What I learned from my students... today!

I am always learning things from my students and usually it has a lot to do with "what is cool."  Today in the middle of class a student made my world SO MUCH BETTER!  I am not sure why I never thought of it, but I hadn't...

In the middle of a lecture on forms, as I was saying, "this is a lot harder to do with markers..." One of my kiddo's said, "why don't you use the crayon?"

Use the crayon?
Why that would make a ton of sense!
I was so used to drawing with the smart boards pens that I never thought to change the pen style to crayon.... but it Rocks!

I can actually get some gradual shading into my example drawings.  

I am so grateful that my student shared such a great idea (even if it was a blurt during lecture)!

Some notes from class:

Art Folders

Every year we start with creating a new art folder for each student.  This is where they keep their notes, sketches and in-progress work.  I try to come up with new things for them but I just had to repeat this project for my fifth graders covers.  It really does show them why art is so awesome.

As the students get ready you give them 5 directions

1. Draw 4 straight lines from one side to the other.
2. Draw 5 circles any size, anywhere
3. Draw 2 lines that start on the edge, curve and end somewhere in teh middle
4. Color a minimum of 3 circles and 6 areas
5. Demonstrate craftsmanship!

And then be prepared to see how they finish them.

they are all so unique and so much fun.  It also helps me get a sense of their personalities.  You can check out more at Artsonia. 

The 6th graders worked on their covers and this year we used them as review.  We reviewed our negative shapes from last years painting project and we reviewed patterning lines.  Then they got to work.  Their goal was to write their name WITHOUT writing their name... to let the patterns create them.  It was hard to do but I loved how they turned out.

Check out more at Artsonia.

Can't forget...

I almost forgot to post about my artwork.  The NATA conference also hosts the Juried Art Educator Art Show.  I had a piece accepted and it was pretty awesome!

Comparing my piece to the others I felt honored to be in their presence.  There are some really talented art teachers out there (DUH!) and was I moved to be in a show with them.  This also made me get excited about creating more of my own artwork!

It is always neat to see your stuff hanging in an art gallery!

Nebraska Art Teacher Association

Well I did it...

I presented at my state convention...

and I survived!

It was a bit nerve wracking (it is a lot easier to feel confident in front of 30 5th/6th graders than 15 of your peers) but it was also a lot of fun.  I had to switch things up a bit with the computer.  My feedly account wouldn't open in internet explores but would in foxfire and even then I couldn't get my account to open but could start a new one... and ended up starting one for the person who presented before me.  I ended up running through my PowerPoint and then demonstrating which means I covered the information faster than planned to and jumped around more than I wanted to but the people I knew in the presentation said they could follow what I was doing.  (they were my friends though....hmmmm).

I have to send a huge thank you out to Timothy Bogatz (check him out at  http://eastartroom.wordpress.com/) who presented right before me.  He helped me get through the computer glitches, taught me about how to use twitter without it being a time suck (thank you tweetdeck) and he allowed me to start him a Feedly account in which he is following some girly home improvement blogs I love.

It was definitely different spending a few days wandering around my college stomping grounds with one of my best college buddies.  I felt like I could be right back in the swing of things ... until I over heard some "real" college kids say, "look there goes some adults. Bet they are here for that art conference."

Wayne State College did a great job of hosting us and two things really stand out to me...

#1 How much work the college art ed students did.  They were everywhere; presenting, guiding, running the show.  They even recreated their "Black Box Theater" for us.  They painted clear plastic with florescent paint and hung them in a black room with black lights.  It was really awesome!  You walked in and were blown away.  

#2 The Sistine Chapel at the planetarium.  The WSC science staff used their planetarium technology to allow us to sit and enjoy the Sistine Chapels's ceiling.  It was awesome!

Not my lesson... But I have to share!

I love it when other teachers share what they have done in their room with me.  I teach with some really fun, awesome, amazing and creative teachers.  Just last week a teacher came down and handed me a stack of papers and said, "check these out.  They are awesome."  He was right.  They were pretty cool.  He had done them the first few days of school as a way to get to know more about the kids.

He started by giving each student a piece of paper with this line on it.

They used the line to create some fun and creative images. 

Did you find the line in each picture? 

I am thinking this would make an awesome and easy sub plan...

Planbook?

I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed with paperwork lately.  I feel like I am a doing  a lot of "doubling up."

1. Lesson plans sketched out in my paper calendar (I can't get rid of it)
2. Typed lesson plans in Google Drive.
3. Weekly overview typed in Google Drive.
4. Lesson plans linked to my Google Calendar. 

Last week I was introduced to Planbook.com and it looks like something I might like.  I was just wondering if anyone out there uses it and what they think of it?

p.s. Art pictures/projects coming tomorrow!

Feeling a little lighter...

So I just finished going through all my paperwork... and man did it feel AWESOME!

You know how we all get paperwork and then we put it into the "I'll deal with it later, its not top priority pile"  Well tonight it became priority.  To the left is the keepers, to the right are the recyclers!  It is awesome to think that I am carrying about 1/2 as many papers!     

So now my thoughts turn to what else I might want to tackle... I was just noticing that my district is open on the Nebraska Art Teachers Association Board.  It is has left me contemplating if that would be something good for me. 

With the house moving I think it is best left off my plate for this year, but is something I am really thinking about for next year... 

Wow...that really is my name on the presenting schedule.  YIKES!