Beginning of the Year Happenings

The first few weeks are full of setting up your routines and procedures. BUT, creating should always be happening in that chaos :)

First days center around making a portfolio (keeping all of their great masterpieces somewhere).  The next days are simple projects to build confidence, and in my case, to get to know all of these great kiddos.  I don't mean to brag or anything (well, yes, I do), but I have some awesome budding artists!

(You can see some of my procedures and routines in prior posts)

One of the first 2nd grade and 3rd grade projects is "Identity Hands."

I take these and display them in a collaborative mural (posting on that later).

1st grade's first project was getting to know our supplies (and review).  They traced the supplies and made "Supply Robots."  

You can see here, the usual, "I like mine to look like my BFF next me's" Lol.  The design was really cool, so how could I possibly say no :)

Aaaawwwweeee, Free Time..... The kiddos have a ton of "free time" activities, but their favorite is the color wheel puzzle.  

Artist of the Month for September

With only two weeks of projects, there weren't many to pick from.  But, I can already see some awesome work in the future!

I choose 2 from each grade and their work is displayed for the entire month.

(Not all are pictured. Some are part of the collaborative project Or they have their name on it too large to picture).

Kindergarten- "Tracing and Line Design"

Frist Grade - "Supply Robot"

Fifth Grade- "Journal"

Second Grade- "Portfolio"

Second Grade- "Portfolio"

Kindergarten- "Tracing and Line Design"

First Grade- "Portfolio"

Artful Aftermath

Always makes my heart smile :)

The collage bins are always interesting after creating "Stella Sculptures."

After stamping patterns with the kindergarteners.

Will be the background to our landscapes :)

This week we started Stella!!!  You can look back at prior posts to see a seek peek at what that's all about ;)

Artfully Your's,

Mrs. Bayless

GES

A new school year!!!
I am SO excited to start in my new art classroom at GES!


Here are a few pictures of my room:

"Let's Make a Mess!"

That was my first self portrait in oil, and the poster is a little bit about me.   My 5th graders keep art journals and that is the "creation station" for free time.

I hand draw all of my posters.

and

GES is a PBS school :)

I use my bulletin board (not just for displaying art). For: Weekly lessons, elements/principles, helper table, smARTy words, "Golden Paintbrush," and the GLEs and "I can" statements.

Can't wait for the kids to make their messes!!!

Here's to the start of a GREAT new school year!!!

-Mrs. Bayless

 :)

Student Artwork Samples

It's been a long, rewarding semester of student teaching!  I had the opportunity to work with great educators.  They will leave lasting impressions in my life and in my heart.

I am currently job searching.  Stressful but extremely exciting! Every opportunity so far has been just out of my driving range.  If I see "1 hour 15 mins" on googlemaps one time! lol!

I wanted to have a portfolio of student work compiled to share with potential employers, but thought, why don't I just post them to my art teacher blog too!?  Yes, why not?

So, this post is pictures of some projects I did with my students in the last couple of months.  Not all, of course, but of some that I actually thought, "hey, I need to take the time to take a few pictures!" lol.
A lot are "in process" pictures.  That's my favorite part :)

Kandinsky Circles with Kindergarten

 Each student painted four on a page.  I combined all of them for a BIG Kandinsky mural down their hall.  

While learning about Kandinsky, we read "The Dot" by Reynolds.

The aftermath of one day: this makes my heart smile.

Stella (Frank) Creature Sculptures with Kindergarten

They loved talking about Stella (and yelling Stella!!).  These creatures were very free form, exploration creating while learning various paper manipulation techniques.

Second Grade studied Stella also, and created group, collaborative "Stellas" after individually creating paper manipulations.

This was an amazingly, fun project that I would highly suggest for a start of the year project (one of the first).  ALL students were successful with this and LOVED doing it.

Now Pollock's turn!

The kids really enjoyed talking about Jackson Pollock, and then string painting.

Another "aftermath" photo. Always makes me smile!

First Grade used cardboard to create buildings.

This student struggles with concepts, but rocked this!  He didn't just do one building; he created a whole neighborhood! Just blew me away watching him do this!

Second Grade "Identity Hands"

This looks awesome down their hall.  All their individual identity hands made one big, beautiful wreath!

We decorate for the different grades' vocal concerts. These are a few examples (themes: Science and Country). The kids love this; we leave it for a couple of weeks afterwards!

Fourth Grade used round looms to create bracelets.

We discussed many things, but the main thing this group took from it was "perseverance!" They learned to face the challenge and push through (perfect for the big assessments coming up).

Another "aftermath" picture :)

Pieces from a horsehair firing workshop that I set up for art teachers at the state MAEA conference.

Very cool process that produces beautiful pieces!

