… because of paper cuts. And cardboard cuts.
… because she just sat in a puddle of water. Again.
… because it’s only Wednesday, but it has felt like Thursday for two days now.
… because she just stepped in green paint. Again.
… because her clock won’t stop buzzing, no matter how many times she beats it.
… because working in a tiny octagonal room with no windows and 30 sixth graders triggers her claustrophobia.
… because she’s on bus duty and has realized that she left her gloves inside.
… because she’s on her way to her car and has realized that her gloves have been in her pocket all along.
… because a 1st grader corrected her math.
… because a 1st grader corrected her spelling.
… because the Monster Mug she made looks less “monster” and more like something that could be questioned as, um, racist.
… because a 2nd grader mocked her.
… because her last class was a Level Three on the chocolate recovery scale.
… because she forgot to fire the clay pieces her 4th graders were supposed to glaze.
… because of the email from THAT parent.
… because of the other email from that other parent.
… because ________________________________.
Art Teachers Hate Glitter 
…because that sassy little 6th grader likes to test me every day.
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….because of the nine hundred students, half hour class es, lack of materials, lack of respect…..
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“… because she forgot to fire the clay pieces her 4th graders were supposed to glaze” Underglaze to the rescue!
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“because of the middle school dance coming up on Fri. night and everyone trying to find their soulmate during class…”
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…”because of the parents who refuse to see the value of a little bit of medication.”
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Amen !
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Because she's 36.5 weeks pregnant and can't find the time to sit during the day.
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…'because another core teacher hung up an 'art project' she/he did with their class on the school walls; the projects looks nothing like art and the principal wants to know what you were trying to achieve through the art lesson (because of course everyone assumes you taught it since you are the art teacher and if you didn't teach it, they ask why didn't you help the other teacher teach it since you are the one supposed to be teaching art)”
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Because she can never, ever, ever get a manicure. I mean, what's the point?
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because every piece of clothing I own has the same orange paint stain on it…
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What is it with the orange paint? I have the same stain on all MY clothes too.
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Mine is always green?
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Because students won't stop talking so I can teach the lesson…
Because students think reading about art is a punishment …
because I can do dozens of awesome things, but do one thing you don't like, and I'm a stupid white lady…
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Because she had to be the 2nd grade sub again instead of teaching her scheduled classes.
Because, on her day at the other school they decided to use her room to distribute new uniforms for the next several days so she has to try to teach her scheduled classes in their classrooms instead of the art room.
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Because the five minutes in between classes turns into zero, as classroom teachers are ALWAYS late to pick up their darn classes!
Because my fingers are always covered in hot glue gun burns.
Because I don't have a single prep period, or minute to myself during the work day. The 25 minutes for lunch are used to clean, put away, organize, grade, and hang work, not to sit and eat.
Because I can only use the bathroom 5 hours into my work day.
But it could be worse! I wasn't laid off this year!
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Because a kindergartner is wearing boots she left on her back porch and they were sprayed by the neighbor's cat and the stench is unbearable.
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because the mask her 4th grader made, which was one of the most beautiful she had seen in 25 years of teaching, got thrown out when the student got home because the mom” didn't want that junk on her walls”
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Because that talented fourth grader who loves art is kept out of art again today since she needs to finish her math assignment.
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Yikes, Tracy, that is awful…whereabouts do you teach? You don't have to be specific; I'm just curious as to what kind of school would do that.
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Because despite her 4+ years of experience teaching art (K-8, the hardest of all) she still can't beat the recent college graduates with zero experience who always end up getting the job over her (yeah, I was tenured, and then we moved for my husband's job). Starting over sucks!!! Hang onto your job for as long as you can!
Because she fears that she will never be an art teacher again.
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Or Gesso!
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Because she needs to decide between staying after school to hang art or go protest at at the Capital to help save public education.
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Because a colleague told her that she shouldn't be checking in with a kid about an emotional issue and she should only talk to a student about art related things.
