Visual Board how-to

Random tape all over board

Adding swatches and postcards

Visual Board

Finished Visual Board

Color Swatches and VCU postcards

More swatches

My room was an empty off-white/brown hole. I have several bulletin boards in the room that needed decoration.I had a week before school started and just an afternoon reserved to design a board. I needed a theme and a theme quick. I went to home depot and got a huge pile of color swatches (it’s that fashion design major in me). I knew if I didn’t use all the swatches, I would use them for projects. I had a pack of postcards from Virginia Commonwealth University that had colorful images. First, I post bulletin paper. Next, I use scotch tape and tape randomly on the board. I then randomly add color swatches and postcards. I add a few push pins for added security for the finishing touch. It’s a striking board and I have many adults come in and admire it.

Agbe

Preparing myself

Looking through notes

Yarn, rocks, and feathers

Agbe

A student working on his project

I also teach the art enrichment course after school. It meets every other Wednesday for an hour and a half.  I make one day lessons because I get different students every time. This was their second project. They made an Agbe which is an instrument they use in Africa particularly in the region of Nigeria. I gathered 25 water bottles and clean them. Students put a thin layer of glue on the water bottle and slowly guided yarn around the bottle. The yarn actually sticks to the bottle this way. Next, they add rocks for that jiggling effect and feather for ornamentation.

Jewelry Making

Working on a green necklace

Beads

These pictures I took during the after school program, in their Careers enrichment class. Mrs. Anderson had the girls create beautiful jewelry with an expert. The expert came in with her various colorful beads and jewelry tools. They used my room since it was larger and brighter than the rooms downstairs. The girls proudly showed me their gem like earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

Gingerbread Houses

beginnings of a masterpiece

Jason's work

Candy-filled house

Back in December, I taught just one after school class. Lori purchased all the gram crackers and treats to make gingerbread houses. Instead of the art room, we did this activity in the cafeteria. It would have been easier to use milk cartons as the foundation of the house but the wonders of last minute activities just didn’t have handy milk cartons on the side for us to use. I gave students free rein on their architectural design and candy. They ate while they worked and I did too..hey, I’m only human!

Art Supplies are here!

more materials arrived!

matte board

One of my favorite mediums-oil pastels!

Organizing things

I think I received the bulk of my art supplies I think in late October. Was I excited! After the school day ended, I opened the boxes to organize what I got. There was some thoughts of I wish I ordered more, buyer’s remorse on some items, where’s the rest and where am I going to put these? I bought 24 red pencil boxes (they only came in that color) and I’m glad I did. I put oil pastels, color pencils, and crayons into them so that each of my six tables would get one to share. I removed the boxes that came along with the supplies because the students would just eat them up. Students are so hard on any materials that’s in front of them. Whether they’re goofing off or just handling them-supplies seems to break everyday or just plain disappear (they’re not stolen but taken to other classes, putting in their bags without thinking or thrown away in the trash bin). I bought a pink stapler/three hole punch set with my own personal money and proudly displayed them on my desk for the students to use-oh, they broke that same day. Never again will I buy an expensive set. The school purchased the cheapest stapler/three hole punch sets and they have withstand the tough hands of middle school students. Lesson learned.

Pumpkin Carving

Students carved pumpkins afterschool

Pumpkin's fillings

Carved Pumpkin

Pumpkin Ghost!

This activity was a week before Halloween. It in the after school art enrichment course and because I’m so smart-I decided to do this in my classroom. It got messy but not that messy. I layed black garbage bags on the tables so that I can just gather them and throw them away. Students were good to keep all the pumpkin fillings on the table and not on the floor. It got pretty rowdy at first because the boys and girls were seated together but I quickly got them quiet by calling on quiet students to choose their pumpkin from the closet. Once they started carving their pumpkins, they were having fun. Some of the boys helped some of the girls with carving which I thought was really sweet. Mrs. Anderson helped me out with passing out materials and for the extra support. We got these pumpkins from Communities in Schools site coordinator Lori. I had few students who carved paper designs and the rest was their own discretion.:)

October Birthday Treat

Jason drew me a picture in his sketchbook

1st package arrived on my birthday last October!

Fresh Paper Cutter

I remember this day clearly. It was my..cough..30th birthday and it landed on a week day (my twin and I celebrated it big that following weekend). I ordered supplies less than a month from then. Remember, we were working on supplies that the school already had (crayons, paper, glue-regular school stuff). Mrs. Washington or Zander opened my art door and in came a package. My very first supply package..and oh, was I was elated!! I think every first year teacher gets a little giddy when they first get packages. It’s like opening a present. Although, it’s not mine to keep but I certainly will use it. Meredith Ose from Saxs suggested to keep it in the closet, away from the students. I lifted that lovely paper-cutter from its package (with a little student help) and placed it in the closet. Oh, how it was gorgeous! And…it cuts like butter!

Extremely thoughtful student Jason drew me birthday heart (notice the word late in small letters). Thanks Jason! I needed that!