Student Well Being

Student well being is a rather odd title for a post about a third grade clay project.  Let me give you a little back story: last year, in September (the month we're in right now, as it were) a high school girl in our district committed suicide. With a firearm.  In the school bathroom.  It was shocking to our entire district and made every single one of us stop and think 'do I tell my students I care?' 'Do they all understand how important they are?'  
In my particular building, we had that student's youngest sister in fifth grade.  In the spring of last year, the fifth grade teacher (of the sister) died.  We also had another death last year (of another teacher's husband--it was so quick and unexpected).  It was a rough year, and we all needed extra lovin'.
With all of that backstory, if you're a regular blog reader of mine, you know that I never have a solid third grade clay project, and it's usually mid-May before I hurry up and have them make something out of clay. Last year I was overwhelmed with concern for my students and their emotional well being.  I wanted something tangible for them to know and see that they are great for being themselves. So, we used clay and monofilament to make these wind-chime-like things:

I had students brainstorm three words to describe themselves and write them in their sketchbooks.  We then rolled out clay slabs and cut them into four pieces.  We used those rubber texture things (what are those called???) on one side and alphabet pasta on the other.  They had to have their name on the top piece, then their three words.  I poked the holes as they turned them in, and fired them stacked, with their name on top.

Student work stacked and drying.

Pulled out of the kiln and ready to hand back.

I think I even strung them together before I gave them back to the students.  Then they used construction paper crayons and black cake tempera to add color.

This is a project I hope they have hanging somewhere in their home to see.  I do love them all (even the behavior challenges) and I don't ever want them to have tragic life endings.  
Say good things to yourselves, friends, that positive self talk is important!  And tell people good things too, the world can always use more niceness.

One final view of the back of the first one.

Yarn Bombing Update

I spent many moments this summer crocheting and adding to the tree in my front yard:

It's like a project that I can't just be done with.  Also, it appears that I'm terrified of heights only if it doesn't involve being on a rickety ladder on a hill while sewing crocheted circles to a tree.  While on that ladder, I feel comfortable leaning very far and balancing on that step that says Don't Step Here Or You Can Lose Your Balance, even when my neighbor yells, "Maybe climbing the tree would be easier?!"
There's always a piece that needs replacing, friends.  There's always a little farther I can reach up.  

Maybe it's a life-long project?

Eight A Day

It seems like I haven't been a' bloggin' forever.  And I haven't written anything in months.  We've been doing so many amazing new projects, friends (if you're in Missouri, you should TOTALLY COME to my presentation at Spring Conference)! It's just that I teach eight classes a day.  Eight different grade levels (that's K-6 + adaptive, three different sections of adaptive). About 500 students, every three days. It's a whirlwind, and the art show was Tuesday night (first year doing Artome') and I'm just trying so hard to focus on the important things.  
It's like this poster, but only more school-related:

So I haven't forgotten you, blog readers, I'm just working.  Lots.
But I promise to make a better effort, and get back to blogging :-)

Where Have I Been All This Time?

I keep deciding to blog, what to blog . . . but I'm so busy.  I've had more to prepare for my classes lately, more knitting/crocheting to do for my yarn bombing, I'm trying to finish a quilt I started 16 years ago (because it seems so important to finish it right now, this second).

So what are my students up to?  Sixth grade finished some cityscapes and are working on a new project inspired by this artist, fifth grade is starting some printmaking  Andy Warhol inspired soup cans, fourth grade is working on Thomas Hart Benton style murals, third grade is working on radial symmetry,

second grade is busy making the calendars I tend to do every year, first grade just started these amazing chalk-and-paint insects, 

(we still have details to add) and kindergarten is trying to finish up some Wild Things.

I'm frantically trying to keep a healthy work/home balance (who does that well? Unicorns? Because everyone I know is always trying to do it better).

So I guess all this to say, I'm still around.  Still teaching, just not blogging as much as I probably should.

About That Yarn Bombing. . .

A few weeks ago I wrote about being inspired to do a yarn bombing after seeing what happened at fall conference.  I kind of wonder what I was thinking, because I thought I'd be able to go home and get it all done.  Um, knitting enough to cover a tree takes a while???? And crochet may be faster if you know how to crochet (which I did not). I also didn't have that much actual yarn at home, so it's a work in progress:

The upper branch zig-zag piece was a donation from someone's relative.
A chain-smoking relative, so it never made it out of the box,
PERFECT for outdoor art.

Note the crochet circles--they all look like the cups of bras,
because I was in the learning-to-crochet-from-YouTube stage,
many mistakes are/were made.

Obviously, it's still a work in progress!

