I Designed a Mobile Classroom (with a whole lotta help!)

Last summer, I was told that I may be on a cart. I was devastated...as I know so many of you all were to got similar news. I am very fortunate in that my art room is very large (once upon a time, it was a library) so that saved me from my cart-fate. However, when I did think I was going to be on a cart, I decided to dig in and start doing some research. If I was gonna be on a cart, I wanted the very best. 

What I found is...there wasn't one that really suited my needs. 

It was then that I reached out to my friends at Prang. As many of you know, Prang is the maker of some of our favorite art supplies but not furniture. It was a bit of a stretch to even ask if they would wish to venture into the furniture business but I thought it was worth a shot. Thankfully, they understood the need for a cart designed by a teacher for a teacher. And we got to work. 

Right away, we decided that this wasn't going to be a cart. This was going to be a classroom on wheels, a Mobile Classroom. For weeks, I sketched out ideas and dreams for the cart before I brought the ideas to Spectrum Industries, the company that brought my ideas to life. When I said I wanted a pop up table, metal pegboard, a locker and a whiteboard that could come up and out of the art, Jon Riggs, one of the designers at Spectrum, made it happen. 

Before I dive into any details on the cart, let me just say that all of the info you need can be found here. 

When designing the Prang Mobile Classroom, we decided to name each part of the cart after a place in a classroom. So the handle has three cup holders or a cup holder and two paper holders as well as a pencil/phone/odds and ends holder...you know, everything you'd want on your desk! Just below that is an electrical strip so you can stay plugged in. I'm a huge fan of pegboard! I love the customizable capabilities of it. While the pegboard hardware does not come with the cart, it can be found at most hardware stores. 

The pegboard is metal which means that it can also double as a place for you to magnize vocabulary words or posters and signs. 

The top of the cart has a lip around it. This is so you won't lose items off of your cart as you roll down the hall!

The cart comes with two adjustable shelves that also have a lip on the end. Each shelf can hold up to 50 lbs each and I was able to stock crayons, markers, watercolor paint, paper, tempera paint and more in the 'supply cabinet'.

The Demo Area is where the pop up table is. This table can be a place for your students to gather around as you demonstrate or...

You can use it with your mobile device or document camera! The adjustable device mount allows you to turn this into a lesson recording place as well. 

The cart comes equipped with four 5" balloon casters that each lock. These are the best wheels on the market!

There's a locker for all of your valubles like your purse and phone when you need to step away from your cart.

And the dry erase board! It comes all the way out so you can place it anywhere in the room you are teaching in. It is also double-sided so you can have multiple lessons written on it. 

Now is the time to ask your school for a mobile classroom. I know that recently we were told that our school was able to fill wishlists as districts receive relief funding from the government. If you know that you are going to be on a cart next year, it may be wise to ask now. 

It's a terrible thing to be without an art room. I get it. And if you are in that situation, you and your students deserve the next best thing. I'm hoping that the Prang Mobile Classroom is it. 

To find out more about where your school can purchase a Mobile Classroom for you, be sure and click the link for details. 

Thanks for letting me share, y'all!

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DIY: Latch Hook and Needlepoint Andy Warhol!

I just finished off my latest latch hook artist series: Andy Warhol! If you recall, I've already done Frida's portrait. I decided to create Andy next and make the pattern available to you! You can find it, along with the Frida pattern, right here. 

 I have not done a needlepoint version of Andy yet...I just got so excited about working on my next pattern that I moved on. I'm hoping to create a needle point version soon. For now, I'm just stuck with a Shaggy Andy. 

My goal is to create a series of these artists...making one big ole latch hook artist rug. Crazy? Yeah...but what else would you expect? 

If you've never latch hooked before, the supplies are available at most craft stores. You can find out details about the process here. 

To give you an idea of what the needlepoint version would look like, just check out the back of my latch hook! Of course this is the design in reverse...but it kinda gives you an idea. I love the back of latch hook just as much as the front...I might have to hang these so they can be seen from the front and the back!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #207

 Howdy, friends! If you live in the Tennessee area than you know what a wet and wild week we had! I like to thought it was NEVER gonna stop raining. Which means to outdoor recess for the kids...and it was full moon week. Regardless, we were rockin' through our paintings, embroidery, weaving and sewing projects this week and I couldn't be more excited about the progress the kids are making. We also got to meet a new friend to the art room this week: Our Monster from Cotton Monster Jen!

 Last week, I had the chance to see my mom who had picked up for me some fun things for my art room: these floats! I'm using them as "flexible seating" for my third graders as they weave. 

They were in heaven. So that folks who wanted to sit in the floats could have a turn, I set a timer for every five minutes. I also have a small fort, beach chairs and plenty of pillows for them to pick from. We played music and it was a regular weaving party! If you'd like to learn more about circle loom weaving, check out my blog posts with video. 

 Even if I did look like a crazy person walking down the halls with these bad boys. I literally couldn't fit through my door!

