Can I go...

I hear "can I go..." all day long! My 8th graders only have a 2 minute passing period so they are always asking for passes to the bathroom and to get a drink of water. I am very close to the restrooms and don't mind allowing the students to go (only one out of the room at a time) within reason. I track how often they go and stop the frequent fliers.

The killer is getting a drink. Students sometimes come directly from PE and it's hard to deny a beet red face a quenching drink of water. As an art teacher, I have a bank of sinks in my classroom. I would tell the students to turn on the water and stick their face underneath. The girls would give me a funny look and so would some of the boys. Eventually thirst won out and they would sip from the faucet. I knew there had to be a better way so I asked Google and ordered this cool contraption from Amazon. It's amazing!

Dreamfarm Tapi Fountain Rubber Tap (Colors may vary)
by Dreamfarm
Link: http://amzn.com/B004I8V8DI

 

 

Their own mark...

Students at FMS look forward to 8th grade art.  The first project we begin with is always a hit...Graffiti Art!  Whenever our display goes up, all students exclaim, "I want to do that!".  It is a great project because students love it, the majority are successful, and I am able to learn names a little easier.

We begin by discussing the difference between art and vandalism.  We then discuss how graffiti is becoming very mainstream and graffiti artists are now being commissioned by various business, advertising companies, and property owners.

The students then look at many examples.  We go over how to draw lettering and make it varied. Students most often select a brick background for their graffiti.

Before students begin coloring, we discuss proper coloring methods and the importance of contrast.

The "I" phone

Did you ever think about how much your digital device reveals about you? From the pictures you have, the background you set, and the apps you have downloaded, you reveal a lot about yourself. With this in mind, I had the students in all grades fill in a template of a phone with apps. They could use the images of apps they already had or create their own to show a bit of their interests. They were then asked to design their ideal phone case. The students really enjoyed this activity and will be finishing it today in class using colored pencils.

 

You can get a blank copy of this document here: "i"pad document 

Back to school!

Today was the first day of the 2015-2016 school year. The first day is always my least favorite. I have to stand in front of students and go over rules and procedures. BORING! I did try to break it up with a creative drawing activity at the end.  6th grade was asked to create the ultimate robot maid.




7th grade imagined a universe they could enter through their locker.

8th grade created the ultimate vacation location.  We really had fun with that one!

This short exercise helped me discover students who had a hard time coming up with ideas, their drawing ability/confidence, and a little glimpse into their personality.