Dear Students: I Don't Know athglitter.com
Dear Students

Dear Students: I Don’t Know.

Dear Students,

I don’t know. I don’t know what we’re doing in art today. I don’t know when your clay piece will be out of the kiln. I don’t know where the pencils are, or the erasers. I don’t know whose paper this is. I don’t know why you didn’t put your name on it the last time I returned it to you with no name on it.

Dear Students: I Don't Know athglitter.com

I don’t know why your classmates are talking. I don’t know why no one can raise their hands. I don’t know where the pencil sharpener is, and I don’t know who broke the lead off inside of it.

I don’t know why there is water on your table. I don’t know who spilled paint on the floor. I don’t know who put the paint brush back dirty. I don’t know why it smells in here.

I don’t know where your sketch is. I don’t know where your finished work goes. I don’t know where your wet painting goes. I don’t know where your table folder is. I don’t know where the final paper is. I don’t know where the handouts are. I don’t know where the free draw paper is, and I don’t know why you have the yarn out.

Dear Students: I Don't Know athglitter.com

I don’t know where the crayons are, or the markers, or the colored pencils. I don’t know where the glue is or where the Sharpies are. I don’t know if I have rulers.

I don’t know if it’s raining. I don’t know if it’s snowing. I don’t know if it’s muddy out, and I don’t know if you’ll have indoor recess.

I don’t know if you’re finished. I don’t know if it’s good enough. I don’t know if I can help you. I don’t know why you haven’t even tried. I don’t know if you have to, and I don’t know if you’ll be graded on this.

I don’t know how to spell birthday. I don’t know if light sabers are appropriate for school. I don’t know if zombies are considered violent. I don’t know how to draw a soccer ball.

Dear Students: I Don't Know athglitter.com

I don’t know why we’re out of paper towels. I don’t know why we’re out of tissues. I don’t know why you keep wasting paint. I don’t know where the glaze is or the watercolors or the oil pastels. I don’t know if I have scissors.

I don’t know what you should do now. I don’t know what the next step is. I don’t know what you should do when you’re finished. I don’t know why I bother giving directions.

I don’t know what you need to do for clean-up. I don’t know how much time is left in art. I don’t know what we’re doing next time, and I don’t know whose turn it is to line up.

Except that I do know, because we’ve been over all of this a thousand times before. And I just finished explaining it, again.

Please, for the love of gouache, go ask a friend.

Sincerely,

Ms. Art Teacher

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19 thoughts on “Dear Students: I Don’t Know.”

  3. Amber says:

    Every day. Every day they come in asking, before they even sit down, “what are we doing today?” And now I say, every day, with enthusiasm, “we’re going to make some ART!!” They are not always satisfied with my response, but I am not going to explain everything I am doing 20+ times to each child as they each enter the room.

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    • Yes! Every freakin’ day! My response, “You’ll just have to wait to find out,” quickly evolves into, “don’t I always tell you once everyone is seated?” after the sixth student has asked.

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  4. Caramia says:

    Omg, that was my day with K’s today! I finally lost it and and started acting like a parrot because I felt like every time a student that was late came in, I had to repeat “what we were doing today”. Good thing they thought it was funny! Because in my head was !{%@&$!

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  5. Mm says:

    Fricken brilliant….. I was about to lose my mind today if I heard my name one more time!! So close to screaming I don’t f;&”@n know !!!
    Thank you for making this exhausted teacher feel abit normal 😁

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ooh, I refuse to help anyone calling my name. Or at least I try to. And the kids that get up and follow me around the room? I flat out ignore them until they get the picture and go back to their seat and raise their hand. It seems really rude when I do it, but I warn them ahead of time that I’m going to.

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  6. Gina says:

    Even after starting my semester with a presentation entitled “Questions I Don’t Answer,” this is still my life. Thank you for validating us, and reminding me that it’s all a little laughable, even if it is exhausting.

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. Sue Jacobs says:

    Best part of this is the inventive use of the black Wegman’s bags… Which I’m quite certain you used to bring many bottles of wine home in for after school self medication! Love it!

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  9. Amanda says:

    Love this. Thanks, as always, for saying the things we all feel and think. I had at least one kid in each class yesterday ask me for something – my favorite is always when they need a specific color of whatever – crayon, marker, oil pastel —
    Student: I need a black oil pastel.
    Me: Okay. Thanks for letting me know?
    Student: ::puzzled look::
    Me: I don’t have any magical powers like Harry Potter or Hermoine — I can not wave my wand and call the color you need. I will do the same thing you need to do – walk around and look for the color you need from other tables. Try that first.
    Student: ::slumped over that they have to do the work::

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