Because arts funding was cut by 40% in her state. Again.
Because charter and voucher schools are taking over and many of them don't even have qualified and certified art teachers.
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Because the paper mâché Greek vases displayed in the hall showcase for 3weeks that your fifth graders slaved over for a month were not acknowledged by anyone. I might as well have placed my cats turds in there spray painted gold.
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Stephanie, you are too funny. I’m laughing so hard I’m crying because I know the feeling…I slaved for a two weeks preparing an art show that was displayed in the entryway and front hall of our school It sat there for two weeks and not one person even mentioned it…finally took it all down today.
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unbelievable….grrrr!
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arrrg! that drives me insane!!
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At least they KNOW it isn't art, and don't think you should be doing the same thing.
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Because you can't strangle the first grade teacher when she walks into your room with a line full of noisy children, strangling her might scar the children.
Because working at my catholic school not only means low pay, but that the art room is an “area” in the cafeteria with no walls and the closest sink is 75 feet away in the janitor's closet.
Because a 5 year old student asked me in class, where my room was, and I replied, “here, of course, this is my room,” and she said back, “but you don't have a door”.
Because another teacher said that I must have it easy when I grade, because its just art.
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Because she got an email the day before to inform her that the 5th grade will be on a field trip tomorrow.
Because a 'snow day' throws off her week and all grade levels are on different days of the same lesson
Because class room teachers tell their sub the wrong special and she has already done her intro before anyone realizes it and we waste even more time switching
Because the aide that comes with the Emotianlly Disturbed students is more dissuptive than they are
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Because my exhaust fan burned out in my kiln room as I have three grades (300+ projects) in various stages of firing, glazing, etc. We have no idea when it will get fixed or where the funding will come from.
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…you get to choose a teacher development workshop from a list of things you have been doing professionally for 30 years already. “How to teach children to work with clay. How to teach children to make a collage. How to use a computer in your classroom.” COME THE FREAK ON, PEOPLE!
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I never notice those paint stains until I am sitting at a wedding or something.
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…I just learned that you can glaze pre-bisque fired pieces!!! Just be gentle with them.
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Yes, I have had students correct me. Just last week, in fact, when I accidentally used translucent instead of transparent. Lol. I thanked him.
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Because … you suddenly noticed the third grader sitting at the desk in the back corner has emptied an entire bottle of Elmer's glue on his desk making swirly designs while you were explaining today's project. (This one happened to a friend of mine.)
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Because the homeroom teacher keeps half her students to finish an assignment and then lets one come at a time…every 5 minutes to interrupt my lesson.
Because I'm so busy that I can't even eat lunch yet everyone thinks the art teacher just plays all day and sits around.
Because none of the teachers in the school respect what I do except for the rear few.
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Although I can relate to all of the above, the first sentence really hits home. It drives me insane!
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Amen!
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It's incredible isn't it?
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Because I have 32 kids per class and only 28 seats.
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Because it's August with 34 6th graders in your room and no air conditioning.
Because of hot glue burns.
Because your forgot to put that ONE student who finished their clay project late in the kiln with the rest of their class.
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haha Snippety
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Amen, I had to doublecheck that I didnt post this! Mirror image.
Although being my 2nd year only I Iike to believe that I have, well some respect. =)
Oh do you not have any 5min intermissions between classes like I don't?
I go from 6th graders rolling acrylic paint on poster paper for their solar system- to a class of 30 plus 2nd graders filing in not a moment later to do an entirely different lesson and project.
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because art is just a prep for classroom teachers.
And because of the Third grade teacher that says to the students “if you have to go to the bathroom your art teacher will let you go”, as if art class is less important than her classroom work.
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Because the PE teacher get to wear appropriate work attire for her job…. WHY can’t I wear JEANS?????? WHY????? Do they mod poge? Paper mach? Work with RED clay? Paint? NOOOOOOOOO
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