Hi Ho, Hi, Ho Its off to work I go

In less then two weeks it will be the offical start to a new school year.

All summer long I have looked foward to this time. I was excited for what I have planned. I am still excited that I am getting to use all of my classroom this year.

I just wish I had more time. But then again my students are probably wishing the same thing.

I have so many wonderful art projects planned for this first semester classes that I just cant wait to teach them as well as see the work the students will come up with. I plan to get more art projects done this time around. Last year I was only able to get 6-7 projects done with each grade level. This time around I am hoping to get 10 projects.

I dont know if this is ambitous of me but I know the students want more and it isnt fair that they cant get more cause the class is only half a year.

We will just have to see.

Education Wednesday

The end of the school year is always a bit depressing.

Mostly cause I hate having to take down everything in my classroom only to have to do it again in August. lol. Guess that is what happens when they use the room during summer school (no, there are no art classes in summer school)

Apparently I am a lot messier then I believe during the school year. While cleaning my room I kept finding things I thought was lost... papers I was looking for, paintbrushes, sponges, etc. I really need to stay organized better.

And my desk really needs to be neater then this. Although these pictures were taken during the last week of school when everything was being pulled apart, this is really what my desk looked like all year.

I call it creative chaos... others call it messy. I really need a maid at school and at home. Hopefully next year will be better. I am already coming up with ideas that would be helpful... hopefully.

Education Wenesday

I try to teach a very multicultural curriculum in my art room. Although I may not be completely versed in all types and forms of art history I tend to do a serious amount of research before teaching the topics to my students.

Here in Maryland, 7th grade students cover both Ancient and Modern China in Social Studies. I love the idea of matching what they are learning in their core classes to art that I had to jump on this chance.

Here I covered the history behind Chinese Calligraphy and we discussed the popularity of the Calligraphy Characters as tattoos. I gave the students a list of commonly used Chinese Characters and they had to choose three that represented parts of themselves like honesty, trustworthy, courage, etc.

The only hard part was to use the calligraphy brushes in the traditional manner. Trust me when I tell you that creating Chinese Calligraphy isnt as easy as one would think. This art form takes years and years of practice to get it right. After one afternoon of trying to do it told me that I dont have the patience to study Chinese Calligraphy.

But the students loved it!!! All my other grades wanted to do the project and didnt understand why they couldnt. My answer to them was that each grade does different projects just like in the core classes they learn different topics and study different things each year. Well, that didnt go over very well. But my 6th graders are really excited to do this project next year.

Education Wednesday

In trying to figure out how to incorperate my job as an art teacher into my personal art blog, I decided that every Wednesday is going to be "Education Wednesday" from now on!!!

YEAH!!!! (I know --- it is really exciting).

I thought as my first Education Wednesday post I would focus on something that is really upsetting to me about the American Education System and it is extremely important that everyone knows about this.

It is call "Last In, First Out". This is the system of education layoffs for teachers throughout the States. Instead of explaining it to you, I am going to show you.

You should Know about......

Newest Miss Representation Trailer (2011 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection) from on Vimeo.

This trailer really spoke to me when I watched it this morning.... I am always one to show that you need to be a strong, intellegent woman and not just the blonde bimbo you see on TV.

Working with children you see all the misconceptions that the world has about the female population and what the media is really doing to the future women of our nation. It wasnt that long ago that women were not allowed to go to school, to read, write or even think for herself. It wasnt that long ago that women could not vote for our leaders.

Today the women of our nation are practically giving all the rights that soo many work hard to achive back by filling in the roles that we are told we must be a part of because we are the "weaker sex".

March is Womens History Month. I always make it a point to share famous female artists with my students since these women are always over looked. Yesterday we looked at Mexican artists Frida Kahlo. Out of all the female artists she is the one almost everyone knows (that and having a movie made of her life helped :] ).

Time of Change

Detail of new abstract painting c.2011

Each week sundays begin a new week. This new week brings a lot of changes for me. The first semester of school is done and with that closure I let go of my 8th grade classes (for in middle school art is only half a year). This new week brings to me 6th and 7th grade classes. I am so excited at the prospect of getting to know a new group of students and about the art we will create together.

The past few weeks I have been working hard to get ready for them. Sometimes so hard that I didnt spend as much time as I wanted to creating for me. However yesterday I was able to spend some time working on an abstract painting for a friend. She is having her house warming party next saturday and I want to give it to her as a gift. Hopefully I will have it finished in time.

