Jr High Classroom

A classroom is always a work in progress.  I let my OCD lead the way in getting the front of my room organized.  I created an informational board on the left with posts about what extra credit is available, what to do when you are finished early in class, what to do when it is time to clean up and more.  On the right side I have a place for students to check for missing assignments, and my famous "No Name Wall of Shame" LOL  This is where I post all the no name papers until the students claim them and turn them back in - hopefully with their names this time.  I am hoping to find the time to continue my Egyptian wall above the boards. 

The other continuing work in my room are the ceiling tiles.  The joy to having a drop ceiling in my room is that we can take down the tiles and decorate them.  This started as an endevor with the Art Club I used to have before budgets cuts.  Then I switched over to having each graduating 8th grade class complete a tile.  A couple of years ago, I came back from summer break to find that the class of 1962 had taken down a tile and decorated it for their class.  This summer the class of 1960 did the same.  I love these little pieces of history that surprise me each year.  I am thinking I may have to take a tile with me to my own class reunion next year so our class can add our own piece of history to my ceiling. 

Elvis is in the building

When I wanted to teach my 6th graders about Gustav Klimt, I knew I was going to have a hard time coming up with a model for the class to draw.  In the past, I had pulled a student volunteer out of Study Hall.  Unfortunately, budget cuts had cut most of the Study Halls.  So instead I brought in Elvis, my inflatable Halloween skeleton.  It was fun for all to have Elvis hanging around in class for a few weeks.  And when he went back home with me we could say that........"Elvis has left the building."

8th grade Still-life

When life gives you a broken toaster, create a still-life.  When teaching my students about value and light sources, some students have a difficult time getting their heads to wrap around shading objects that have color.  So to start this lesson, I created an all-white still life...centering around my poor toaster.  After turning off the over-head lights and using a spot light to give more extreem lights and darks on the objects, the students got to work - after groaning a bit first, of course.  Whether they thought this was the most "lame" thing they had ever done in class or not, I think the end results were something to give a "toast" about.

Urban "Pop" Art

My 6th grade will occationally learn about artists and art styles from Scholastic Art magazine.  I love using this magazine because it helps to get a little cross-curriculum integrated into my lesson.  They get to practise their reading skills by reading aloud, and the short quizzes that come with the magazines help the students to practise valuable skills used in taking their Standardized Tests.  At the beginning of the year, the 6th graders read about a variety of graffitti and "Urban Art" styles.  They had to use a style or artist that they read about in their own artwork.  We were also learning about drawing and shading forms - so students brought in their favorite beverage cans to use as the subject of their Urban Art. 

"Anger Management"

Angry Birds have invaded! Everywhere I turned this year I saw hats, shirts, erasers, toys - you name it and these kids had it.  Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  We spent some time this year learning how to draw Angry Birds in class - they even got to create their own original Angry Birds.

Glue Ghosts

Since I am new to this blogging thing, I wanted to post a photo of a project my students and I experimented with this past school year.  Around Halloween, my 4th grade students at Landeck tried something none of us had ever attempted before.  We used glue on wax paper to create spooky jewelry.  With just the bare minimum of directions and their unending supply of imaginations, we all had a hauntingly good time and they created some boo-tiful jewelry.

Jumping In - I think I can, I think I can

Well......here goes.  After discovering Pinterest this past school year, I have visited a number of teacher blogs and commented on how I wish I had the time to be "one of those teachers."  So, after much self poking and prodding, I have decided that summer break would be a good time to get established.  I just hope that this endevor does not go the way of the family scrapbook - kept up religiously for a couple of years and then....so far behind you can't see where to start.  Wish me luck ;-P