a blog about projects

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Teaching Day 9

So I've finally think that I am getting some kind of hang of teaching at my middle school. 
I'm hanging off of something. 
On Monday I'll be starting my work sample: 
Words into Cartoons. I wanna see if students can turn words into illustrations and if it will help with literacy skills. 
<<I'm not sure why it won't rotate...>>


This is an inspirational quote. 
My teacher sample that says 
"It's never too late to be what you might have been." George Eliot. 


They have to choose a quote and then illustrate it into cartoon form! I'll be hanging it up outside for students to read. 


Words are very powerful but pictures are worth a thousand words! 


Ceramics is working on coil mugs, but this was their previous project 


MONSTER RATTLES! 


My idea. inspired by something I did in elementary school. 
But the idea was to make a rattle with monster attributes and create a story around it. 
<<< he's Fubake... like furobake. owl demon in japanese. He steals stuffed animals late at night, but if you shake this rattle 3 times before you go to sleep he will stay away! :)




***Just gotta keep on keepin on!*** I've got more lessons that I planned out today and more to come later! 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Teaching thought

I've been thinking a lot lately. Being around my new mentor teacher at the middle school...
(Oh, by the way... I'm at a middle school now... I haven't updated in a while) 
But for everyone that wants to be a teacher or if you are a person that wants to help people in general, please think about why you are doing it. 
Now more than ever, I don't think that it's enough to love your subject area with a passion. You have to want to help others understand your passion. 


So I'm vowing:
~ I will try my best to help all the students I can. 
~ I will always have high expectations for all my students.
~ giving up on a student really isn't an option. 
~ I will try my best to be patient with the students who need extra extra extra time. 
~ I will foster a community of students.
~ I will try my best to keep my students in my classroom (even when they are being a pain. because those are the students who need it the most.)
~I will choose my battles wisely.
~I WILL BE AN ART TEACHER 
especially when people say I won't have a job. 

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Teaching day ???

I haven't been updating in a while. 
Well. It's been a while since we started a new project. Plus spring break. 
I hope everyone had a nice relaxing spring break :)


Drawing class' current project is inspired by Ben Heines Camera Vs. Pencil photographs. 
Instead of using a camera, students used oil pastels. 
1. They first took a photograph and transfered it by using a grid technique. 
2. Then use oil pastels to color their sketch. 
3. After that's finished take a piece of white paper and alter the image. 


My image was of a park near my aunty's house in Mukilteo. There was an old dude showing off his cool kite windmills. So I altered the walkway with a panda that dug all the way from China!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Teaching Day 7

Contrast
Despite my much less than perfect delivery of today's lesson in 6 period painting, I managed to pull through in 7th period. 
So to go along with my contrasting painting lesson I also had a contrast today. Really junk and good. :)This is my first lesson on my own (planning and everything) for painting class. 

Contrast is the theme and I'm focusing on observational painting with watercolor pencils. 
1. Students chose a fruit or vegetable to draw. 
2. They paint the underlying colors first with watercolor. let dry. and then go over it with watercolor pencils to give it detail. 
3. Students chose another fruit of vegetable with a contrasting texture: in this instance. Rough pineapple and smooth grapes. 
4, Doing the same procedure on a separate piece of paper they then needed to use the original fruit's complementary or contrasting color and the new fruits texture characteristics to make design for the background. 
5. Add finishing touches and paste the whole fruit onto the background! 

Monday, March 7, 2011

Teaching Day 6

"RPR" project
Repetition, Pattern, Rhythm
Our next endeavor is the RPR project. 


1. Students painted a piece of paper with watercolors
2. The watercolors are in random patterns of color blobs
3. Then they look at their painting and find different objects to make out of the blobs.
4. Draw out their objects in pencil and then go over them in pen. 
5. In the background make a rhythmical pattern that moves the viewers eyes across the page. 
This was a fun project for me to do alone. We are getting to the point where the students imaginations are trying to squeeze out everything they've got... 


and some students aren't, but that's just how it goes I guess.


They are supposed to use different pen techniques that they've used in their last project. 
This way they can add detail and texture to their artwork. 


In the end their skills should move your eyes throughout their artwork and give you some sort of rhythmic sensation! 



Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Teaching Day 5

Observations


Today I had my observation for student teaching. 
It was a work day for the students because of the snow day last week the schedule got mixed up, but it went well. I think it's important for my supervisor to see what we (as art teachers) do on a regular basis. We don't overload the students EVERYDAY with TECHNIQUES! 


Student teacher class:


Then we had class this evening for our student teacher cohort. :) It was a good and productive class. 
I've been having trouble because my students aren't actively participating in class. They are being butts and don't want to answer when I ask them questions. 


My classmates had lots of good advice to give me:


1. wait for them. ask for 3 things and don't move ahead until they answer. 
2. Tell them to get together in groups and discuss.
3. Think Pair Share
4. Tell the students that you are going to call on them and then follow through with it. 


I'm excited to be able to use it in class tomorrow. :) 
Tomorrow is my monster group. well they aren't really monsters... they just need some guidance.  


We'll see how they do!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Teaching Day 5

2 words...
Rough Day
There are lots of reasons why you may not want to teach. And there are lots of reasons why you would want to teach. You can have the best intentions and most optimistic mind going into this field and all it really takes is one kid. One kid that'll make you want to stop and question if you should be doing what you are doing. 
a picture of my friend ian :) who isn't really a kid kid...
but it was a good picture for this post :)
So you sit... and wonder. why why why why.
You get frustrated and question. 

But then you realize. That this student is one of the reasons for being a teacher. 
They are the challenge and they are the ones that need guidance the most. So what to do?

Consider the outside influences.
Consider the people around them. 
Consider EVERYTHING. 
and set that kid up to succeed.

I don't mean just give them the grades. I mean curbing their behaviors so they can succeed. They need to work harder which may mean you need to work harder too! But never give up on them, because sometimes you're the only one that believes. 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Teaching day 4

Value Assignment Project
1. find a 12 x 12 paper
2. get two objects and draw them! 
3. Make sure that the objects go off of 3 sides of the paper. (this makes an interesting composition!)
4. if there is empty space, then fill it with awesome shapes and lines! 
5. split the paper into 4 sections
6. Use 4 different techniques to fill each section with dramatic values! 
Students are evaluated by their RANGE OF VALUE.
They must have a WIDE range of value and 4 different techniques. 

Practice worksheet>>>

Techniques include:
Hatching
Cross Hatching
Ebony Pencil
Color Pencil
Stippling
Scumbling

So this is what the students are doing. It's pretty self explanatory and pretty easy to figure out. It's also easy to elaborate more on!