Let's GO!!!!!!

 Ok, let's get back to this. It was a crazy spring to end the school year. Then summer was great, but I live in beautiful northern Michigan! So, how could I complain about summer? Well, it was a packed touristy summer to say the least, but still plenty of room for all of us to enjoy the lakes and rivers. 

But now we are back to school. Back to the classroom (my school is F2F with option to go online). Back to paint, pencils, photography, and yearbook. Back to being with the students! It is nice to be with them again, even if we have to wear masks. But masks, well, it gets gross inside my mask after trying to project my voice during lessons. Sometimes it makes my nose itch. Sometimes it makes my nose burn. Sometimes I have headaches. But we are here, trying to do what we can for our kiddos. Trying to help with their mental health, while teaching curriculum, keeping them engaged. 

Bye for today.

If only one more day......

It has been a long time since I've used my teacher blog. I think this may be very helpful with my distant learning art classes.

So many different emotions over the last 37 days. I read a teacher written poem from facebook the other day that was spot on. I didn't want to re-post someone else's words, feels less sentimental. It was titled "If I had one one more day.." - it was an elementary teacher but related sooooo well for my seniors. During their senior year I find myself saying randomly throughout the year, oh yeah, before you grow up and leave us I want to tell this story (life lesson) that I learned that will maybe help you. ....and oh yeah, this is something you should know before you leave. The last story like that I remember telling them was these people you are here with now, your peers, there will be a strange bond between you that will last a lifetime. There is something to this time in your life that is imprinted as familiar and comforting, not all situations, and not for everyone. But a friend here or there and a situation that we are hoping bonds you to lean on each other in the next few years if needed. Heck, bonds you now for leaning on each other now because you all talk about feeling so alone, that no one understands what you are going through. It's so strange, but you all feel that and you are not alone.

I'm getting off topic, the title of her poem, "If I had one more day" - started my head spinning, If I had one more day to prepare, I would have sent you home with all of the supplies in the art room that you wanted to use over the next 8 weeks. I would have hugged you and told you to call/text/email/message me if you need anything in the not just last quarter of school but the next few years as you transition into the world as an adult, sometimes navigating what you feel is a yes/no question answer isn't, it's gray and maybe see-how-it-goes kind of answer. I should have taught you more of those crock pot casseroles in our Life Skills class. I would have said this is not normal for any of us - what you are about to experience... not normal for any of us. We are all winging it on what we hope we believe is the right thing to do. Lean on your peers, lean on your trusted adults, there are people that you can count on to be solid. I hope you are all doing ok. I hope you read your emails....... we aren't done yet

More 6th Grade Artwork

So, I haven't written in this blog since January, sadly. I don't know how I completely forgot I have a blog. Well, it could be due to all of the other things I dove into and tried to conquer. Anyways I need to get back at it. I love showing off my students' artwork. So, here is another batch of projects.

I saw this whimsical tree here on Etsy. We adapted it for our 6th grade use. The students used colored pencils and tried to create patterns in the circles. Some used oil pastels.

6th Grade Art

I feel bad that I don't send home 6th grade artwork weekly. But it usually takes us 2-3 weeks to complete some of the projects, due to presentation time, sketch time, work time, then figure in there random reasons for them not to have class on certain days. Then after they complete the work I selfishly hang it in our hallways, I beautify our walls. So, the other day I had it all taken down from December until now and rolled it up per student and sent it all home. I hope it made it home safely.

These were fun, but it took a long time to complete. First we looked at Op art and we chose a background to create. Creating the different values in colored pencil took patience and a lot of time. Then we reviewed zentangle patterns. They traced their hands and filled them with patterns. Last, they cut them out and glued them over their backgrounds. I love how they turned out.

Photography Final for the Quarter

For the final for this quarter you have 3 photo assignments to complete and turn in to our class page by Friday.

1) "Mixing Bowl" - You will choose one assignment from the basket of options and upload it to our class Shutterfly site.

2) Selfie: Raw and edited. You need to take one selfie and keep it unedited and then use one of the online editing apps to edit that image. Collage them into one frame and submit it to our class Shutterfly page.

3) Abstract: Take an everyday object and take a picture of it from a unique view to make it look abstract. You can edit this image. When finished upload it to our class Shutterfly site. I pinned some examples for you https://www.pinterest.com/stephaniemom/photo-everyday-objectabstract/

Ask me if you need ANY help with this assignment. Everything is due Friday, no exceptions.

Lab Assignment for Photography

Good afternoon photography students.

Please READ this entire post so you know what is expected for today.

Today you are assigned to create a presentation of your photographs from this semester so far (both quarters). You can use Prezi, Google Slides, Powerpoint, or any other presentation tool you would like to use. You were assigned 11 photo assignments for the first quarter and 8 photo assignments from the second quarter totaling 19 photo assignments. Your presentation must include at least 10 of the images you have taken. You also must explain in a short 5-8 sentence paragraph each image. Sell yourself as a photographer in this presentation. Show off your best images.

This presentation is due at the end of the hour Wednesday and is worth 50 points! Get to work and use your time wisely. I can't wait to see your presentations. 

Happy Friday Photo Class!

Everyone is expected to have both the action/motion/blur assignment and the shoe triptych assignment both posted to our class site on Shutterfly AND a blog post for both assignments today.

If you are done with these assignments, you can work on an extra credit assignment. Follow this link to my Pinterest board to see examples. The assignment is to create a photo poster of the alphabet. LOOK AT THE EXAMPLES. 

Two Photography Assignments for the Week

This week you will have 2 photo assignments.

1) Blur/Motion/Action. You must capture action or motion in a picture. Look at my Pinterest board HERE to see some examples of Blur/Motion/Action. After you are sure you have taken the best action/blur/motion picture, edit it and post it to our class site on Shutterfly and create a blog post for your blog and include a description paragraph.

2) Shoe Triptych. For this assignment the rules are take a picture of a shoe (or shoes) and present 3 images. So, you could take a picture of 3 different pairs of shoes, or 3 different shoes, or one pair of shoes with 3 different backgrounds. This is up to you. You must present 3 images collaged in one to upload to our class site on Shutterfly. Also, post to your blog with a description paragraph.