Reduce Reuse, ReIMAGINE: Kindergarten

I did not mount the work on anything because of the weight of the project.  I was afraid if I glued it to another piece of paper...they'd be poppin' off the wall!!!  There is a base paper that they glued on their green painted paper....tissue paper circles for the flowers ....cut fabric for the leaves...plastic lids for the centers...and beads/buttons glued in the lids for a little texture.  

ALL SCHOOL ART SHOW: Reduce, Reuse, REIMAGINE

I had fun making the letters for my ad-board in the main hall!  I used just about everything I could find in my room...cardboard boxes, old teacher examples, wall paper samples, cereal boxes..etc  

This was the entrance into the show.  I had my students make the flower chains out of magazines, newspaper, and scrap construction paper.  

Can't forget the cookie table!!!  I ask my teachers to each bring in a pack of cookies. They are usually more than happy to help....because they love the art show & know how much it means to their students.  Though usually only about half of the teachers remember to bring cookies in....there are always more than enough!!

Early Morning Before The Art Show

This is what I found in my driver's seat the morning of the art show!  My sweet wife got me a few of my favorite things to help me make it through the day....TEA, SOUR PATCH KIDS, & PRETZELS!!!  She also gave me a very sweet card!!  Lucky man am I!  Art show week is not easy...and requires a lot of extra hours to pull everything together.  I was at work till 6pm Monday & Tues...and 7:30 Wed. & Thurs.  I also stayed up till midnight or later each night prepping things at home.  It helps to have a wonderful supporting wife....who understands the craziness(she was a 3rd grade teacher & math coach for 9 yrs before staying home with our kids).  I'm ready for an almost normal life to resume!!  The next few days I'll post pictures from the art show.  Hope you enjoy!   

!ART SHOW!

T.G.E. Annual Art Show

REDUCE-REUSE-REIMAGINE

Using Recycled Materials in Art Making

Thursday

April 18, 2013

5pm-7pm

This is a come & go event! Chick-Fil-A night is also going on..so make it a fun evening for the family! Grab some chicken…and come back for some great art!!

*I always try to have one piece of art from every k-4 student at TGE.  However, if students were absent a good bit…or newer to our school there is a chance they may not have a work in the show.

Remembering April 16, 1998

Today is the anniversary of my first classroom my first year of teaching being destroyed by a tornado.  

ha ha ha TOP THAT FOR A FIRST YEAR TEACHER STORY!!!!!!!!  ha ha ha

I had no idea I was moving into part of tornado ally, but now they are just part of life in Nashville Metro.  I also had no idea tornadoes could even hit a city?!?!!?  That is my rural Appalachian root showing I guess?!?! 

ANYWAYS?!?!!?  It was report card time again, and I had been staying at school until 6pm almost every night.  However, on this particular day...I was driving to work in the pouring rain, and a belt got "thrown" on my car.  I was able to drive to a repair shop near my school, and call someone to come get me.  That meant I'd not be able to stay and work after school though.  All day we had tornado warnings/watches...and had to come back into the main building several times.  I would have people knock on my door though, because my P.A. system was not working in my portable.  The end of the day came....and my ride was ready to take me to see if my car was ready.  As we left...we had no idea that a tornado was right behind us!    We stopped at the repair shop, but my car was not ready yet.  My friend said she'd be happy to take me home.  As we drove past Opry Land Hotel...the hail started coming down.  We pulled over because it was almost impossible to see.  As the hail cleared....we started on our way once more.  However, we quickly saw the tornado dropping out of the sky less than a quarter of a mile from where we were...and pulled over once more.  I'll never forget the sight, but could never truly describe it.  My friend said, "What do we do? Do we get in the ditch?"  Looking at the ditch full of water & power lines over head...I told her I thought we were safer in the car.  WE PRAYED.  We also watched.  The funnel dropped down and went through a building in front of us...then crossed the road we were on.  We had no idea that this tornado had just went through our school...destroying many of our portables and doing unbelievable damage to the neighborhood.  

It was several days before I was allowed back to see the damage to my classroom.  I had been told it was bad...and to prepare myself.  The portable had been pulled off its foundation and landed on a car that was parked next to it(the teacher seemed to blame me for this?!?!?).  Parts of the roof were missing & there were holes on opposite walls were something went straight through.  All the kids art was ruined.  Many of my supplies were saved because of storing them in Sterilite containers!!!(still a brand I trust)

I taught the rest of the year going from classroom to classroom(no cart..that was destroyed too).  My home base was on the stage in the cafeteria.  What memories!?!?!?!  I guess the bright side was....the following year we got brand new portables that actually had running water in them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

SO...next time you want to complain about your first year of teaching...THINK TWICE!  Someone has probably had it worse (even worse than me!!).  

Art Show Prep

If you have ever done an all school art show....you know it is A LOT of work.  There are so many things people don't even think about.  This being one of them.  Know what the little balls are?  Wall Tack  I have been using some of this stuff for over 10 yrs now!!!  After the show you ball it all up till you need it again the next year.  Pre-making the balls does speed up things when I'm hanging the show at school...and I can do them while at home watching TV.  My fingers are little sore, but I'm glad I have this job done!  Now what is next on my list.......

Daddy Moment

Tonight was Daddy Daughter Night at Chick-Fil-A!  Carriage ride, free ice cream, pictures with the cows, stuffed cow....good times!!!!!!!!!!!!  Margaret LOVED it(again).  I hope she continues to for years to come.  

I edited this picture in BeFunky.com.  My beautiful girl!!!!

