Artsonia and Beyond!

I am a huge advocate for using Artsonia! I even presented on their behalf a couple years ago at the Tennessee state conference. This is a new(ish) feature that I just started utilizing myself this fall. E newsletters! You can send an art news letter via email to all the parents registered on artsonia at your school! Fabulous job Artsonia!

Art Supplies from Ms. Motta and Ms. Golen

Technology in the iArt Class

Eventually we all received document cameras to be hooked into our projectors in our school. However, until that happened I used sketchbookx app on my ipad to draw on and have projected over the screen! Here are a few images from that!
Not only is this helping us be greener teachers, but it keeps you organized. You can save your sketches from class to class and easily pick up from where you left off. Very useful for teaching portraiture!

SOS!

Here are some links to 2 of my donor's choose projects that are currently active. Help us get supplies Please!!!!

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/new-school-needs-art-supplies/853581/

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/print-making-mania/853470/?verify=-1274832650&challengeid=137126

POP ART @ Target!!!!

Apparently for the 50th anniversary of Warhol's Soup Can paintings Target will be selling limited edition soup cans for only 75 cents a piece. Check this out!

iPad teacher app "planbook" is a must have!

So this year I'm at a new school with a new wackado elementary schedule. Some classes I see once a week, others twice. It is really hard to keep track of where you left off with a class as it is without there being some classes that are way far ahead because simply you see them more! Anyway I recently took advantage of Tennessee's tax free weekend before back to school and bought myself an iPad. If you are a teacher out there of any kind you can benefit from this marvelous app called plan book. I was never good at keeping up with a handwritten plan book but this one on my iPad is just want I needed to help keep me organized! Check out the screen shot below and see what I mean :)

Lastly I will also say that webehave is another fabulous must have teacher app! For privacy sake I did not take a screen shot of that, but I will say it is helping me keep track of notes I send home, parent communication, and in the event of needing a full history say for an iep meeting or support team it can come in real handy!

I'm Ready!!!!!

I am officially having kidlets come to my classroom today :) I am very ready and excited to see them all! Here is a sneak peak into my BRAND NEW CLASSROOM!

Book Shelve/ Storage Closet

Counter tops and my BIG crayola crayon that my sweetie won for me at the TN fair last fall :)

Our TN standards in kid friendly terms!

My white board with principals and elements above it :) 

Behavior Management!

If you are regular followers of my blog you may have seen my "How Blue Are You" Board last year that I stole from Mr. E... because he's amazing! This year I wanted to do a different spin on it, and found this idea on pinterest! Instead of using a dial/ and colored strips, I'm using the letters ART which you can see in the photo above, when students are being great I don't touch the letters. If students are acting up, rather than turning a dial from blue to yellow, I'll flip over one of the letters. If all letters remain during the class then for their class pocket they earn a "crayon" strip. Rewards to follow at the end of the quarter ;)

Individual management!

Above you see a blue and yellow paper with a smile and a frown. These are my new happy and sad charts. If a student is being outstanding I'll have them put their name on the happy chart. If they are being fussy, the sad chart. Both sheets are laminated and I stuck a dry erase marker to the wall with velcro! Also I have my passes hanging on the door. If students are on the happy chart when the class period is over, then they get to pick a prize. I know what you're thinking, prizes get expensive! Well walmart clearance all of their teacher stuff down to 10 cents yesterday! I bought over 300 hundred items, for $30+ and within each package are multiple erasers, gel pens, pencils, stickers, etc. I am well stocked! If you are a teacher and haven't checked out their 10 cent aisle yet, GO!

The entrance to the art room!

Word wall solution. 

Again, inspired by Mr. E... I laminated all of my words after writing them down on fluorescent paper, stuck a magnet strip on the back and there you have it! 

The front                             The students tables

I hope you enjoyed peaking in! As always I love hearing from you all... let me know if you have any questions on anything I posted! Suggestions are always welcomed to!

Summer Update

So it has been a very busy but good summer. I went to Montreal with my family, watched fireworks on the beach for the fourth, taught summer camp, went to TN Arts Academy, and now I'm setting up my brand new classroom! Here are a few pictures from all of my adventures.

Dad checking out a bonsai tree.

Japanese Tea Garden inside of the Montreal Botanical Gardens

Montreal's Art Museum featuring Jim Dine Heart sculptures in the front!

A healthy treat at the festival!

Jazz Festival

Tennessee Arts Academy 2012: Crayola Dream Makers Curriculum Connections

Literacy Word Heads/ Multiplication Quilt

Model Magic bug sculpture inside a terrarium, made from an empty 2 litter bottle.

Learning critical thinking through piecing together an art exhibit!

I learned how to sew books! 

Wednesday night banquet with some good friends :)

My new school... more still to come!

This is where my kiln will be going!   Cabinets, counter space, and a utility sink!

Bright colors everywhere! This is just a small section of hallway!

Four computer stations to go in the back of my room :)

The room is coming together, my orange accent wall :)

The view of the super cute playground from my classroom.

I've been in my classroom all last week, and attended an art teacher inservice yesterday. I'll continue to post updates as the new school year begins!