I've learned so much.  For example, there needs to be some cohesiveness in color or form or something to make it look intentional, and not like you're just some loon knitting a tree.  The loon label may still be up for debate (about me) with my neighbors.  Also, to keep momentum going, you must have something to knit or crochet with you at all times:

In my purse at all times for long lines and church.
(I tell myself I listen better while my hands are busy)

The plan (for now) is to add more crochet'd circles and another knitted scarf-like piece or two around the trunk.  It really does add some cheer to my street on gray days (and we've had a lot lately!). I'm hoping for lots of knitting time this winter [read: snow days].  And because I blogged about it to the entire internet, maybe I'll feel some pressure to get it all covered.  Either way, look for an update in a few weeks, months, years.

Are You A Member Of Your State Art Organization?

I (maybe wrongly?) assume that if you're the type to be reading art teacher blogs, then you're probably pretty aware of and involved with your state art education organization.  If you're not a member, you should be.  If you haven't gone to events, you totally should! Just that time around all those like-minded people is worth it's weight in gold.
My state (Missouri) has two conferences a year: fall, at a state park, and spring, in a city (it rotates to various parts of our state).  Fall conference was last weekend, and here are just some photos of some of the workshops:

Some yarn bombing.  Inspired me to yarn-bomb the tree in my front yard.

A lesson from our Drag 'N Brag, which is at night
and in the rec hall, where the light is terrible.

Stitched portrait from a Drag'N Brag session

Getting ready for some printmaking luscious-ness

I also attended a session on automatas, and here are some videos from that session.  The first one is one of the presenter's student work.  The second one is Mr. Hodes, of previous-student-teacher fame if you're a regular reader of my blog.

My automata is currently under construction, because I made it way way complicated, so it's taking me a while to figure it out.
I do understand that your weekends are precious and you might not want to be away from your family, but trust me, it's so very worth it.  You'll meet other amazing art teachers, you'll have this whole network of people to call on.  You can use it to your advantage when a new-to-your-school student mentions where they came from and you just might know their previous art teacher.  It helps, it works.  We all need vibrant communities of like-minded friends.  Your state art education association can be that for you.

Poster Outside My Door This Year

Every year I do a different poster outside my classroom door to welcome students to my class/be interactive/let students know more about me and my family.  You can read about previous posters here, or here.  The 2015/16 poster went over really well because it was interactive, so I went back to that buffet and made a spinner for this year's poster:

The top says "Mrs. Fresia likes to begin with the end in mind.  She uses Habit 2 when she. . . " 

It's our third (?) year as a Leader In Me school, so our students are working to live the seven habits.  I wanted them to see it as it relates to real life (thus this year's poster).

The spinner choices are:

• plans activities with her family
• makes dinner 
• plans and grows her garden
• makes artwork
• develops art lessons for YOU

The spinner arrow is cut out of foam core.  For the spinning parts,  I pretty much wandered the hardware section of my local Westlake Hardware and found flat-head screws, washers and the end piece that I thought would work (I think I spent 53 cents total).

I (of course) had the photos developed super last minute and the colors are horrific, friends.  I kind of doubt elementary students are going to remember that the colors of the turkey-and-stuffing-dinner-that-my-husband-actually-made-and-not-me are way off, so I just went with it. The mirror is one of those breakable locker types that I found in my basement from my oldest daughter's seventh grade locker (she's 21, don't judge my hoarding-ness).

It's been a fun poster for students--there's lots of spinning as they walk by my room. It's always interesting to watch the students who won't touch it and then ask incredulously, we can touch that?!  The edges of the arrow are getting a bit frayed, so I may have to add some tape, but this poster is a winner winner!

I'm Going To Be A Realist Now

Here it is, year 18.  EIGHTEEN! I can't really believe it.  It's my 11th year in my current classroom and you know what? It's TIME, friends, time for a major clean out.  I don't know why, but I've been big time in the purge mood lately.  All summer I've been pitching and donating all around my house, so it's not very surprising that it carried over to my classroom. 
Here's a short list of things I've found in the recesses of my tiny little room: 

• a clear tub, with lid, full of rusty nails, bits of rusty metal and those old-time all metal kid scissors that don't cut anything (but do cut into your thumb when you attempt to cut anything at all)