Our Last PD Day of 2012-2013: Print Making

We are very fortunate to have had 5 PD days focused on studio, and 1 PD day on iPads this year!  We are in the process of trying to set PD days for next year.  Our director is retiring....and our new director is focusing mostly on music as of right now.  So, our old director is trying to get this in place for us before she's gone!!(LOVE YOU CAROL!!!!)  We brainstormed with the group that was at the printmaking workshop(almost everyone had been to one or more other of the PD days!).  They came up with some wonderful topics we might consider for next year: Kindergarten, Lit/Books in the Art Room, Math in the Art Room, Special Needs, Watercolor, Green Projects & Homemade Supplies, Pinterest Projects, TN Artists...and much much more!!! 

ENJOY THE PRINT MAKING PROJECT FOR THE TEACHERS THAT ATTENDED THE WORKSHOP!

??!?!?! "I'll Risk It" ?!?!?!?!

Weaving is normally my fav. time of the year!!  I LOVE IT.  This group of 4th graders though have been taking some of the joy out of the project for me.  Yesterday...I felt my blood pressure rise(and I don't have high blood pressure).  I sat by a student that usually gives me some trouble in class...and noticed he had double jumped his string.  So I pointed out his mistake, and told him just to go back a couple rows and fix it....NO BIG DEAL!   He looks at me and says... "I'LL RISK IT."  I wasn't really sure what he was talking about...so I pointed to the mistake again and told him to go back and fix it.  He says again..."I'LL RISK IT"  I say....RISK WHAT?  He repeats himself..."I'll risk it".  I realize he is telling me in his short yet disrespectful phrase... I'M NOT GONNA FIX ANYTHING..I'LL RISK THE CONSEQUENCES...I DON'T CARE TO DO WHAT YOU ARE TELLING ME TO DO.  

WHAT?!?!?!??!?! 

When this all clicked in my head...I told him..."You aren't risking anything...YOU WILL GET AN F! "

He says once more with a smile on his face..."I'll risk it."  OH MY GOSH.  Walk away...just walk away!!! (I told myself)  Have you all heard this phrase?!??!?!  My sister..who works in social work...says that is a new thing with the high school kids. I told my friend Janet...she told me the next time he says it...to get the scissors out  and cut it apart..and say...RISK THAT! ha ha ha

Goin' Buggie - 3rd Grade

I know when I think of spring...I think of BUGS!!!  So I have my 3rd graders creating bugs with patterns.  They are really enjoying it, and the projects are turning out super fun so far!

Color Me Impressed!!!

You have those moments were you are just so impressed with a child's work...ya gotta tell some one!  Well, after e-mailing his mom...and stopping any teacher I saw in the hall....I decided I needed to share it with you as well.  I was introducing colored pencils for the first time with my Kindergarten students. I just don't even want to deal with it first semester.  The sharpening is really the issue with the K's.  By now though...I feel they have a handle on it...and are ready for colored pencils.  I showed them blending/mixing, and value before turning them loose!  This student filled up his page with this drawing better than most...but the color really took me by surprise.  He did such an amazing job with blending the red/pink in the center flower...and the yellow to red was looking so wonderful on the top right hand flower!!! 

 I can't wait for him to finish it up!!!!

I HAVE A ZENTANGLE NAMED AFTER ME!!!!

Several weeks ago I was contacted about the Line Design project I do with my students.  Shawn asked me if she could submit the design to the Zentangle pattern site & name it after me.  I made sure to tell her it was not my original project...but it seemed to be a popular project that has brought many to my blog.  I did not want to take credit for a project that has probably been around for decades!

Soooo...here it is...the Mr. E! 

http://tanglepatterns.com/2013/04/how-to-draw-mr-e.html

Colossal Coaster World : It Begins!!!

Yes, Easter just happened, but we're in full swing getting ready for VBS this summer!!!  My wife is in charge of the children's ministry at my church until we hire a full time children's minister....so that means I'm along for the wild ride!  It is a big deal at our church..because we usually have around 500 kids attend (and our church is only about 300 members total!).  I'm going to be posting some of the crafts that I'm tweaking  & developing to help any of the other craft leaders.  So I hope you don't mind those popping up from time to time.  This coaster car I created for a photo booth we had up during our Easter egg hunt to start promoting VBS.  I asked my wife to buy the backdrop..because I just didn't have time (or energy) to paint it. I think it turned out pretty good!!  (Please don't tell her I posted that picture..ha ha!!!)

AND WE'RE BACK.....

We just returned to school after our 2 week spring break!!!  This was the first year for the 2 week thing...so I'm still deciding on if I am a fan or not.  I think so...but it sure was hard to come back!!!!! ha ha  

I'll be posting some pics of spring break stuff, but I thought I'd start with PEEPS!!

I may have a problem... but my wife totally enables it!!  Each year I'm excited to look in my Easter basket and find a rainbow of Peeps & Peep Products!!!!!!!    This should last me a month or so...maybe!  ha ha 

Op Art: 4th Grade

                                     

This was a very simple way to do Op Art.  I'd like to pursue it more, 

but it was a great start!  

The students loved it, and to my surprise...really had the patience

 to complete such a project!!!  

                                                                                                      
                                     
                                     

Spring Break Project

So during our spring break(2 weeks long this year)...I've been working on this painting.
My friend Janet ( http://msmalonesartroom.blogspot.com/ ) just bought a home, and asked me to create a work of art for her.  The photograph doesn't capture all the color & brush work, but it is bright, bold, and basically just a fun piece (oh..and very large 30in x 40in ) I've not done much personal art work...so it was fun to have this project!!  

More Clay Facades: 4th Grade

As I was grading...I came across some fun paint jobs on the clay facades.  I'm thinking I'll reinvent this project next year....just not thrilled with the majority of them(the ones pictured I do like).