#InstaART #artaroundus

Over the summer I was trying to think of a new way to engage my older, middle school students, and get them looking for art around them. On my Instagram, I sometimes post some interesting texture, pattern, color, etc., that I’ve spotted when I’m out for a walk, and I began wondering if that might possibly be a way to get them looking for art principles, elements, or ideas. I like to use the hashtag #artaroundus, so I guess that’s my main objective, to get students looking at our world. Students need to see that art is everywhere!!! So let’s get them out and find it!

Knowing that not everyone has technology at their fingertips, or can send me a quick DM on Instagram, I have modified this task for those students. They can choose to find examples of what I’ve assigned online, or in a magazine. Why, some have enlisted their parents in sending their images to me on Messenger or in an email. Some students have even printed theirs and brought in a hard copy. It’s all good.

Our first InstaART assignment was for them to find an interesting texture in nature. I, myself, was inspired by this tree I walk my one-year-old Cockapoo by almost every day. I took a picture of it, he tried to do other things to it. 😏

As you can see, some interesting textures were sent my way from my seventh and eighth grade artists as they grabbed their iPhones, iPads, or whatever technology was at their disposal for the first InstaART assignment of the year. I overheard some of them talking and they think “it’s gonna be okay.” That’s a win in my book! Plus, now I have them looking!!!

The First Phew Weeks of School

Tam: So Pam, How are the first few weeks going for the Art Instructor Extraordinaire?

Pam: You know they say there’s no tired more than end of the year teacher tired…, that’s not true. I’m way more tired at the beginning of the year. It takes me a few weeks to get back into it, so definitely not extraordinaire.

Tam:  I have been excited, exhausted, and having a blast.

Art Teacher = Rock Star

Pam: Of course you’re a rock star! You used to do some mean lip sync in college!

Tam: But you were the one who rocked the Partridge Family air band on the keyboard.

Pam: Nope, that was Shelley…,she was better than the real Lori Partridge. I was Danny.

Tam: Minus the red hair and annoying negativity

Pam: I think I’m feeling not only tired, but old now.

Tam: My back and my feet hurt and I always wear purple now(would anyone but old people get that?)...but enough of that granny talk, I have been learning so many new things to use in my art classroom this year. Our staff is rolling out restorative practices so I have been doing brief class meetings, conferencing with students, and working to get to know them better. And...I have a grateful tree in my room. They are adding grateful leaves and apples.

What have you been doing that is new?

Pam: We’re full on PBIS at my school, and frantically handing out our incentive cards as the year begins, “Badger Bucks,” for anything students do that is showing good behavior. I’m trying to convince our committee that teachers should get these too! Ha-ha!

Tam: Teachers definitely deserve Badger Bucks, or wine or chocolate or something...

Pam: Agreed. We have a slush machine at school and I’m forever suggesting we have margaritas in it. So far others like the idea, but there has been no implementation.

Tam: I don’t know, but that might be illegal in Wisconsin.

Pam: You know Sheboygan is #12 of the top 20 drunkest cities in America…, not that it applies to me. Anyway,  I started off the year with an “Art Chopped” collaborative project - being a lover of Food Network, I thought it might just work. Each group got a paper bag with three items (i.e. quilling paper, feathers, sandpaper, or something else I found in my closet) and an art element or principal (line, texture, balance, etc.) that had to appear in their collaborative work. It was a hit, they keep asking when we’re going to do it again.  I was wondering if it might work for an after school art experience and have a tournament to find an “Art Chopped” Champion?

Tam: So brilliant and so beautiful! I would actually love to try that in my classroom. My start of the year was a K-8 collaborative work of 4x4 hearts. We will be creating a giant heart out of them to promote kindness. As Vincent Van Gogh said, "There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."

