My 5th Year

I just started my 5th year of teaching.... I knew it would go fast, everyone says it will go fast, but that really is an under-statement people! Slow down when you can! I learned many lessons, made many friends, and even fought some hate. I grew up quite a bit....

I always fought growing up though. I don't think it helps my students to become a stodgy "old" person. You lose touch with them, but I had to toughen up. I had to come to terms with my limits and others' too. I have an advocate heart, and it's very hard not to stand up to the injustices of the world."Choose your battles wisely" is an established mantra now. I think all teachers establish this eventually. You have to, to preserve your own sanity, lol.

"Kids first" may be old and cliche, but it's completely right. Every decision made, the question should be asked, "is this good for the kids?" If the answer is not a resounding "Yes!" then move on. There is NO time to waste.

The kids have been amazing! I dabbled briefly in going Secondary education, but through the journey, I realized that I am, at least currently, Very much an Elementary art teacher.  I love the magic that comes with it. You get to be a rockstar, magician, puppeteer, ninja, anything you want, and the kids LOVE it!

To all the new teachers out there just starting your first year, embrace, slow down, and know the 5th year is Just around the corner. Peace and love to you all, and ENJOY those kids! You're helping build the future, ya know 😉

Kids first; everything else will fall into place.

Choice-based Art

Venturing into Choice!!!

I really need to record the massive process this has been.  As an art teacher, I have seen creativity slipping away from the classroom, replaced with cookie-cutter projects that can become so teacher directed that students lose all the wonderful learning that happens in the process.   I believe we can facilitate deep learning by guiding the student through the process, without dictating every move.

Bring on Choice-Based Art!

I remember the moment I heard the term, and all that was rattling around in my head about art education just clicked! I have spent the last couple of years establishing TAB (teaching artistic behaviors) in my classroom environment and teaching the students to "work their studio." Finding that happy balance between independence and conforming has been a challenge, a rewarding challenge, but one we still struggle with.

This year, I have decided to take the leap and go Modified-Choice with my 3-5s, with free creating stations that they can explore and let their creativity explode.  My K-2s are limited-choice while we are building foundations.  The research and planning took years. I wanted to do it right.  Every new station brings new challenges, but they are met with determination and excitement!  Students are still responsible for meeting learning objectives (targets), as am I.  A lot of this is done through our sketchbooks (journals).  So many procedures! procedure, procedure, procedure! Lol!

I plan to share more of this amazing process as we move along :)


                                                                                                                   

Artfully Yours,

Mrs. Bayless

Back to Blogging

I haven't kept up with my blogs.  I was posting everything to Facebook, and felt that did the job. But, you can't share all the great lesson plans and go into real detail in a FB post.  I need to keep up with my blog. Lots of really cool things are happening every week in my Art room, and you just never know, whom it may inspire.  My students are really awesome and their processes and art are even more amazing! Do I want to deprive the world of that?!

Here's some artwork from this year:

Artwork entered into the Senate Show at the Capitol.

Every year artwork is submitted for Senators to choose work to be a part of the exhibit held in the Capitol. We have not had work chosen, yet ;)

I have many "Art Station" manipulative the kids can create with once they are finished with their projects. I try to rotate the activities. Books and Free Draw are always options (but rarely picked). 

Working on Kandinsky Dots for celebration of DOT Day.

This will need to be its own blog post. We went crazy celebrating our collaboration with DOTS!

This is one of my Artist Trading Cards (ATC) that I created with the kids. We traded amongst ourselves, and the 5th grade traded theirs with Australia, and 4th traded theirs with Florida. It was Very cool!!!  

(Another blog post on its own)

STELLA!!!

Inspired by Frank Stella's paintings and sculptures.

What a fun, energetic project to start the year with my 2n grade!!

I presented this lesson at the Fall MAEA (Art teacher) Conference. These look so great on display!

Well, that's it for now.  I will try my hardest to keep up with blogging.  I believe in collaboration.  It's what we need for our students. I know great things are happening in classrooms all over the world, and I want to hear all about it, so I know someone would love to hear what's going on in my mine too.

Artfully Yours,

Mrs. Bayless

Winter Art Show/Music Concert

Better late than never; I wanted to post a few pics of the Winter Art Show/Music Concert.

The students, props committee, and teachers put in hours of work to prepare.  So many great costumes! The set! The students! The ARTWORK!

