Painting Parties for Pattern and Line Review (and FUN!)

We kicked off the school year with my mask project and my emotions lesson and we've now started working on a school wide collaborative piece. This is something we've done most school years...and it seems to be really fitting now that we are all back together. Time to celebrate! 

When we do our big collaboratives, my students each make small parts (I share in the video below) that are attached to a large mural. To create the large mural backdrop, my students create these massive painted papers that I collage together. It all makes a whole lot more sense when I share it here...at least I hope it does!

Storing these papers is a bit of a beast, especially when they aren't quite dry. We had them draped EVERYWHERE today! However, now that we have so many painted, I can start to create the background for their completed works of art. 

Until those are ready to share, I think if you visit this blog post, you'll get a better picture of what it is we're going for. 

My first graders will be doing a mural similar to this one with the flowers they created. In the video, I mentioned that our mural will be based on the Louis Armstrong song What a Wonderful World. Each portion of the song will have it's own mural piece with artwork created attached. 

Here's another one we did a couple of years ago. 

I'm seriously so tired, I hope I'm making some sort of sense! I will say that my students have loved working on this mural, especially creating these large pattern papers! 

Art Teacherin' in 2020: New Favorite Hacks for the New School Year

Anyone else out there feeling like a first year teacher every single art teacherin' day? ME TOO! Isn't it great?!

(insert yeah-that's-sarcasm face here)

Finally, after nearly two months of the new school year, and my endless changes to how I run my newly formated art room, I feel like I just might have it figured out...knock on wood. Like, all of it. 

Today I thought I'd take you on a little room tour and share some of my fave new hacks for the new school year. 

Now, I know we all have different teaching environments right now...so you'll have to take all of what I share with a salt lick. Some might work for you, some might not. Hopefully I have something that might help you and your students. 

I think now, more than ever, a positive mindset is what our students need and what's going to make these new changes bearable. 

Now, let's take a little tour!

And now for a little bit of a closer look:

My mask on a lanyard makes it so I never misplace it again!

This is my art room at the start of the year with my students at their desks. I HATED it. I felt like a Charlie Brown teacher. I desperately needed them to meet me back on the floor for instruction as we've always done. After chatting with my admin, they agreed that I have the space to make it work. Here's a look at my new set up:

Check out the video to see how all tables, chairs, line up spots and floor spots are numbered to coordinate with the order the classroom teachers have established. 

After the first day of teaching, I was online shopping for a mic. This one has saved my sanity and my voice. 

All my stuff manages to grow legs and walk away because I'm miserable about setting something down and forgetting where I put it. Having a drop spot for all of my stuff has really helped.

Here's to us, y'all. We can do this!