our Kindergarten teachers.  They were setting around talking about the plastic covers for their ELMO's....and one of the teachers said she'd make covers for them.  While she was at the fabric store, she found Elmo fabric.  TA-DA!!!!!  Elmo ELMO Cover!!!!

Not My Bulletin Boards..BUT COOL IDEAS!!!

These are a couple things happening in my hallway at school that I thought were fun & wanted to share.

Mrs. Manning is very proud of her board!!!  She actually had a parent get his picture by it today....and it wasn't her parent!?!!? ha ha    She doesn't always think of her self as a creative person, but I love this idea!!

She bought plastic Easter eggs (I'm sure on sale after Easter)...glittered them...and then hot glued them onto a CD.  The little alien she purchased through Oriental Traders, but I'm sure you could find something elsewhere(or have the kids make one out of Model Magic!)

She wrote the name on the CD...one for each of her students.  The girl aliens had bows!! ha ha  I think I might have used stickers for the kids names for an extra POW of color, but Sharpie works!!

Ms. C is a Pinterest QUEEN!  I'm not sure if she got this from Pinterest, but I wouldn't doubt it.  They are small paper plates that you can get just about anywhere.  Wal-Mart has them for a good price I know..and a large variety of colors.  She has a "WELCOME" sign above her door...and her Word Wall  with them inside her room!  It really adds a great pop of color!!

First Day Back!

We had our art in-service Friday at Cheekwood ( http://www.cheekwood.org/ ).  Marilyn Stewart was our guest speaker.  She is the author of the new textbooks we adopted from Davis Publishing.  The hat I'm wearing has to do with the fall Red Grooms push we're doing in our district.  I'll be linking that blog on here soon.  Janet, Julie (Art Matters), and I always help out at the inservice with registration...and always wear hats of some sorts(to be silly & bring a smile to the faces of fellow art teachers who may not be ready to go back).  

Janet...being Janet! :) ha ha  ( http://msmalonesartroom.blogspot.com )

Room full of elementary & middle school art teachers from our district!

Bob Ross Remixed : PBS Auto-Tune

Interesting how he & Mr. Rodgers sound a lot alike when auto-tuned!! 

Chair "Footies"

I have had many e-mailing me from Pinterest & Art With Mr. E ...."WHAT IS ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR CHAIRS?!?!"  So the best way to answer all of you who've asked...a blog post!! 

Felt is the material I use.  The pre-cut rectangles of felt sold at Wal-Mart or your local craft store works, but make sure you find a sale!!  You can also purchase felt by the yard...and it tends to be a bit of a thicker quality(not sure why...just does?!?!).  You will need a good pair of scissors & a thick rubber band.

Cut the felt into thirds. 

Fold it over once.

Center on the bottom of your chair leg.

Tie rubber band around felt in the groove where the "foot" of the chair meets the leg of the chair.  Hmm..guess that would be its ankle?

Keep looping it...over and over..until you can't loop it anymore.

There ya go!  No more tennis balls!!!!  

Usually my "footies" will stay on the chairs the whole year long if I've tied them on tight enough.  On average I have to replace about 5 individual footies during the school year, but there have been years I've only replaced 1(now that isn't a whole chair worth...just one leg!!!!!)  I like them because I can match my color theme for the year with no problem!!  They keep your floors looking new...and keep the chair from making horrible sounds!  At times a piece of lead or crayon will get caught & mark up your floor.  If you can't remove it from the felt...just take it off and flip it inside out...brand new!!!  

Summer is Ending

We start back to school on Friday!  This is our first year using a "balanced" calender.  It pretty much means 9 weeks on 2 weeks off...and then 7 weeks of summer (except for some reason this year..we are only getting one week at fall, but the following year we'll be 9/2 9/2 9/2 9/7).  I truly enjoyed my time with my babies this summer.  They have grown so much...and I'm happy I could be around for it.  Once school hits...I miss so much.  It will be hard leaving them (and my wife)every day, but I am thankful to have the job I do...I know so many men that are not able to be with their kiddos like I am blessed to as a teacher!!  

Oh..and if you are wondering...the pictures are from Cow Appreciation at Chick Fil A this summer!! ha ha