 Since my students are involved in fiber arts projects right now, I'm thrilled to introduce them to Jennifer Strunge. This isn't the first time I've shared her work with my kids. You can see our Monster Sewing Project (with video!) here. We are voting on his name next week after brainstorming tons of ideas! Will keep you posted. 

 Another thing my mama got for me? This hilariously inappropriate and yet so appropriate t-shirt. The kids had a big laugh over that one. 

 While my third graders are weaving, my fourth graders are sewing. Some are sewing pizza pillows, donut pillows or, in this case, emojis! I'm hoping to have these complete by this coming week...ready to move on, y'all! Lesson details to come. 

 My first graders are wrapping up their reversible dot paintings. This is a revamp of a lesson I did years ago with my second graders...I love this project! I'll be creating an updated blog post about this and what we did differently super soon. I purchased the cardboard pizza rounds from Gordon Food Services but you can also found them on Amazon. 

 Did y'all know I like rainbows? What was the first clue...?

 And pizza. I'm also a fan of pizza. This HUGE pillow was completed by a fourth grader. You can check out this lesson and video here. 

 Two of my second grade classes are stitching right now...and totally rocking it. They finished them off this week and they were so proud of themselves. Lesson details to come. I love stitching with kids. 

 I think the best part of this week was seeing so many projects finally coming to fruition. It's been WEEKS and I'm so excited for these young artists. 

 I'm also STOKED that I got ALL of the Getting to Know You sculptures up because, whew!, that took a minute. 

 And that's a wrap! I hope y'all had a wonderful week...and here's to one heading right for us!

 Ah! Also happy to finally finish and hang my Paint the Town by Numbers Mr. Rogers. 

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In the Art Room: Fourth Annual Chalked Ceiling Tile Event!

 If y'all happened to read my last blog post, then you know that Monday was our fourth annual chalked ceiling tile event with second grade. Each year in the spring, second grade creates a legacy piece that gets a permanent spot in our school ceiling. This year, our amazing cafeteria manager, Ms Rebecca, requested healthy foods for the ceiling in the cafeteria. So we went with fruit. We created them Monday afternoon. By 8am on Tuesday, THE AMAZING MR. SCRUGGS had them all up in the ceiling. He loves this event as much as I do and always does an amazing job of placing them in the ceiling. I love his makeshift poncho from a garbage bag, don't you? GENIUS. 

 Here's how the event goes down: I borrow the multipurpose room from our P.E. teachers and cover the floors with bulletin board paper, unused ceiling tiles, chalk and foam brushes. It takes me about an 45 minutes to set up (if that, I've got it down) for my four 2nd grade classes. My Monday's are my lightest, schedule-wise, so I penciled them in to come in during my plan time and second grade block. That gave us an hour and a half to work. But these kids were FANTASTIC and finished their work in an hour! Here's a time-lapse of the event:

Now I have created a how-to video for the last couple years also and that really helps too. If you are interested, here is the video I created for my kiddos. We worked on the back of the tiles with chalk:

This would be a fun lesson on construction paper too! Definitely a lesson you could do in an art room, sans tiles. 

 My kids looked like they'd just finished working a shift in the coal mines when they were done but they were SO EXCITED with their work. 

 Initially, we gathered in the same area, all four classes, talked about what a legacy piece was and chatted about the others hanging up in the ceiling of our school. I let them know that a special request had been put in for healthy food for the cafeteria from our very own Ms Rebecca. The kids were thrilled that their art would have a permanent placement in the cafe!

 Once the first steps were given, the kids partnered up and found a place to work. When they finished the first phase, they could sit and chat with their partner. I encouraged them to work together and help their partner if needed and requested. I had my art class playlist going...I let them know that when the music stopped, I needed their eyes for the next steps. 

 I did provide templates for my students for the watermelon and the citrus. Teaching a large group solo can be difficult. I wanted all of my students to start with confidence and create something they were proud of in the time that they were given. 

 Our final phase was adding the black outlines. 

 I didn't even put black in their trays...I wanted them to use that last as I know how much it can spread EVERY.WHERE.

 The last step was for them to sign their name and MASTERPIECE COMPLETE! 

 With the help of my music teacher buddy (thank you, Kiera!) it took me about an hour to hose these down with fixative and clean up. 

 Once sprayed, I stacked them all on the dolly that my custodian buddy had placed them on and wheeled them down to the art room. 

 I left them outside the art room. I was tired and I was thinking, "eh, I'll take care of it in the morning."

 Come Tuesday Morning, Mr. Scruggs already had them up in the cafeteria ceiling BEFORE 8am!

 Y'all, the kids were so proud. I told them, "now you'll have THREE places to find artwork at the art show: outside your classroom, the art room and THE CAFETERIA!"

 We always host an Ice Cream Social during the art show which takes place in the cafeteria. So they'll be able to show their artwork then. 

 BIG SHOUT OUT to my admin for the support, my specials team for lending me their kiddos and their space, the second grade team for JUST.BEING.AWESOME. And, of course, MR. SCRUGGS!

AND, last but not least, the hardest working second grade artists I know. Love all y'all! 

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