In the Art Room

Taking the Bait

Tonight I did something I don’t normally do. I reacted to an ignorant comment on Facebook. I really couldn’t help it though, and if you had been there, I’m not sure you could have resisted either. Here’s what went down…

A Facebook friend posted a picture of her son’s upcoming schedule at school. She was upset that there were going to be two days when students would be released early at 10:30am, one day for Parent Teacher Conferences and one day for an Emergency Go Home Drill. I get the frustration and I understand the reactions to this. It’s a lot to ask working parents to come up with child care on days like this. I get it. What I don’t get, however, was this comment that my Facebook friend’s mom posted, and I quote…
AND the MOST RIDICULOUS of all……The teachers {as far as I know} are STILL getting PAID for a FULL day of teaching….and the children are NOT there….. to be taught!
I barely even thought about it, and I responded. Definitely not my finest moment, but I felt an obligation to speak up for teachers. What would you have done?
(It should be noted that the friend later apologized for her mom’s comment and explained that they love their teachers and don’t think teachers get enough credit.)
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Small Scraps

Small Scraps

“I can’t do this.”
“I don’t want to.”
“This is so difficult.”
“I don’t get it.”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
“Why do I have to?” 

No, these aren’t the words of obstinate students. These are all things I’ve said over the last few weeks while trying to wrap my brain around the new standards based grading system the fine arts department in our county has implemented this year.

For real. This stuff is painful. We’ve switched from assigning two grades per student per quarter to assigning five. I think. I mean, I definitely have to give five grades per student per quarter, but I’m not quite clear on how many I need to give per project. Five? Twenty? Thirty-six? Each sample grade book we’ve been given access to says something different. Did I mention we’re talking K-6 here? Sigh

***

I’ve finally figured it out. I’ve finally figured out why, regardless of what school or what state I’m teaching in, I always have first graders in the afternoon. Apparently it’s universal, first grade teachers really value fresh air. I mean, think about it, what happens to first graders after lunch? That’s right. They fart. And really, aren’t first graders’ farts the worst in the world? First grade teachers pack their afternoons full of ways to preserve their air, much to the discomfort of the rest of us.

***

Who was the fool that spread the rumor that art teachers have neat handwriting? Thanks. Thanks for nothing, man. I can’t tell you how many times people have come to me, asking me to write something out because, I’m the art teacher so I must have neat handwriting. Well, I don’t. And even if I did, I don’t want to write out everybody’s thank you cards, certificates and posters. Thankyouverymuch.

***

On top of a new fine arts grading system, our county has also started a new progress report grading system. On top of the two new grading systems rolled out this year, our county has also instituted new teacher performance evaluations. It includes seven performance standards, one of which is student academic performance. That last one is weighted 40% and requires that we create a SMARTR (our county includes and extra ‘R’ at the end for “Rigorous”) goal. Art teachers aren’t exempt from this. So now I’m trying to figure out how to create a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound, and Rigorous goal to measure student progress in my art room. Thankyouverymuch.

***

I’ve been absent recently as I’ve been attempting to figure out how to fit the above changes into an art environment. Also, I’ve received some criticism recently via comments and emails, so I’ve stepped back a bit to reevaluate what I do here at ATHG. I hope to be back soon.

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A Day In the Life, Dear Students

It’s Game Time!

C’mon, 1st Grade boys and girls!
Gather round!
It’s your favorite time again!

Time… to…

GROSS OUT YOUR ART TEACHER!

Want to play along?
You know you do…

Grab a card and join the fun!*

Looking for a challenge?

Join me this year in trying to fill one card per class! 

1st Grade art class has never been this fun before!

(If you do want to play and you share your card on your blog, please make sure you link back to this post. No blog? Share your photo on the ATHG Facebook page!)

Edited to add: (Let’s be fair, one square per incident!)
 
*To “grab a card”, simply click on the image to view it, and then right click on the image and save it to your computer. You can then edit it in any photo editing program to add your own tokens.

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A Day In the Life

Are You Ready For This?