We also practiced procedures. I learned some great ideas from Cassie Stephens this summer. We have a gong clean up bell, we walk like Ninjas to our table(heel toe, crouched, silent, and dangerous), and we are using Art Teachers in Training at each table. By the way, no wonder you moved to Sheboygan(just kidding everyone, Pam does not, and I repeat NOT have a problem with the drink.)

Pam: I love that you’re ninjas! I once had my bio on my classroom blog say that I was a teacher by day and a ninja, monkey wrangler by night. One day a mom came in and told me that her son read that, and thought he had the coolest teacher in the world!

Tam: Well, I have to say that she was right, you are the coolest teacher in the world. My students tell me things like, “Mrs. Minnehan, you forgot to shave that one part of your leg,” “I think you have on too much blush today,” or my favorite, “When you bend over I can see your underwear.” Those are true statements, but they do say kinder and nicer things too. The little ankle-biters actually melt my heart.

Pam: I love it when they argue over whether I’m an artist or a teacher. Land sakes, you can’t be both! Another thing I love is getting spotted at the grocery store… where they try to hide behind the pork ‘n bean pyramid spying on me. Then when I get to the next aisle they’re invisibly crouching behind their mom - and playing along, I stroll on by to whispers of, “I didn’t know Mrs. C-G bought Swedish Fish. Can we get some too?”

Tam: Those Badger students must be seriously adorable, funny, and a little confused about art teachers. What in the world would happen if an art teacher actually created ART. That is mind blowing.  I see you have had a great start to your year! I can’t wait to hear more about it in your next blog post.

Pam: I love that your little Rockets are so comfortable with you that they can give constructive  criticism to you…, what I would have done for a little of that one day when I got home and looked in mirror and saw a blue chalk streak going the right side of my nose. I used chalk with a class third hour…, and they let me look that way the rest of the day. To a good start - and more humor, stories, and strategies for our classrooms!

Summer Challenge

Connecting with kids in the summer...a great thought but tricky in our rural area.

But if I do say so myself, I was struck with a GENIUS idea. I think...

This summer, I started an Art Challenge on my school's awesome Facebook page.

Each week, an artist focus will capture attention with an exciting art challenge for them to do if they wish to earn a BIG PRIZE.

On Wednesdays, I post a new art challenge. Student artists will have until the next Wednesday to post or have parents post photos of their work in the comments section of the challenge.  Each week they post a photo, I enter their name into a drawing for a set of gel pens.

I can just see myself now at the Fall Open House with a large audience of people waiting, waiting, waiting to hear the two names I draw for the BIG PRIZE.



Social Anxiety

  The starter challenge I will post today speaks to the fairy garden in all of my students. In the 80's, while visiting the Chicago Art Institute, I fell in love with Charles Simond's Little World in the cafe of the institute. His work became the impetus for the first ever PC Summer Art Challenge. Create a little world! 

Below: The challenge I posted

"Artist Charles Simonds created Little Worlds. You can see one of those Little Worlds at the Chicago Art Institute in a brick wall in the cafe. The Des Moines Art Center also has a Charles Simonds little world in their collection made of sand, brick, and sticks. Little worlds are places Charles Simonds has seen or imagined. He then took his ideas and  made them into tiny 3-D worlds. Think of his little worlds like a fairy garden, or a copy of a place you have been, but made really tiny. You can see how tiny the worlds he created are when you look at the pictures and especially the one with his hand in it. Your first challenge is to be like Charles Simonds and.....Make a tiny place of your own! You could create a little world in your sandbox using little people, twigs, leaves, or cars. Other ideas are to create the little world in your house, pool, backyard, the park- anywhere! Use natural or man- made materials( or both together). Anything goes, the only requirement of the challenge is to create a tiny place of your own. Pictures of your work should be posted in the comments below by next Wednesday when I'll have a new challenge for you."

A few pictures of what kids sent in!

Tent and campfire-Sixth Grade Student

 



The Eiffel Tower-First Grade Student

Ball Field- Third Grade Student

#socialmediaisgoodforsomethingeducationalandandartistic

Happy Summer!