Van Gogh's Personal Issues

If a student gets into trouble or violates the dress code, he or she is sent to APR (Alternative Placement Room) to do their work. If an art student happens to end up there, I do not send their artwork, but instead a packet of artist biographies with response guides. Last quarter, I had one student turn in a particularly great response to the Vincent Van Gogh biography.

 

 

"This is how I feel about van gogh's life. First, I think his life could have been way better. Because he was a great artist. He had potential. And was smart. Next he was too worried about them women. And they drove him insane. Which I am not gonna let nobody bring me down. I can promise you that one. Last, as you can see I honestly think that if he would've left them females alone he would've never been stressing at all."

 

Color Theory

Before we started perspective we studied color theory. We discussed the color wheel (a few 8th graders SWORE that they made the primary colors with their previous art teacher... um NO sorry, we aren't even going to argue because you are ding-dong wrong!)

The 7th graders created a project using radial design, permanant markers, and colored pencils to blend the full color wheel on their drawings. The 8th graders had to design a shape/object and draw it 12 times. They then mixed colors and painted a full color wheel. I was pleasantly surprised with both grade levels- my students produced some nice work and I think the majority of them actually understand basic color theory. Hooray!

7th Grade  Student Sample

 

8th Grade Student Samples

Boogie Wonderland and Perspective. Sigh, perspective...

The head bobbing in my room is extreme this morning. That's thanks mostly to my favorite Pandora station - Earth, Wind, & Fire. You can't sit still when Boogie Wonderland is playing across the room. Its just not possible. Dance! Boogie Wonderland! Dance! Boogie Wonderland! Sorry. I can't even contain myself. Its one of my all time favorite songs. Ever.

Time has really flown by- I have not spent much time keeping my blog updated. I started it with the goal of finally keeping up with an art ed blog. So far I'm not doing the best there... but hopefully I can get into more of a routine and post more regularly about my classroom. 

Since the last lesson post (Basquiat & Graffiti names) we've covered Color Theory (I'll share in another post) and now we are on to Perspective. 7th graders are focusing on 1 pt, 8th graders on 2 pt. Coming from elementary school, I've never really taught perspective. Now I'm realizing how many of my students are TOTALLY in the dark when it comes to holding a ruler and following simple step by step directions. "IT WONT GO STRAIGHT!" yelled a 7th grader, frustrated with his ruler - I tried to explain that its his holding the ruler and not the ruler that is causing the issue. You can see in his face that he really doesn't understand how I meant that. Its frustrating. That being said, there are still some students that are doing well and get it. I have to credit the fabulous art education blog Deep Space Sparkle for sharing a legit perspective lesson. It has helped me SO MUCH. Hopefully I can get a smoother lesson prepared for the next quarter and it will get better over time.

 

7th grade student work (in progress) of a city in 1 pt perspective... we're getting there, I promise.

On looking er... youthful. Ok Ok... on looking like a KID

I only had a few issues at the elementary level. For example, on Fridays we wore school spirit wear- a T-Shirt and jeans. I fit right in along my older elementary kids. I'm 27 years old and barely 5' tall. I look more like a 6th grader than a older twenty-something, even when dressed in my "teacher clothes." It was usually a random parent or the custodian- "OH MISS L SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE A KID AGAIN!"

Now that I'm teaching in a middle school... wowsa. It has gone from being now and then to nearly everyday. The first day of school I was leading my class back to the art room. The principal stopped the group (I was walked alongside). "WHERE ARE YOU GUYS GO- Oh, Miss L, I see you, I am SO sorry." I said "Its not the first and it wont be last, no worries" and we kept it moving. Then, the next day, we had a PBIS dance during school for kids that had successfully completed the first week of school on point. The DJ's are from a local hip hop station and therefore mini-celebs around here. After the first half, one leaned over to me "I'm so sorry every time you walk by I have to do a double take cuz you look like one of the kids!'

Aint no thang. 

This week, as I gave a misbehaving student the teacher side-eye, his friend made some not very polite motions with his lower half towards me "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?" a second later I could see in his face that it registered that I was a teacher, not his peer. "OH S*&$!" and he quietly walked away, extremely embarrassed. I didn't even bother to check him because I could tell he had checked himself.