Pssst. Hey. Hey you. Yeah, you. What are you doing still in bed? It’s time to get up. No, don’t look at the clo… ooh. I tried to warn you. Yeah, that’s the real time. I know, I know, but your lazy, lounging in bed all morning mornings are over. Come on, into the shower you go. Don’t worry, you’ve got time. Did you get behind your… good, good. Ooh, look at the time, better hurry up. Don’t forget the deodorant, you’re going to need it today. Wait! Put the hair tie down, you’re not going to need that today. Better dust off the blow dryer. Do you know where you left your hair brush? Ah. Good. Oh, geez, look at that clock. You really need to hurry. Quick, go get dressed. No, no, no, put the jeans back on the floor. Don’t you think it’s time you washed them anyways? Check your closet. Yup, there you go, grab that skirt, grab that blouse. Good. Good. Now where’d you put your practical flats? Oh, there they are, in the back of the closet. No, not there, next to the dust bunnies. Got ’em? Now hurry up, downstairs you go, it’s time for breakfast. Whoa, what are you doing? Put those eggs away, and you can forget about the bacon too. Better yet, get out of the fridge, head to the pantry. There you go, in the back. I’m pretty sure I saw a… yes! Good ole’ breakfast bars. Why don’t you grab another one while you’re in there? You’re going to need lunch today after all. What’s that? Coffee? Yeah, yeah, but better make it quick. No, no, no. Put the Myrtle Beach mug away. Look on the top shelf, towards the back. Yeah, there you go, grab that travel mug. The lid? Reach around a little, you’ll find it. Okay, fill ‘er up and let’s get this show on the road! What’s that? A sip? Sure, sure, make it quick. Feel better? Now, where did you leave that work bag of yours? What do you mean you can’t remember? Think, think. I know it’s been a couple of months, but… ah! There it is, hiding behind the couch. Let’s get that baby out, see what’s inside. Aw, how cute, lesson plans. And is that a…? Ooh, it is. A plan book. Looks like you had big plans for the summer, huh? Wait a minute, what’s that? Down at the bottom. Under those end of the school year gifts. There you go. Is that a… a…? Ew! It is. A lunch container. NO! Don’t open it in here! There’s not nearly enough ventilation. To the kitchen, to the kitchen! Quick open a window, get that water running. Okay, on the count of three, 1… 2… 3… Ugh. Gross. What was that? Yogurt? Oh for the love of… Well, hurry up, get it into the dishwasher. Alright, toss that breakfast bar into your bag, grab your keys, and let’s get the hoo-ha out of here. Don’t forget the coffee! Hurry, close the door, don’t forget to lock it. Let’s get into the car and get that baby running! Sweet. Check out the time. You’ve got a couple of minutes to spare. Why don’t you take another sip of coffee? There you go. Let that caffeine flow through your body. You feel that? You are energized! You can do this! Back to school you go! Bring on the kiddies!
But not today. Today’s Labor Day. No school for you. Why don’t you pat yourself on the back for a job well done and head back to bed? Hey now! Better get that finger under control before tomorrow, because tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow you do this for real, and I’m pretty sure a solo appearance of that finger is frowned upon where you’re headed.
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In the Art Room

It’s Summer Time… See You In the Fall!

I thought about continuing to blog through the summer; I thought about all the funny, sometimes off-topic, things I could write about, but ultimately, it’s summer vacation. Let’s live it up, step away from the laptops, and do something adventurous. Or relaxing. Whatever you prefer. 
Hope you all are having a great summer, and if not, I hope it gets better. Here are a few things I’m dealing with/experiencing, or will be dealing with/experiencing…
  • coping with cabin fever, which is something you expect to deal with over the winter, but when you’re a super white, blonde person with an even whiter, blonder baby AND you live in a part of the country experiencing insane heat and sun, you kind of have to stay inside a lot.
  • our first beach trip with the Bug, which occurred on an overcast day, required LOTS of sunblock, sun hats, and a canopy, and overall was a success. We hope to take a few more trips to the beach this summer.
  • dealing with pin worm, not that any of us have it… yet, but it’s been reported at daycare. I am on worm alert and spending way too much time examining my baby’s butt and her diapers.
  • technically being unemployed. Yeah, I have yet to be rehired for next year (something new that part-timers must put up with in our county).
  • taking our first road trip with the Bug back to the Adirondacks of New York. It’ll be a 10-12 hour drive, but we’re off to visit family so I guess it’s going to be worth it.
  • doing some work on the bloggy blog, hopefully. I hope to get to it. I’m craving some change.
  • celebrating the Bug’s first birthday. I can’t believe it’s been almost a year already. Where does the time go.
  • cleaning and organizing and baby-proofing the house. The Bug is mobile. ‘Nuff said.
  • reading a few books. I’m trying to branch out from my usual authors (Stephen King, Christopher Moore, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill…). Any suggestions? (and if you say “50 Shades of Grey” or anything relating to the Twilight series and The Hunger Games, I might have to block you from this blog)
  • catching up on Netflix. Although I’m kind of disappointed by their lack of options right now.
  • lunching with friends. If I can ever pin them down!
  • occupying myself while the Bug is at daycare. There’s only so much cleaning a person can do before losing their mind.
At any rate, that’s my summer. Before I go though, I want to get your opinion on something. I started a post about this, but never finished it, and then my ideas fizzled out, but this business was recently brought to my attention. I have a very strong opinion about it, but I want to hear yours. Check it out, Canvas and Cocktails.
Enjoy your summer! See you in the Fall!
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