Professional Development

Hi there. Two days in a row! I am doing good!!! :)
Today, we had professional development. I work at a private Christian school. We are trying to become an IB school, which has been kind of confusing for me walking into this transition. Our school is being observed in April, and everyone is a little stressed about it. I have had a hard time learning  my role in the IB world as the art teacher. I have actually tried to hide from it. That just isnt going to cut it, anymore. I am a part of this team, and really need to show my support for what the school, as a whole, is trying to accomplish. So, this week, I will be creating visual displays of our learner profiles and attributes for my classroom, and will try to include these (small mentions) into my lessons. It will take mental probing on my part. Serious mental probing.
I am ready to see the kids tomorrow. It has been so weird since Christmas break, because we have had two three day weekends, one early release because of snow, and one professional development day. I have only seen some of my classes one time since we have come back. I need them more to get things done! :) I am ready to redo the art displays in the halls. :) I know, I know...its the PROCESS...not the outcome. I just get excited and PROUD of what these kids can do (when forced, hehe).
Again, no picture! Its going to happen soon......

Intimidation...

Ok, I will be the first, and only, to admit that I have been intimidated. I have been intimidated by being a first year teacher, by being in an inner city school, by moving three hours away from ANYone that I know (with my husband and son in tow, of course), and by THIS BLOG. I have thought about the blog a few times since I started it in August. Just fleeting thoughts. Each time I got a little rush of anxiety. What could I post here? Why blog? Then, I got so behind....I thought I would just forget about it all together. Maybe it would disappear into this big cyber world.
So, why I am I here? I am challenging myself. I want to post at least several times a week. WANT is the key word, I am not promising anything. I know that reflecting on my day(s) could really be beneficial for me. Especially since I have memory isssues lately. 26 years old, and I forget SO much. Should I be worried?
Anyway, about work... In the teaching world, I have already experienced some pretty nice rewards in my 6 months, but with that has come some HUE-MUNG-GO challenges. This has been the best learning experience for me, and has really made me re-evaluate myself many times. I was naive to think I could walk into that school and know how to be a teacher just because I got the degree and am certified. How foolish of me. Luckily, I have been on the receiving end of some wonderful support from my mentor teacher. I would hate to hear what I am sure she has to think of me. haha I have gone to her with EVERY difficuty, confusion, mini drama..you name it, she has heard it from me! And she has been there every time. Never wavoring. I want to remember her, just in case I am lucky enough to be able to mentor another poor sap...I mean First Year Teacher. ;)  I want to remember her support, her help, and her friendship. I have also found lots of inspiration from other bloggers...bloggers that I aspire to be one day. I think I can!! I think I can!!
So, let's talk about ART. I am the art teacher for kindergarten through 8th grade. Every time I think I've got this teaching thing figured out, the middle school class walks in the door, which, BTW, they come in everyday. Every. Single. Day. I did some serious planning over Christmas break for these guys. Pretty sure they hate me now (YES!!!). We are busy, busy, busy!!! :) So, on this blog, be prepared to here my frustrations with middle school. Speaking of middle schoolers, there are kids, that I dont teach, working on some project for some other class and they think they can come into my room and take supplies whenever they want!I took them to the office the first day. I thought that would solve the problem, but I was wrong. They barge in while I am in the middle of teaching a class. They come in when I am not there to take stuff. It drives me nuts!!!! I believe I am getting a lock for my door soon. Thank God! I just ordered about $300 worth of new supplies, that I do not want stolen, or mistreated.
Ok, well this was a good start. Now if I can just post more.... and more....
Oh, and now to figure out how to add pictures?! How did I do that last time?? lol ahh....

My first day!!

Today was my first day with the students. My first class was an adorable 1st grade class. I can honestly say that after they left I almost cried years of joy for finally being where I am suppose to be. I have my own art room, own supplies, and my very own classes. SO excited and thankful for it all!! It's been a lot if work getting this far...so yay!

Here are some pictures of my little art room all cleaned up and ready for students.
I'm so happy with where I am. Soon we will begin making art! Cannot wait!!

My Little One

While putting my son to bed tonight, I had so many lesson plan ideas running through my head. So tonight I am staying up a little later than usual to get those ideas in writing.....but instead of getting everything done that I thought I would, I have been playing with google+ and this blog. I now have both apps on my phone...yay!
So while I'm up, I'll post my second post ever! :) I've mentioned that I have a son. He will be 5 in less than 2 weeks. That is so hard for me to believe! I'm going to hold on to him being 4 for as long as I can!! I'm soaking up all of the last minutes of "four-hood".
He is my very best friend, and just the best person to be around. He has been my first art student, as well. In fact, I have his first picture framed and hanging in my kitchen. It's just little crayon scribbles that I managed to get him to do when he was a baby...but it's the best art in our whole house.
This summer we've done several guided drawing projects. I really thought he was too young for that until I tried. The secret is I have to be teaching him to draw something he is really interested in. I mean really interested in! So far we have done s cheetah and a parrot.

I think his finished pieces are adorable, and I know I'll be keeping them for a lifetime. The only thing better than the art itself is the memories created while making it.

Love it.

My first post!

My Little Art Room

I am a recent graduate from Middle Tennessee State University. I majored in Art Education. Teaching art has always been something that I have wanted to do. I am so happy that the time has finally come to do just that!
My family just recently moved from Tennessee to Hoover, AL. My husband and I have a son that will be starting kindergarten in August (tear*), and I have been blessed with a job as the art teacher for a private school in downtown Birmingham.So many wonderful changes for our family!
My first day on the job is August 1st, with students starting on the 8th. I will be teaching kindergarten-8th grade. Wow!! I have a lot of planning ahead of me! While I am VERY grateful for the job I have been blessed with, and the opportunity to touch a wonderful group of students (do not let that be forgotten that I feel this way)...I have also been blessed with the TINIEST classroom imagineable! (eeek!) :) So to begin my journey in the Blogging World, I want to take you into my classroom, and the changes that I am putting it through. :)  My classroom may be small, but the creativity that will be inside is NOT.

My room has NO closets. Hear that? I do not have an art supply closet. The picture above shows all of my storage space. Time to kick an organizing OCDness gear (that I am not sure I have) into motion!!

All of the art supplies were brought downstairs from another classroom and put into my classroom for me to go through. While I was so very excited to see that I had more than I thought I would, I was also very overwhelmed by this. Phew!

 Heres a picture of the room during the 'going through all the junk' process. The back wall has 3 large windows...thats pretty neat.

 This picture was taken from outside the classroom door..so yeah, its a small, sweet room.

 After going through the 'mess' and getting most of it out of my way, my first task was to paint all of the tables. I couldn't stand how dirty, multi colored, and just plain messy they looked. After I painted them, I covered the legs (because you guessed it..I didnt even like the LEGS of these poor tables) with duct tape that has a paint splatter design. Kind of cute, I think.

OK- so this is the room at its most recent state. I have figured out a way to arrang the tables that will fit the amount of students I should have in any given class, and a place for my rug (for reading to the younger students.) I have also started one bulletin board and a little bit of decorations. Looks like Ill be going with a polka dot theme. Maybe.
Now, what this picutre doesn't show is the wall that has the board (and still a lot of other junk), and my storage wall. When I get it all done, I will be posting more pictures.

I have been pretty hard on this small room, but deep down I know that a lot of art making magic is going to happen in here. Cannot wait to fill the room with smiling faces!