Let's Draw a Disco Ball!

Got markers? Then you have all you need (well, you'll also need paper, a plate or bowl to trace, a cup of water and a paintbrush too) to create your very own disco ball. Throw some crayons in there and write a little message under your ball as well. This project is fun, easy and SUPER COOL! Let's boogie, y'all!

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Zany Scientists! Thinking Caps and a Color Mixing Experiment!

Hey, friends! In case you missed yesterday's Art and Science lesson during our Zany Scientist Week, don't you worry! You can find it now right here:

To follow along with the video, here are the supplies you'll need:

If you want to join the fun today, here's a list of the supplies you'll need:

I'm really excited about today's art lesson...it's going to be explosive! And if you don't have the supplies to follow along with the science experiment, don't worry. You can always watch and then try it yourself later on. 

If you want to find me, be sure and follow me here on Instagram, here on Facebook and subscribe here so you don't miss any Art Class with Cassie!

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In the Art Room: First Day of Art 2019-2020

I have been talking SO MUCH on this blog and on my podcast about the first days of school. You can read all about how I set up my art room (complete with a video room tour), my very favorite (and easiest!) classroom management tool, my favorite first day of art projects, my art room rules, and my art room routines by clicking any of these blog post links!

It's all wonderful to hear about how folks do things but I find it's even better to see it in action. So...today I'm sharing a video of all the things we run through on the very first day in art (keep in mind, my classes are 30 minutes in length.)

Here's what I do:

* I do my greeting, which you'll hear.
* We learn our Art Class Catchphrase.
* I introduce the Word of the Day.
* We talk about the Open/Closed sign.
* We talk about the Happy/Sad board. 
* We watch this video:

* We stretch!
* We greet each other and I ask a list of silly questions (more on that in an upcoming blog post!).
* We get our assigned seats. 
* We learn the lining up routine...and that's it!

My list of things to cover was much longer but time was not on our side. Notice...we didn't make any art! And we didn't on our second day either as we had rules to review, consequences to chat about, another video to watch, emergency drills to cover and drums to play. I will be posting a video of that second day later this week (or next, mama's tired!). 

Speaking of tired...I'm not as bad off as I would be if I hadn't made a handful of these videos a couple of years ago. They kids LOVE my rules and routines videos! If you don't make videos like those, I encourage you to do so, it will save your sanity, voice and energy. 

Stay tuned...I've been slowly sharing my favorite art room hacks on my Instagram (@cassie_stephenz) and I'll be doing a proper post here. I love sharing what works for me...it just might work fo you!

 Last year, I also shared a "first days glimpse" series of videos...if you want to check those out, you can see them here. 

AND I have been sharing everything in even more detail on my new podcast, Cassie Stephens! You can download and take a listen anywhere. If you feel so inclined to leave a glowing and glorious review, well....I certainly won't stop you. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

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Cassie Stephens Podcast!

Hey, y'all! I’m so excited (and nervous with sweaty hands but mostly excited) to share with you the Cassie Stephens Podcast! Creating this podcast was one of the first things I put on my Summertime To Do list and I'm thrilled (and really rather shocked) that I am able to bring it to life.  It's been a lotta work and I am equal parts frightened and thrilled to share it with you. 

As you might know, I have worked with The Art of Ed for some time on the podcast Everyday Art Room. I learned so much from that experience and I am so thankful for that opportunity. This week will be my final episode with Everyday Art Room before passing the mic to Nic Hahn who I am positive is going to do an INCREDIBLE job (go, Nic!). I'm excited to hear what she has to share. 

While I have much more to share on all things art teacherin in this new podcast, I wanted a place where I could also speak about life: my bouts with depression, feeling lost, hating myself both as a teacher and a human, struggling to figure out just who I am, what I want out of life and how to love the person I am...it sounds dark and sad (but, y’all know me, it wont be for long!) but that is life. The part of life so many of us hide from or refuse to talk about. Well, I want to talk about it. Along with our day to day art teacherin life. Because that IS life: a mixed bag of family, work, feelings and figuring it all out. Here's just a bit more:

Many of you have asked about making the podcast available iTunes and I'm working on that. When it's available there, I will def let you know. Until then, you can find it on Breaker, Google Podcasts, Radio Public, Spotify and Pocket Casts. I'm also trying to figure out how to make it available for you right here! 

If you'd like to listen from your laptop or whatever device you are currently using, you can simply click these links to my first six episodes!

Episode 1: Welcome to Art Teacherin' with Cassie Stephens

Episode 2: Is this IT?! 

Episode 3: You're Hired! Now WHAT?!

Episode 4: What Teachers without Children of their Own Want You to Know

Episode 5: The Piano Story (for adult listeners only!)

