1 Month DOWN

It has been a month since school started. I feel like I am just in the eye of the storm.
It has been such a whirl-wind!!!

I feel like I literally do not have enough time to even recap everything!!!

I teach:
3 Comprehensive Art I classes (mix of 9th-12th grade)
1 Ceramics & Sculpture class (mix of 10th-12th grade)
1 Drawing & Painting class (mix of 10th-12th grade)
1 Select Studio class (11th & 12th grade)
1 AP Studio Art class (11th & 12th grade)

We have already done several projects in these classes, I will begin to post images of artwork from my students, when I can.

Projects have included: 
Zentangle Animals, Zentangle Designs, Elements & Principles of Art Concertina Book, Scratch Art Still Life, Assemblage, Altered Books, and Impromptu Art.

My upper level students have explore graphite and charcoal through expressing the topics of "Freedom," "Agony," "Aging," and "Sanctuary."

I have not had any major issues with students yet, other than not turning in their work and completing finished assignments. I have had several detentions for talking and failure to turn in signed paperwork. I've only written students up for failure to show up for detention. I just have a bunch of chatty-cathys. I have had to move seating arrangements several times. (And that is so sad to me, they are high schoolers - just keep your mouth shut!)

I have only had one accident, but in all fairest I warned the students. My Ceramics & Sculpture class are working on their altered book projects with box cutters and Xacto knives and I had a student cut the tip of his finger off. I thought they were going to give him stitches, but I think they just used foam glue. But he did have to leave school and go to the ER that day.

It has taken me FOREVER to order supplies. It is a very daunting task; figuring out what I need, pricing it from different vendors, and then ORDERING all while staying in budget! Hopefully, I will still have money left over at the end of this semester so that I can order more supplies for next semester!

We have also been introduced to new measures of assessment called SLO - Student Learning Objectives. They are for classes that do not have an EOCT or standardized tests. They are in a pilot year/learning curve... and in Art, they are HORRIBLE. Hopefully, there will be changes in the near future.

Other than all of this... lesson plans, unit plans, grade, grade, grade....

OH... and cheerleading tryouts occurred, we picked a team, AND started practice today!

-Mrs. Brown (the Art Teacher)

AP Day 4

Last day.

Today, has gone by fast. We reviewed 3D rubric/scoring of portfolio. As well as used studio time to finish all of our works we did not yet. I finished my cards and worked on my map. My puppets are dry but need to be painted and clothed. My cardboard figure was 'finished' yesterday, but I would like to continue to add to it. See all the images below! I have also included works on my peers that I thought were outstanding. Enjoy~



(Left)
My deconstructed catalog page. I wanted to create a play on the words 'terror' and 'error' with deconstruction and teaching (being a first year teacher - slightly scary!). Out of all the pieces, I struggled the most with this piece.
I wish I had a before and after. Oh well!

(Right)
My Concertina book with maps.
I based it on places I called 'Home.'
It starts with my hometown and alma mater, moves to my college town and college, then my home-away-from-home, a camp I worked at, travels across the sea to Ireland, and finally rests in my local location!

I wanted to focus on the Principle of Unity/Variety with the map, use of primary colors and line quality as well as the Element of texture, and space.

This piece is definitely my favorite. It is still unfinished, I am excited to work more into it.







(Left)
The head of my puppet made from plaster gauze.
It was so easy to make, I will definitely use this in the classroom. We attached the heads to sticks from outside. My piece is still unfinished, I need to go in and paint the head as well as add arms, legs, clothing, and hair. I'll try to remember to post pictures when I complete it.







(Below) My cardboard piece and I posing together. As you can see my shins aren't quite to scale! This was an extremely fun process and piece. I would not recommended it for Intro. classes, but definitely advanced classes. We first sketched our portrait with shoulders and then we (the classes) were assigned stations and we rotated our pieces around the room and the people came to life with vivid colors and mark-making. Then over the course of the next few days, we drew and cut our body parts out and then switched them with other people so that we did not end up designing our own. Then today, we put all the pieces back together! It is a piece that I think I will continue to work and rework. I love the assemblage/collage aspect of the different pieces. This is a great 2D concept!