• a crayon box, with 7 or 8 black and one blue crayon that looked to be from about 1962 (wish I had a photo, but I gave it to a colleague)
• enough random paper to fill two boxes (I'm donating it to our before/after school program)
• two American flags and one state flag--neatly rolled and in a random cabinet
• six small paint cans of Sherwin Williams interior paint in different colors
• soooooo many marker sets, found in the back corner of a cabinet that has no shelving--also being donated to the before/after school program
• a box, commercially labeled "super absorbent washcloths" [I got so excited!] but turned out to be tiny little bottles of tempera paint.  DONATE!
• a FULL box of dot matrix printer paper (yes, you read that right)
• about a thousand plastic store bags shoved into any available spot
• crayons, crayons, crayons--neon, construction, FX, glitter. . . in 3-4 different areas of the room.  Interesting, because I could never seem to find them when I needed them.
• enough cottage cheese lids for circle tracing for all 500 of my students to each have their very own
• a very dusty pan thing with electric cord and lid that I think is for melting something like wax.  I couldn't bring myself to pitch it (I don't even know if it works) so I moved it from one side of the room to the other.
• the usual collection of random pink markers, Sharpies and erasers that students throw or shove into random places--each one dusty

I'm a slow learner, so it's finally dawned on me that if I haven't used it in 10 years, it probably just needs to go. Here's [part of] the pile I donated to our before/after school program:

My room seems so much cleaner! But after living with it for a week or so I keep feeling like things are missing when I see the corner of the cabinet that I've never seen before in all these years.
Then I look in my neatly arranged cabinet, and all feels right with the world:

Lesson planning will work out, right?  I've done this long enough [maybe] to be ready even though I feel like I'm not, right?!

R. E. S. P. E. C. T.

Oh, friends.  The end of the year is near, and we're all feeling the siren call of summer.  I've seen so many vents/worries/comments lately about an overall feeling of no respect for what we do.  Questions about "is it my age?" "Is this just the way it is?"  I'm not even going to pretend to have the answers, but I've been doing this for a while, in a couple of districts, in four or five (or more???) buildings and I sometimes feel the burn of does-anyone-value-what-I'm-doing-here along with [some of] the rest of you.  Especially when the higher-ups decide that art/music/PE will be starting at a early school and ending a late school and adults ask "Leaving so soon?" when you're rushing out of the building to get to the second (late) building.  I hear you.  I feel you.
But let's take a step back for a minute and realize that ALL teachers and ALL administrators that I know are BUSY, and it's hard to see the forest for the trees when we're all running as fast as we can.  You know what's helped me?  Conversation.  Dialogue. Calmly asking "why is this so?"  "Has anyone thought this through?" And then really listening to the reply.  
[Full disclosure, this next one is hard for me, and I usually need to think on it for a day or two before I can really do it.] Calmly, respectfully laying out the [very real] concerns about the issue (scheduling, supplies/lack of supplies, admin support, things like that) and then giving the other party/person time to think it over (overlook the initial reaction if they're not calm at the time). And take some (sometimes very small) comfort in the knowledge that you tried.  You did something other than just complain and lose sleep over it.
Here's the reality: you need a supportive spouse/parent/friend that you can cry to.  I mean really cry--tears streaming down your face at 11 pm over the disaster you know awaits you the next day.  You have to have that person.  I don't know how you'd survive if you didn't.  But they can't fix it for you.  You have to calmly bring it to someone's attention.  Someone who can [maybe] do something, or maybe just bring it up to the higher-ups. Don't expect someone else to realize your reality (they won't).  Really ask yourself "is this good for students?" and if it's not, something needs to change.
I agree that we're all "doing this for students" but you're important too.  You add value to your building.  Just by being you.
If you don't have your personal cheerleader/supportive spouse/friend, go find them.  Or email me.  I'm all about 'cha.

Some Things That Are Working (And A Few Things That Aren't)

Mid way through this school year, some clay issues popped up.  Art teachers is several buildings were having issues with clay projects cracking completely in two as they dried, the clay texture straight out of the bag was odd. . .Our clay supplier had switched clay suppliers, and an [almost] emergency professional development session was held to try and fix the clay issues.  In that PD session, the clay guru guy said "you should never be drying clay completely uncovered." Um, great, except my room is tiny??? And I see nearly 500 students in that room??? His suggestion was this movable/on wheels clay cart with fancy plastic sheeting.  Great, except soopa expensive! 
Here was my solution:

Ta DA! It's an old library cart, shelves covered with newspaper, with a plastic table cloth draped over.  Works perfectly.  And after all of that, it turned out that the clay teachers were having trouble with got frozen somewhere along the way.

Also working, keeping water ready to go for painting at one end of the sink at all times:

Love my square/nearly un-tippable cups!

"Cause ain't no one got time for filling water cups while passing out brushes and paint!

Suddenly NOT WORKING this year, my pencil sharpeners on yarn:

Note that four out of five are missing!