I'm not writing about all this to complain- I realize that one day my youthful appearance will be oh-so-awesome. I've avoided tanning beds and cigarettes so I hope to keep this "problem" up for as long as possible.

Unfortunately for the kids, it means me catching them trying to be slick more often than my coworkers because they act out before they realize who they're standing next to... Hopefully the lesson they learn here is to keep their act together 24/7, not just when they are near an adult.

It has begun.

I've officially been back at work for a week now- or do you say school? I normally say school but I look so young I feel like I tell people that and they actually assume I mean I'm IN school, not teaching it.

I am TRULY loving my new position as a middle school art teacher. I do miss my young kiddos from the elementary level but I still run into them from time to time around the community. I've started the same project with both 7th and 8th grade classes. I figured this would be easier for me and it would help me gauge my students' knowledge of the arts as well as their abilities.

To kick off the year, we learned about one of my own personal favorites - Jean-Michel Basquiat. I absolutely love JMB. I am so drawn to his work and to the tragedy that was his short life. We go through a short Power Point that covers a basic biography.

Basics about JMB

• Parents were Haitian and Puerto Rican
• High school drop out, drug use - you already know this starts a deep discussion
• Began his career tagging buildings around NYC - cue sidebar about Graffiti art
• Known for his eccentric hair style and paint covered designer suits
• Close friends with Andy Warhol. Some could say he had Warhol to thank for his fame. - I say "Pretend I have a rap album. Its different. People aren't into it. My dear friend Lil'Wayne/2Chainz/etc tells everyone to check out Miss L's album... what happens? People change their mind. They're willing to like it now)
• Inspired by the medical text Gray's Anatomy
• Died of a drug overdose at the age of 27 in 1988 
• Between 2002-2008, JMB's work sold at auction in the $10-$14 million range - We discuss WHY his work has become so valuable... his death means no more work... thus its higher price as there will be no more paintings... we relate it to the death of Michael Jackson and how it inspired people take a second look at his music and run out to buy albums all over again.

Once we've covered JMB, we have a short discussion on graffiti and what makes or doesn't make it art. We discuss vandalism and local graffiti. We also very briefly look at Banksy.

For the art project, my students create a block letter alphabet (for practice, purely participation points). Once they've finished this, they begin their name in block lettering. I keep the guidelines very loose since this is our first lesson and I'm still getting to know what they can do and how they learn in my room.

 So far, so good. I'll have to share some images of their work- I love seeing the variety of styles. 

Rally Day

Today was the Rally. 

The Rally is a huge gathering in my district- all the administrators, secretaries, custodians, support staff, and teachers meet in one place to kick off the new school year. I am always in awe of how big our district is when I see just how many employees are part of it. TONS! (22nd biggest district in the state).

Today was the best rally I've been to in my green career as an art teacher (this was my 4th). Our presenters were amazing. A few student groups performed, teachers spoke, administrators presented- it was overall an awesome day. I think it was a perfect jump start for tomorrow.

In other news...

I've been working hard to get my classroom together. These are probably my favorite bulletin board decorations so far. I've had this in my head since 2Chainz first released I'm Different. Happy to finally see it on paper. The Drake image is more interactive- his eyebrows need to be added (hence the dry erase marker nearby).

Its OK to be different... 

 

DRAKE NEEDS EYEBROWS!

Its the final Friday of summer... Not sure where summer went but I'm pretty pumped for the new school year to begin.

This year will be full of firsts for me- first real art room (no more cart, no more teaching in a library, no more teaching in 42 different classrooms each week), first experience in a middle school, and the first time I've taught in the A.C. I'm already missing my elementary kiddos but I'm very upbeat about this new opportunity.

The teacher I'm replacing taught for 30 years and is now enjoying retirement. I have a blank slate to write my curriculum and teach lessons I'm truly passionate about.

I AM EXCITED!

I have been going crazy printing and posting all the fabulous art-related images in my new room...this is one of many that has been put up already.