Small Scraps: Frustrations, Funnies, & Fabulous Praise

“But what if we don’t want to do that?”

I had a 3rd grader ask me this absurd question after I introduced a lesson the other day. As in, I don’t want to do this lesson, what else do you have lined up for me? I can’t tell you how many times I have students ask me versions of this question. Since when did it become optional to do the lesson the teacher is teaching?

I have a particular 2nd grade class that always argues over who is at the end of the line. It’s usually the same three students. It doesn’t matter where I place them in line or how I call them to line up, the moment my back is turned, these students are at the end of the line, pushing and arguing over who gets to be at the end. Finally, determined to resolve the problem once and for all, I asked the classroom teacher if she has a specific line “ender”, my intention, of course, was to be able to say, “so-and-so is the line ender, problem solved.” The teacher replied to me, “We do… it changes every week… I don’t know who it is this week… I guess I could check…” So, you have classroom jobs but don’t actually check to make sure they are being done? Actually, that explains a lot. I now understand why I have so many difficulties with your class. Thank you.

The other day, while my 4th graders were working on coil pots, one girl came up to me for help and complained that working with clay was ruining her manicure. Her friend responded, “Well, you know we have art on Tuesdays, you should have waited.” Meanwhile, I’m thinking, “For real? You’re 9! Maybe 10. What are you doing getting professional manicures? Go get dirty. You have plenty of time to worry about your nails when you’re a teenager.” I’ve never had a manicure. Why? Because I work with clay and paint on a daily basis. Shortly after we convinced pretty-nail-girl to work the clay herself, the friend asked me, “why did you decide to become an art teacher?” “Because I like to work with my hands and get dirty,” I replied. Pretty-nail-girl sneered a little.

We give 6th grade assessments in our county. All students participate, and then we’re asked to submit a random sampling of the work (chosen by someone else). We’re not allowed to assist the students with their work, so you can imagine the range of work that gets done. At the end of the assessment, I watch as students turn in their projects, and I often cringe and think, “Ooh, I hope they don’t pick yours. Were you not even listening to the requirements?” And every year, without fail, the students who were the least successful are the students who are randomly selected. It pains me to send in their work when I know that there are so many stronger pieces that could have been chosen. So. Many.

The work is then scored and the data is used to assess… something. I’m not really sure of the details. I just know that the data is used for something. They used to score each school and each teacher based on these assessments, but they stopped doing that. Thank goodness, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling embarrassed when I submit photos of the poorly crafted work. I want to amend my submission with, “But wait! Look at all this good work that was made. Wouldn’t you rather assess this?” Welcome to the state of education today.

Lately, I find that bad behavior is being brushed off and explained away with excuses (by classroom teachers and administration alike). “Well, we’ve been having a lot of snow days lately, so you should expect the students to be off.” “Well, keep in mind it’s the week before break, so you should understand that the classes are going to be squirrely.” Well, this is our (1st)(2nd)(3rd) full week of school since (snow days)(break) so you can imagine the students are struggling.”

Whatever happened to accountability? If you keep explaining away bad behavior, when do students actually learn how to behave? If we don’t hold them accountable for their behavior, ever, why would they choose to behave? It’s getting pretty aggravating.

A 2nd grade class was cleaning up, and one girl noticed that there wasn’t much work for the Floor Cleaners to do since there wasn’t any mess. She explained, “it’s not like someone gave birth under the table.” Huh? Say what now? Okay then…

I was talking to my art teacher cohort’s long term substitute today. She’s subbed long-term for me in the past, as well as for other art teachers, even though it isn’t her field. Today she kept going on about how much work is involved in teaching art (not in a complaining way, but in an understanding, sympathetic way). She compared it to what regular classroom teachers do, “anyone can photocopy a math worksheet, but what you art teachers have to do for prep is unbelievable, and physical, all the lifting, bending, paper cutting… there’s so much prep work involved.” She’s great, for so many reasons, and we always appreciate the extra mile she goes for us. I sometimes wish we could get regular classroom teachers or administration to fill-in for us for a week. What an eye opener that would be, am I right?

In the Art Room

Small Talk

Can you believe this weather we’re having?

I know, I can’t get over all this cold temps/snow/rain/sun/crippling fog.

And what about all of these snow days/assemblies/field trips?

Right? They’re really messing with my projects/assessments/SOL review/planning time.

Man, the kids are really squirrely/off-the wall/on-task lately. It’s so weird.

Thank goodness there’s only two more days/weeks/months until Friday/vacation/the last day of school.

You’re telling me. Well, I gotta go. Catch you later/tomorrow/next week.

We’ve been having a lot of snow days and delays. I’m totally off. I can’t get back into the swing of things. I’m SOOOOO ready for Spring. Let’s make that happen.

