Teacher Journal

When I began teaching this year, I decided to keep a journal.  Every day when I get home, I spill out my day on the pages: both the good and the bad.  The simple act of writing my thoughts to paper helps me vent, and be done with the day!  Of course, I also write joys of the day.  Yesterday:  One of my 4th grade students said, ".....best lesson ever."  My heart warmed.  On the days when I feel I can't go on another day, a smile from a student, a little side hug, or a comment like above really helps me realize I am teaching for the joy of doing so, and my job is to teach the students about art. At the end of the day I mostly feel I succeeded.
So, teachers, grab a pen, write down what's happening in your teaching life. By the way, I have only gone back through my journal one time: I was looking for something specific on one day. But other than that, I probably won't read it until the end of the year. And then, I hope to say, I was successful and I will be ready for another year next year. 
Better get writing....

MAT Cards I made. Inspiration for many!

Fortunately Flip Books

Fortunately, over a year ago I found a wonderful book entitled, Fortunately written and illustrated by Remy Charlip. The title and author's name intrigued me, so I bought it at a used book store for 25 cents.  Published by The Trumpet Club, copyright 1964. ISBN 0-440-84755-9. 

Fortunately, thanks to two great fifth grade teachers in my master's class, they showed me how to make a flip book. They have students make them for science, reading, etc.

Making art lesson plans for this year,  I thought it would be fun for my art students to make flip books.  Students would draw the illustrations for it,  and learn the definition fortunately, folding paper and making their books.

Fortunately,  this project turned out to be a good lesson in language arts, drawing, writing, creativity, folding paper, plus observing and following directions.  I am amazed at the stories the students wrote.  Of course, other new words were learned as they learned how to spell more words for their stories.  One student realized that he could begin with  fortunately and end his book with fortunately.  The students colored the fortunately pages, and left the  unfortunately pages (black and white) just like in the book.
Unfortunately, many didn't finish after 2  30 minute class periods, but they got to take them home. Fortunately they will finish them, and fortunately they will share with their parents, friends and family. 


How to make a flip book:  1) Line up two 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper vertically, making the botttom sheet a half inch or inch higher, but still keep them in a stack as below.

                              
2)  Take the bottom, flip the paper up to bend it and fold to make a crease about 1/2 inch or 1 inch from the bottom of the  two lines made from doing so.  Make a good crease and fold.

 3) Turn the papers so the folded pages are facing down. Make sure both pieces of paper are lined up and  folded together. Staple about a 1/4 inch from the fold to make the pages into a book.
 
                                         

                 


Students can write the title and draw their pictures in the horizontal position (as shown  below) or they may turn the "book" vertically and  write and draw their illustrations inside.  My students chose Fortunately as their titles. Students were also required to have an illustration that summed up the story of their book on the "cover" as seen below.

We discussed having a colored drawing to attract attention that would make people want to read their books.  Did you know that most cover art for books  are created AFTER the book is written? I hope you try this with your students, friends, or your own kids.  Fortunately it will be fun! 

The importance of Technology in Art

A 3-5 minute video at the beginning of class or to aid in my instruction is proving wonders.  Many of the art students are after all, visual and auditory learners.  I may then add in a short book, and/or demonstrate and then guided practice, then independent practice and monitoring/assisting as necessary. I sometimes wait to show "My" example so the students won't copy me.  They need to learn to use their creativity/own ideas. The 2-5th grades students are all learning various twists on line and shape.  They are doing amazingly well.  K-and 1st grades students are learning about creating various things from shapes.  We are having lots of fun! And, we are painting in almost every grade at all 4 of my schools.  I love teaching art!

 I want to share some videos I have used in my art classes that have worked.  They are seen over and over by me, but for the students it's their first time.  They love it!  I have also learned that using sounds from my Ipad are effective as well.  Now, here are some of videos.  Enjoy. 

Elements of Art: Line 

Shapes Song

Wassily Kandinsky paintings

Four Seasons Rap Song

Kanndinsky Oil Pastel Lesson Plan

Building a Relationship with Students

My teaching at four elementary schools means I go from one school to the next; sometimes going to two schools in one day.  I do not know all my art students names, but know a handful in each class.  I do know that I have tried to build a relationship with a few students or a group in each of my classes.  There is always one or two particular students that I have built a relationship with because we like the same things.  Sports:  KU Football and Basketball; cats, music, etc. 
Why is it important to have a relationship with my students?  It shows that I care about what they are doing in their lives, and that we can talk about almost anything. I usually ask if they had a good weekend, or if it's a Friday, what are their plans. I try to keep things real.  I want my students to feel comfortable and trust me.  Sure we do cool art projects, and I want them to learn and have fun.  But, without a trusting and personal relationship where they know about me, and I know something about them, I think my teaching would not be as effective. 
After my 4th grades finished their Creative Names project, they all filled out a form, "All About Me".  I even shared one I filled out about me.  Then, they shared their information  from their form with another student, and I read some of them, too.  I learned about them. 5th graders did a short quiz and I learned that many really wanted me to know what they had learned.
A professor in my masters' program said, "It's all about relationships."  She is right.  How much time do teachers really spend getting to know their students?  For me, over a 1,000 students is too many to get to know personally, but I can focus on a few in each class, and build relationships with them, and then gradually build more relationships with others.  It will make all the difference in their lives, and mine.

