Can We Just Get April Over With Already???

Have you heard the research that says February is the hardest month for teachers?  Well, I've always been a late bloomer, and APRIL is always the hardest month for me.  We're almost done, summer is this close yet it's so far away.  Not to mention the all school Art Fair is mid-April and I nearly lose my mind trying to ready everything for it:

That's two pieces of artwork for every student I have except sixth grade (their work will be displayed in our "Asian Art Gallery"--I'll take pictures and blog about that when it's all up and ready), glued to black paper with a student name label between the work.  I house it all until the week before the art fair, when I give them to the classroom teachers to hang outside their room.  I'm pretty happy with my organization this year (after 13-14 years, I feel like I FINALLY got a system).  I keep nearly everything they do all year in towering piles folders all over my room.  About eight weeks before the art fair, I give each student a 12 x 18 manilla paper, have them fold it in half and write their name.  Then, they draw whatever they want (must be school appropriate) on the front and back while I call names, handing back all of their artwork.  Depending on the grade level and noise level and time constraints, either that same day or next time, I called names back to the black paper; students brought me their two favorite/best works for me to glue, and they took the rest of their manilla-paper-turned-folder home. It seemed so much smoother doing it this way (the past several years I had the students glue and it stressed me out when glue was all over, some work was upside down, etc)

Speaking of stressed, here's another Never Again:

I know, I know!  They're so cute and adorable and a total pain in my tokus.  It's kindergarten, people!  And this is just too many steps!  Tracing, gluing, cutting, more gluing, stamping, coloring, painting, more cutting more gluing AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't do this lesson again!  Well, in a few years I'll probably forget all about the stress and think 'hmmm, why haven't I done those Andy Warhol inspired soup pictures again?' and then start it with a class and immediately remember.

Twenty five and a half days until May.  Really, once I get to April 18 (the day after the art fair) I'll feel so much more relaxed.  We can do it, everyone!  We can continue to be Awesome Art Teachers for another couple of months!