I also wanted to include some of my peers work, because I found it outstanding!

Below (Left) John C's (Center) John G's and (Right) Pier's. 

*Click images to see enlarged. 

Below are three examples of puppets: (Left) Unfinished bunny, (Center) John C's and (Right) John G's reaper.

Below is our teacher's example of reusing classroom materials. As art teachers, we all have run into old dried out (unwashed) paintbrushes...by adding plaster gauze we created puppets/figurines a la Mr. Imagination.  

Below are more peer examples of the Concertina book. 

In order of artist: John C's, Kathleen's, Pier's, Lauren's, Jason's and John G's. 

And at the end of today, I got my certificate! AP Certified!

AP Day 3

The week has gone by super fast. I had MORE homework yesterday, that I did not have a chance to write yesterday, but I will briefly recap.

Day 2 - YESTERDAY
Slept in a little more, and breezed through I-75 traffic and made it slightly early with time to grab an apple and coffee, and work on some unfinished homework/pieces. We discussed Drawing Concentrations as well as 2D information. We drew out, cut out and switched body parts for our cardboard image (All post images when all projects are complete). I worked on those for the majority of our studio time today. We also began working on our concertina books. That about sums it up. Took 75 home and it wasn't bad, but did take longer. Then I took back roads once 285 merged onto 75S because of traffic. Not bad. I will take the loop tomorrow, it's faster.

Day 3 - TODAY.
Took 75 up and arrived with enough time to find a glue stick (I didn't have one at home) and work on my concertina book. Then we discussed more 2D and then dove into the rubric and scoring of portfolios. Then we began 3D portfolios and 3D concentrations. Our studio time today consisted of finishing our cardboard pieces and assembling them, working on our concertina books, and then we explored plaster gauze through puppet making. We will finish those tomorrow. I am excited about all of the artwork! Again, I'll post pictures, when all is finished. We will discuss the audits tomorrow, which I requested because I have no idea where to start as a first year teacher! BUT for now...

Homework
-Finish concertina book
-Decide what mini-concentration cards will be and begin working on them.
-Gather materials for puppets.

Hello

Hello there. 

I have had every intention of creating a blog about my first year teaching experience; however, I cannot find a template that I like, so bare with me as it will probably change several times before I find one, I like. 

Let me first introduce myself, I am Mrs. Brown* the art teacher. I am a high school visual arts teacher of Comprehensive Art I, Selected Studio/AP Studio Art, Drawing/Painting, and Sculpture/Ceramics as well as a basketball cheerleading coach. I have recently graduated from college with my Master of Arts in Teaching: Middle Grades and Secondary Education: Art Education. I received my Bachelor of Arts in General Studio Art. This year (2012-2013) will begin my first full-time, year-long teaching experience.

I have decided to create this blog to record & tract my ups/downs, lesson plans, student work, the good, bad and ugly of this year.

I was hired in May 2012 and have begun to plan and organize my classroom and lesson plans. I have a fairly large classroom (for Art), an office, and five closets (an Art teacher's dream).  I began cleaning the room by going through my office and the supply closets. Then my lovely fiancé used AutoCAD to create a blueprint of my room and the tables in order to see which arrangement would work best. The next several posts will be before & after images of the progression I have made this summer. 

June has consisted of cleaning the classroom, while July is already full of scheduled school-related events. I will be sent to an AP (Advanced Placement) Workshop for a week in order to become certified to teach my AP Studio Art class, as well as a week for new teachers called TIP or Teacher Induction Program. Finally, the end of the month consists of pre-planning because school arts August 6th!

I am excited and look forward to what the new year holds!

-Mrs. Brown

*Note: I am currently a Miss, but I am engaged to be married in September, which is SUPER exciting (also), so rather than changing the blog name along the way, I decided to begin the blog as I am beginning the school year. I will introduce myself to my students, as Mrs. Brown, so that there is no confusion along the way.