What does Random mean?

Random!  

As a quiz for  two of my 5th grades classes last Friday at one of my four elementary schools,  I asked three questions.
1) What does random mean? Define
2) What does the acronym ROYGVB mean? Define
3) List the colors from the acronym your class chose for your project:  ROBVP or RYGBP.

I thought I would share their answers.  Not only did a good portion of the students know what random meant, but they were able to list the colors for ROYGVB and ROBVP or RYGBP. We had learned these colors and terms over the course of the last couple weeks. However, some students spelling of the words and colors provided me with interesting reading!!  The following answers are verbatim. The only addition is adding { } for a word. 

Random: 
You are different; you do something out of the unordanary;  I like to dance: crazy out of the black choose in a un recunized order; something out of the oridenrnery. You just pick one; Non specific; just do something without thinking; random is a word out of the blue; to do something out of nowere; something unexped;  uneckspeted;  anything that comes to your mind; weird, different; something srasy happins something popes out of know where; random means its chosen from a set of letters or numbers; something just that comes rough; random on expectid. Random means multiple things.


ROYGBV= Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Violet.  The primary and secondary colors on the color wheel.  However, the students spelling of the color is a little different.
Oregenge, oragnge orang and orgh;  Yello, yeloy; Villot, vilot, vilet, vilit; blow {blue}

The students had chosen their colors for their class projects the week before. 
The color acronyms for Class 1 were:  ROBVP. Red, Orange, Blue, Violet and P=Pink. I told them the color wheel had all the colors but one.  Because this color was a tint, and not on the color wheel.  There was a color wheel in the room for them to see.     The other acronym for Class 2 was RYGBP.  Red, Yellow, Green, Blue and P=Pink.  Most of the student got these acronyms as well.

It was a fun quiz, and while the students self-assessed,  it was good for me to know what they had learned  so that I could, if needed, do some formative assessment in my teaching.  The quiz set the tone for their project, Color sticks.  The students loved the randomness of it, and did a great job! 

Literature and Visual Arts

Well, the school year has started. After only 3 days, I am tired.  17 classes in 3 days!  8 on Friday alone!  But, it was worth it to see the kids laugh, learn and have fun drawing, and working together as a team!  
After learning the art ARTSY rules, each for almost every class, I read and we discussed the main ideas of  the book/story.

The Crayon Box that Talked, and drawing crayon friends=Kindergarten; Friends and Jack Rabbit Jack and drawing the characters=First; The Kissing Hand, and creating one for a team member=2nd grade; T-shirt team share and design=3rd grade; Rapunzel's Escape Route teamwork=Fourth; and Compliment Game and Random Drawing=5th grade.

I soon lost count how many times I told each story, for some crossed over into other grades, and we discussed how important respect is and if we don't show it, we hurt people, or we get hurt, too.

What a three days!  Now, on Monday and Tuesday I will tell the stories all over again, to a different set of students, at one school to 19 classes!  New students, new art drawings to be completed and shared.

Teachers that include a literary concept (book) and language arts like I do and integrate it with visual arts, will see a difference in student's attention span and behavior. The minute I began drawing or reading, they were with me doing as I asked and listened.  Five minutes=it was worth it. It set the base for the lesson.  Another fun thing was to have them guess the acronym of my rules: ARTSY.: Always; Respect, Think, Start, and You.  I won't give away my set of rules, but for K-5 you can probably figure them out. 

And the art terms we covered: Random, lines: vertical, diagonal, horizontal; shapes, colors,  rhythm. 

So, off I go again to teach my students. Their smiles, and genuineness to really learn and have fun in art is why I teach. Intrinsic rewards for me, and I hope for the students when they are successful.

Another School Year

copyright 2013 LGates/Artteacher1359

Another school year is upon us teachers. My school begins on Wednesday.  The students will come in quiet, shy and or happy to see old friends. Others, like me, will come in ready to meet all my new art students. 

Everyone will be kinda scared as they don't know what to expect from their teachers.  Let me assure you, students, we teachers are scared, too.  Some of us have new schools, many schools, and some are just starting their teaching careers.  No one knows what to expect, we just hope for the best.  There is always someone to help.  Everyone needs help.
  
I got this little book from Unity, called "Keep the Faith!" by Martha Smock.  I really like this quote:  
"You are learning, you are growing, and you have much more faith and understanding than you realize."
Enough said.  

Together, teachers, students and even parents will learn and grow this new school year.  Let's keep the faith!  Keep it positive! Good luck everyone!