Color Theory

Working with my students on color theory.

Above is the color wheel example I created for them. I love crayons!

Looking in the mirror

49/365 Domo Self Esteem
Originally uploaded by Chris Gritti


I was never one to walk around with my head held high. I was never one to believe in myself.

Then things changed. As I got older and wiser, I started seeing myself in new ways. I started looking at myself differently. I dont know if it was because of my art, my sorority sisters, age or my faith. But I changed.

Lately I have been reverting to my old self. The me that is worried about how I look, worried about what others think of me and my art. It is like being in middle school all over again. Then again I am teaching in a middle school and see my students go through the same transition I did.

Maybe I am channeling their emotions and self esteem issues. Maybe I am seeing a bit of me in each one of them.

I just need to remember that I am me and that is the best I can be. I need to remember that I am a winner and that I value myself.

Teaching Inspiration

I have been MIA lately for several reasons. Between family visits, the beginning of the school year and my computer crapping out on me life has been a bit hetic.

Week one of the school year is down and I cant wait to see the amazing work my students will create this year.

Working with my students has been such a creative inspiration to me. The joy on their faces when they finally get it! It is such an amazing feeling. And that is what makes being an art teacher so great!

Inspiration 5: Kindness

kindness
Originally uploaded by littlelakey

The idea of kindness as inspiration has always facinated me. The concept of being kind to another acts as inspiration for all who see.
With the school year rushing up on me I think back to the past year of my teaching. The kindness of my fellow educators both in my subject area and out; the suprising kindness of my students -- those select few who let me into their lives and opened their hearts and minds to me. I just hope that I can continue to send and recieve such kindness in the future.

This school year I change locations and age groups but my desire for educating is the same and hopefully I can bring with my the inspiration of kindness.

Everyone has had a teacher.

Everyone has had a teacher.
Originally uploaded by mamklpx
As I sit here on a three day weekend, I am of course grading papers and tests.

Yes... there are exams in an art class. I know it is weird but I do give exams in my art classes.

As I am grading them I am beginning to understand the frustrated faces on my high school teachers when they handed back graded tests when the scores weren't what they expected.

But there are always those select few that have made grading these a joy. The smile that crossed my face when I realized that a few actually understand the material has really brightened up this dreary rainy weekend.

YEAH for three day weekends!

I feel like a bad blogger lately.

I havent painted in weeks. I have barely posed just to let everyone know that I am alive and kicking. But without creating.... I dont know if that is much of a life.

With the new teaching job everything is out of wack. my sleeping habits have changed drastically, my eating habit has also changed.. no more fast food but thank the gods for that one.

At least there is one thing I can be sure of... if i never leave my camera at home I can always find a picture to post here.

This one is part of a still life I set up for my all my art classes so that during a very hetic time in the school they would all have something to keep their minds off the fact that they couldnt get the classes they want or that they really dont have an actual class schedule yet. (the computer system is a really bad one and it just wasnt working correctly) but oh well.

In my painting and posting absence I have thought alot about my art and where I wanted to go next with it. I have decided three things:

1. I remembered that I really love to draw and havent done so in a long time. I am going to change that fact and begin drawing again. whether it is one drawing a month or one a week. we will just have to see
2. I love my mixed media artistic style but I also love my color and line based oil paintings.
3. so I will combine the two .... yup that is right... color and line mixed with mixed media collage and layering!

I cant wait to see where it will all lead and how it will turn out. I just have the finish the ballet mixed media painting I am currently working on and hopefully I will have a finished product to show you later on in the weekend.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe labor day weekend!

Adventures of an Art Teacher-- Part 1

For the past three years i never once believed that doing the simiple job of teaching art was a stressful pasttime or career. However, I was wrong.

These past few weeks to researching and lesson planning, all might I add without a safety net, has finally taken its toll. I have never been completely blank when thinking about a lesson for an art class; and the unbelieveable has finally happened. I have writers block!

I have been staring at the computer screen for the past week, at the same word document, at the same lesson plan; and I cant seem to write a single line. I even went against the rules and dragged my Dell laptop to work with me at the mall to try to work. And still nothing.

Just a lot of game playing, facebook and etsy (if only I had money!).

When will it end?!?!?!?!?!!!!

The only answer I have been able to come up with is -- never! Well I hope not but we shall see.

Blog Update!!!: as you can see I have not taken a step back from the blogging world... I actually had blogging withdrawal! it wasnt pretty.