I wished I would have gotten a few more pictures of that great night, but here are some :)

GES presents:  A Rainbow of Lines

Fourth Grade Line Lizards

Second Grade Rainbow Landscapes

Kindergarten Rainbow Birds

This entire family came out to enjoy a night with the Arts! :)

Second Grade Native American Shields (Sand Art)

My view as prompter to the Amazing Concert.  The kids did fantastic! What a great show!!

My teammate, mentor and Music Teacher, Mrs. Jackson.  We make quite the pair! :)

Hope you enjoyed this little peak at what was a great Show! :)

Remember, if you would like any of the lessons that go with these projects, don't ever hesitate to ask. 

I like to share! :)

Creatively Your's,

Mrs. Bayless

Student Work Samples Fall 2014

My, oh my, the time has flown by!!!

The first half of the year has swung by, and I'm tying a dot at the end of the rope to hang on tight!  :)

Here are some samples of the ArtMazing work created this last semester. 

Third grade optical illusions.

Check out the beautiful frames that were purchased to hang the Artist of the Month Artwork around the building.  These look absolutely fantastic!  

Purchased from Blick Art Supplies.

First grade snowmen at night.

Third grade 3D cubes

Our Librarian loves having the student artwork on display!

First grade Kandinsky Dots

Fifth Grade Line Cities

All about the contrast!!

We hit the ground running and only stop for hard earned "Golden Paintbrush" parties.  Our days are filled with creating, exploring, and learning!!

If you every want the lesson for any of these projects, just give me a holler; I love to share :)

-attached to some of these works' lessons is a "Self-Assessment" with a writing component-

Creatively Your's,

Mrs. Bayless

Lines, Lines, Lines!!!

Line, the basic of all art elements. The foundation of all art that is created.  There is only void without line!

Our focus, in a few classes (and basically all the time ;), has been 

LINES

(All the elements -and principles- of Art are continuously covered. Always, always, always :)

Here's some Kindergarten's latest 

focus on line (and color and cutting).

Drawing various lines down strips of paper and cutting them.  Then arranging (focus on composition) before gluing!

Second Grade continued with their line landscapes; adding permanent marker and starting watercolor.

Next Project: Native American Sand Art!!

They are foreground, middleground, background experts now! lol

Third, Fourth and Fifth grade 

worked on Self-Assessing their Stella sculptures (post on this later ;).

Then we started on Optical Illusion Hands.

Another cool "Whow!" project.  And learnin' some MATH in the process :)

Journal:

I am SOOOO enjoying finally being in a classroom!  For those first following, this IS my first year, but I've been dreaming of this room for decades.  I love education and I love art. What better way to teach students to learn (and to teach themselves) than through art!?  Every class is so different, and I love it. I think, if I'm this excited now, I must be in it for the long haul ;)

My current literary pause (book) is "The Big Book of Therapeutic Activity Ideas for Children and Teens." So many fairly simple activities to help students to focus, recollect and build self-actualization.  I plan to incorporate these into my "free time" station.  Sometimes students just need a brain break. Or help with a current brain-block situation (could have happened earlier before my class).  A few minutes on a guided activity geared to that specific emotional/social/focus need definitely helps!


Currently, we are taking a "sorta" break and making "Red Ribbon Week-Drug Free" posters.  They will be on display throughout the building the third week of October. And there will be a winner from each grade announced at the Red Ribbon Assembly!!!

I really need to put up kindergarten/first grade Kandinsky Dot Mural, but I'm afraid it will have to wait until November.

                                                                                                       

                  Artfully Yours',

                                                                                                                      Mrs. Bayless

             

Blotter Butterflies- Primary Color Mixing

This last couple/few weeks, first grade has been focusing on PRIMARY COLORS.

Look at their beautiful "blotter butterflies." Some were more successful than others at making the paint mix to create secondary colors.

We sang the first 2 verses of the color song:

(to the tune- "Wheels on the Bus")

-Compliments of my Wonderful cooperating teacher from student teacher (I only changed it a bit ;)-

The primary colors are red, yellow, blue.

Red, yellow, blue.

Red, yellow, blue.

The primary colors are red, yellow, blue.

Mixing them is fun to do!

The secondary colors are purple, orange and green.

Purple, orange, and green.

Purple, orange, and green.

The secondary colors are purple, orange, green.

Mixing them would be so mean.

I like how this student thought of the concluding "butterfly" when drawing her "B" to cut out her symmetrical butterfly.

The kids LOVE and are AMAZED when the colors transfer and mix.