Look out! My classroom is full of dart frogs, falcons and one angry, great white shark! Second graders have been studying endangered animals and of course we had to S.T.E.A.M it out and do some awesome animal paintings. Students started out by sketching out their animal (I printed out a picture and if I could … Continue reading Pop Art Animals
Colorful Chameleons
First grade started their unit in color! After reading the book A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni, I showed the class how to draw chameleons step by step (weird voices help - and letting them put their own twist on them like a mad face, etc.) Next was the fun part - painting! I … Continue reading Colorful Chameleons
Lego Selfies
I came across this project on a really cool art education blog and knew my fourth graders would love it. After a mini-lesson on the basic shapes that make up a lego body, students dove right in. The next class was all about creating value through shadows and/or color. I gave them a blank lego figure (like … Continue reading Lego Selfies
Everglades and Art Competitions
Art competitions are a controversial subject among teachers. Do you risk getting a student's hopes up? Who's judging these things anyway? And isn't is about the process not the product? With these thoughts in mind, I made the decision take part in a juried art exhibit called Literacy Through Art at the Hart Memorial Library. … Continue reading Everglades and Art Competitions
Pop Art Self Portraits
Oh Pop Art - the source of endless interesting discussions/potential projects/pinterest pages. Alas, I could only fit in one self portrait project inspired by Lichtenstein. Fourth and fifth grades spent about four classes drawing their portrait on pre-dotted paper, adding color using colored pencils and paint and outlining in sharpie. As an intro (what I … Continue reading Pop Art Self Portraits
Sharpie Wielding Six-Year-Olds
I really believe students will live up to your expectations - if you expect great things, they will show you that. If you expect a room full of chaos - they will show you that too. With this in mind, I took a chance and used permanent markers with kindergarten and first grade. And they … Continue reading Sharpie Wielding Six-Year-Olds
Maternity Leave in the Art Room
A short seven weeks ago, I was running around my classroom finishing up prepping for maternity leave. Frantically photocopying, finishing power points and furiously organizing supplies. This is partly because I am a notorious procrastinator and partly because I wanted everything to be perfect. I left that evening with the cleaning crew - pretty satisfied … Continue reading Maternity Leave in the Art Room
Iyanla Fix My Classroom
It turns out that being pregnant, teaching 750 students a week AND updating a blog at least once a week is a lot of work- because I haven't been doing it. This summer, as I envisioned my organized classroom full of eager students deeply engaged in meaningful art making, I was sure creating a world-class … Continue reading Iyanla Fix My Classroom
Six Year Olds + Wet Glue = Triumph
My greatest accomplishment for the second week of the new school year: successfully using wet bottled glue with kindergarten and first grade. This from the teacher who, last year, spent two full classes practicing procedures for painting WITH NO ACTUAL PAINT. I've learned the importance of song, repetition and anthropomorphism when teaching new skills to … Continue reading Six Year Olds + Wet Glue = Triumph
It’s Almost Here!
The first day of the school year is right around the corner! It's been a busy few weeks setting up my classroom, preparing lessons and attending meetings. Here's a peek into our soon-to-be messy classroom:
Paint Think Play 