A Day In the Life

Dem First Graders. Geesh.

“Okay, so today we’re…”

“Did you straighten your hair?”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, I think she did.”

“It looks straighter.”

“I…”

“No, it looks wavy. Did you make it wavier?”

“It is wavy. She didn’t straighten it.”

“Guys, I…”

“No, she straightened it.”

“Uh, I…”

“It’s definitely different. In a good way.”

“Did you do something to your hair?”

“Yeah, it looks different.”

“Uh… no… well… I parted it differently…”

Damn first graders, they notice everything. Although, I kid you not, I had the exact same conversation with a class of third graders the following week. I didn’t straighten my hair, or make it wavier, I really only parted it about an inch further to the left. Guess that made all the difference.

A Day In the Life, Gripes

Dear 4th Grade Teacher

Dear 4th grade teacher,

Remember when I came to you, back in December, and asked you about the wall in your pods’ hallway with the empty cork strips? Remember when I asked you if the 4th grade team had any plans for them? And do you remember telling me that no, there were no plans because that space is usually left open for artwork? And remember how you excitedly invited me to hang up artwork? I was thrilled to have some display space, do you remember? My four sections of 4th grade students were working very hard on these beautiful drawings that I couldn’t wait to put on display. I knew space was limited, so I made sure to select pieces of work from each 4th grade class, this way, each group was represented fairly (truth be told, it was first-to-finish, first-to-be-displayed). I stayed late one night so I could get the work hung up before winter break. Everyone loved it. The principal came by my room and raved about the work. She even called it frameable. It really brightened up the hallway, a hallway that had previously been bare for three whole months.

Now, imagine my shock when I arrived at school this morning and discovered every single one of the drawings gone. And in their place, I found a few illustrated writing pieces. As a side note, let me say, kudos to you for making an effort to display your students’ work. I think it’s great to show off the hard work and effort that went into the pieces. But, the thing is, don’t you think you could have checked with me before you took down the drawings? I would have been more than happy to have cleared the space for you (although, I’m not sure why it was necessary to remove all 30 pieces of work I had on display for the three overflow writing pieces that didn’t fit on the other wall where the rest of the essays were displayed. Seems to me you could have just taped those three up next to the rest, but what do I know, you know?). More importantly though, don’t you think you should have checked with me before you made the decision to send them all home?

I suppose I shouldn’t blame you. I mean, how did you know they hadn’t been graded yet? And how would you have known that I wanted to keep some of the pieces for the art show? I mean, it’s not like we discussed it or anything, right? And yeah, I suppose I should have graded them before I displayed them, but the thing is, I’m only at your school two days a week, and with all the snow days and two-hour delays we’ve been having, those two days quickly turn in to a half day. As in, lately, I’ve been at your school for five hours a week. Shame on me for not getting them graded sooner. I should have known better.

On second thought, the drawings were on display for an entire month, so I guess it was time to change it up, although with the two week winter break, you could argue that they weren’t even seen during that time, so it doesn’t really count… but, I don’t know if you noticed the pumpkin patch paintings and fall trees the other art teacher has on display downstairs? No one’s taken those down yet. Not to mention the self-portraits that have been on display since September. But, yeah, clearly my 4th graders’ drawings needed to come down. And like your colleague mentioned when I approached you about the missing work, I’m sure the students still have them at home.

So, you know what? No biggie. In fact, than you for saving me the time it would have taken to remove the work myself. Not to mention the time it would have taken me to grade them. I really owe you one.

Sincerely,

Ms. ATHG

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the results of The Art of Education’s annual Art Ed Blog of the Year contest were announced last weekend. Thank you to everyone who voted. Art Teachers Hate Glitter came in second place in the Wild Card category! Without your support, I may have given up this endeavor long ago. Thank you.

A Day In the Life

It’s an art room. Get over it.

“It smells weird in here. It smells like paint in here. Why does it smell in here? There’s paint on the floor. There’s paint on the table. There’s paint on my paper. There’s paint on my chair. My shirt has paint on it. My hands have paint on them. My hands are dirty. There’s clay on my hands. There’s clay on the table. There’s clay on the floor. There’s clay in my fingernails. There’s glue on my fingers. There’s glue on the table. My table’s wet. There’s water on my paper. There’s water on the floor. I found a crayon on the floor. I found a marker in the colored pencil bin. The pencil sharpener is noisy. It’s too loud in here. It’s cold in here. It’s hot in here.”

Every. Single. Day.

If you haven’t heard, Art Teachers Hate Glitter has been nominated as Wild Card Blog of the Year over at The Art of Education. If you get a moment, it sure would mean a lot to my ego if you could hop on over there and vote for ATHG. Voting continues until Friday, January 23rd. Thank you.