This Value Vs. Value Project with 8th Grade 

helped the students focus on value (what's important) and value (lightness and darkness).  

They did a grid drawing of something they valued, and then grid drew organic shapes where the different values were, before painting.  Having to use complementary colors was the hardest part for them. "My _____(subject) has to be _____(color)! Even the skin!" lol. It was an awesome product in the end.

This was of a student's home town, where she had recently moved from.  Very good therapy for her.

Ceramics with an advanced middle school student

Inspirational Forms

This was a building-wide (middle school) collaborative project.

The 6th grade free form painted (focusing on the elements to create the design). The 8th grade painted the forms (during their lesson on value and forms). Finally, the 7th grade cut out the forms, attached them to the 6th grades' paintings, and painted inspirational quotes on them. 

This is by no means all of my students' work, but definitely good examples of some (I also teach art classes at the local gallery, which includes all ages, even adult).  I love watching them create and instilling all kinds of good stuff in the process. They always leave with a love for learning and creating, constantly seeking that new knowledge.

Artfully Your's,

Jessie

STEM should be STEAM

I just want to put this out there, in hope to continue the conversation.  I have been saying it for over a year now, or maybe even two.  Every educator knows what STEM stands for (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).  The focus in the current educational trend has been concentrated on STEM.  I firmly believe this should be STEAM (Science, Tech., Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).
See my prior post as to "Why" this is a must.

I'll let you mull it over :)

creatively your's,
Jessie

Why is Art Important?

My first week of student teaching was one ginormous "SNOW DAY!" (all week!).  I performed well; did everything the other teachers did: got the call and went back to bed, lol!

Now, I finally started.  and I am LOVING it!  I'm exhausted. Completely and utterly drained by the end of the day. But, it's a satisfied drain :)

I believe in helping the students make connections to their learning.  The number one question I get is: Why is Art important?
Well…. The answer is SO in depth, I thought, why not make that an activity!

I researched for various answers, and found this information on the NAEA website.  It said it all!  BUT, it said it in a "grown-up/teacher" jargon.  I don't believe in "dumbing" anything down, ever.  I always use the most descriptive word I can think of, and then use synonyms until they understand, or simply say "time to get the dictionary."

Here was my resulting handout:

For this lesson, I put the students into 5 groups.  Within the group they decide if they will read "round-robin" or pick a reader.  As the groups read, each student would circle the words they did not know (let them know ahead of time that the document contains many words that they will not know, and that's okay!).

Next, have each group choose 2 of the reasonings, with one containing at least one word they do not know.

Have a large group discussion, writing the words on the board, sharing each word.

Back within their groups, have them pick one reasoning and write a written explanation of it and give one example.

Finally, have each group share their explanation/example (note: while they are picking a reasoning, make sure they are not picking the same ones).

This is a great way for students to make connections with Art, while learning some new vocab. :)   So many students are told that Art isn't really important.  Help them understand "why?"





                                                                                                              Keep Creating and Inspiring!

                                -Jessie

Cube Cities

I have spent the semester in a local elementary art classroom.  These kids were great! and the teacher is so patient and willing and a wealth of art teacher knowledge.  I get to student teach with her in the spring, Yay!!

Last blog I said I would offer the Cube project.  Well, as I started in the art room, the cubes took a dramatic turn.  (I love finding simple project ideas and developing them into elaborate art lessons- I'm a total Ed. geek like that :)

Here is the Cube:

and how to make it:

NOTE: the size of the strips of paper depends on how large you want the cubes.  SIZES CAN VARY.

Here are the kids assembling their cubes

(this is a project for 4th grade and up)

This is where the "cubes" took a dramatic turn.  We were discussing how we could use the cubes.  Kids have the most amazing imaginations!

Cube Cities

(3D cityscapes)

Here is the constructivist lesson plan:

"Evaluate" is missing, but here is my basic rubric that I use with elementary students.

This one is for this specific project (concepts at the top would need to be changed per project).

After completing this lesson for the first time, there were SO many more components and concepts to be added. Mostly interdisciplinary ideas (ie: groups adding govt' buildings and such, since MO's 4th grade curriculum spirals with state govt' concepts- Maybe add some famous Missourian and architectural facts :).

So many great concepts could be incorporated!

Here are some more Project Progress Pics

The students had SO much fun working collaboratively on this project.  And they were SO excited to show their parents at their 4th grade concert (during which, they exhibit their art work in the hallways).

Here are the completed city blocks placed into their cities.  Each class came up with a name for their city.  

 The students learned various paper manipulation (folding) techniques to build their cubes and to make attachments.

The pictures don't do the details justice.

  

Happy teaching and creating!!

         

                 -Jessie