Ultra low-tech (as in none) and totally working, my reminder sign for my kiln:

Why, yes, that IS a kiln cage right there in the corner of my classroom!
Thanks so much for asking!

I use a dry erase marker and write the time I need to turn it up, because A) I have a manual kiln and B) I've been known to totally forget and run it on low fore many more hours than I need/want to.

Also working this year, new signage for the paper cutter:

I sat in a student chair before the year began this year to re-evaluate
signs I needed students to see.  This one was added.

This sign has always been ON the paper cutter but is a bit above kid-height.

Not working well this year:

Fifth grade Gustav Klimt project

It's SO HARD to scratch!  I really think it's because it's been in my cabinet for a while and it's along an un-insulated wall, so it's got hot/cold for several years.  Super frustrating!
Well, I'm sure there are more things working/not working around here (me, some days!) and I like to re-evaluate at this time of the year.  You know, AFTER the art show (moving it to early March is my favorite thing we ever did!) when I have a chance to think again.
Happy art teaching, friends, the end is in sight!

"I'm a Really Good Dancer."

Nothing like spending your day with kids.  Yesterday (or was it the day before?) I had kindergarten lined up in the hall for their teacher and the student at the end of the line was gettin' DOWN: spinning, hip-shaking, groovin'.  All silently.  He spun around and put his hand on his hip and said "You know, I'm a REALLY good dancer!"  It was amazing.  
It's all those little moments that make being an elementary art teacher the best thing.  And the projects that turn out so unexpectedly wonderful, like these tiny painted houses my sixth graders made:

They're TINY, like an inch or two.  I gave each student a tiny little amount of clay and just had them use their hands to flatten it out.  They then used some clay tools to cut a house shape and the Designer Liners underglaze for decoration. Students were also told to use a straw to cut a hole (or two) to hang their houses when finished.
 I had given each student a small (maybe 4 x 6) piece of pink tagboard with their name on it so I could just add their name after they left.  I love them all, and if any child doesn't want theirs I'm totally keeping it!

This student is originally from Iran,
and I love that she made double doors.

I bisque fired them and then decided they all needed a clear coat of glaze, so they're in the kiln ready for firing again.  I'll take a photo of them finished.
Happy spring, everyone!  Only six more weeks or so!

Let's Talk About Time

In my little art education world, we've been discussing the issue of time a lot lately.  The issue of disparity and being rushed and all of that.  I do honestly believe elementary art teachers are some of the hardest working teachers as far as supplies and materials, managing "stuff" and planning.  I see seven classes every day (that's seven different grade levels): three in the morning back to back, then lunch/plan and four in the afternoon back to back EXCEPT on the third day of our rotation, when I teach two classes at my home school, then pack up, get in my van and drive ten miles (!) to another school in my district and teach two back to back classes there.  I finish there five minutes (or less) before my daily contract time ends. And a side note to say that this year's schedule is not great--my day starts with second grade, then fifth, then fourth, then lunch/plan, followed by kindergarten, then third grade, then first grade (in my building, or second grade if I'm at the other school), and I finish with sixth grade (or a second class of second grade at the other school).  Sixth grade at the end of the day is NOT FUN.  Especially right after first grade.  
There's another elementary art teacher in my district who sees TEN classes in one day.  At two schools.  Two 40 minute classes and EIGHT 30 minute classes.  Mercy.  I can't even. . . 
All of this being said because sometimes I worry that students aren't getting enough individual art experiences.  In the reality of time, there's a LOT of sharing of paint and other materials.  I wondered if it was making a big difference in the work and experience of my students. So earlier this week I decided to set up individual tempera paint for my kindergarten (no sharing for color mixing):

These are little coated paper squares that the cafeteria
used to use to give out butter.  No more butter allowed, so
they passed them on to me.

I was able to do this because I have plan time right before kindergarten.  Now, I usually have them paint with something like this:

Totally an old picture that was from something else,
but you get the idea.

So with the individual paint, my kindergarteners painted their alphabet vases:

And painted:

And painted some more:

The next day I did it the regular way (sharing paint with a partner or the whole table/four students), and I have to say, there really wasn't a big difference.  Here's a side-by-side comparison of students from different classes who are very similar in their work habits and abilities:

Individual paint on the left, shared paint on the right.

I guess I learned something from this, and that's maybe I've overthinking it???? Maybe I don't need to run myself ragged for students to have extra individualized materials??? I'm still gonna think on it, and as teachers I think we're always looking for ways to improve.
I've also had lots of "I didn't learn this in college" moments lately. Mostly related to managing all the stuff and supplies of art teacher land. Maybe 17 years of experience is when the real learning begins, what do you think???