Episode 6: Discovering Your Art Teacherin' Identity

It's been a learning curve for sure as I'm doing all the recording, editing and the rest. You'll have to be patient with me...at least more patient than I've been with myself. You don't know how many times I nearly tossed this idea out the window. But what I want to share with you means so much to me...so I'm gonna keep on trying to make that happen. 

Love y'all! And I would love to hear what you think. xo!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #203

Hello, favorite friends! I hope everyone had a super duper week! Mine was pretty good...got my school picture back! This would explain why the photographer said, "Well, if that's the face you wanna make." IT'S THE FACE I WAS BORN WITH, BUDDY! One only a mama could love. 

Monday! I'm wearing my new Keith Haring shirt from Uniqlo and a skirt from the thrift store!

This week wrapped up our second week of school. We watched our second video...this one titled Art Room Etiquette. I like to meter our my rules and routines to give the kids time to create and not be bombarded with information. After that quick video, we learned about SCISSOR SAFETY with my giant scissors I scored at the flea market!  

 This week I also busted out the Quiet Critters! It was kindergarten's second time in the art room...a perfect time to establish working quietly, staying in our seats and raising our hands. These lil fellas were certainly helpful!

 If you follow me on Instagram, than you know I scored a bunch of artsy shirts from Uniqlo. Their shop and website is full of them! My skirt is from Anthropologie.

We wrapped up our Getting to Know You Sculptures this week and while I love them...they are everywhere!

You can find out all the details on this super fun project here. It's been such a hit with my students and other art teachers. I so love it when y'all let me know that you are using a lesson of mine. Thank you! 

 This week also marked the introduction of two new things in the art room...my mike and my director's chair! Y'all don't even know how much this has made read alouds more fun. I LOVE reading to the kids while they work...this has been the perfect thing!

 In case you didn't know...I'm a bit of a Chuckhead. I counted...I have 11 pairs of Converse. I'm not proud. I just love them so. And these pride rainbow-bottomed ones just had to come to my art room. I mean, c'mon!

 Mission for next week: HANG ALL THESE SCULPTURES. Please pray for me. 

 One of my very favorite dresses because I love the print so stinkin' much! All the details here. 

Now that the sculptures are done, we are ready to move on to bigger and better things...which means supply prep! I spent my Friday afternoon trying to wrap my head around everything that I would need to have ready for the kids. Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted on what we'll be up to!

 Feet up Friday was lookin' SOUPer with these Chucks! 

 Friday! Top from Uniqlo and skirt from the flea market!

 Folks been asking me, "where you keepin' all those sculptures while the kids work on them?" ALL ALONG MY MILE LONG CABINETRY. It's insane! There are so many of them! I'm surrounded!

Friday afternoon, nearly every surface of mine looked like this. The kids managed to clean their tables so that part looked great! Meanwhile, over on my desk. Ah! Sorry of my life. I hope y'all have a great upcoming week!

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DIY: National Donut Day Dress, Part 1

Happy National Donut Day! Earlier this week, when I discovered that Donut Day was approaching, I decided it was just the deadline I needed to sew up not one but TWO donut themed dresses. So, there will be not one but TWO Donut Dress posts on this here blog. Do'not even act like you are surprised. This is what happens when I have too much time on my hands! 

 For National Donut Day, Krispie Kreme is giving out one free donut! How super amazing is that. And those folks were working hard at the Kreme when I popped by there today. It was a madhouse! Who knew that folks would go so nuts over donuts?! 

 I've had this fabric in my stash forever...so long that all I can tell you is that I scored it from the thrift store years ago. I decided to pair the small print with a bid and bold polka dot. Two days ago, I started cutting into the fabric...well, the best I could...

 Every time I do, I gotta contend with this. WHY IS THIS A THING, CAT PEOPLE?! The moment she hears that tissue paper on the floor, she comes a running and a sitting. It's hilarious. 

 I decided to do the same dress pattern mashup as I used on this pencil dress but decided to ditch the button. 

 The red dotted fabric was leftover from my superhero dress. This means I actually used fabric already in my stash for this dress...that never happens! 

I have decided that there are three things I hate the most about sewing: 

1. PUTTING IN A SLEEVE. Ugh, I get stabbed at least 50,000 times but the needles holding the sleeve in place as I struggle to get it around the machine. Someone come teach me a magical sleeve sewing trick!

2. HEMMING A CIRCLE SKIRT. Thankfully, I didn't have to do that here. Because I literally feel like I'm pinning and sewing a circle skirt for DAYS...but they are my favorite!

3. PUTTING IN A ZIPPER. It's not that it's hard to put in a zip...it's just that it's usually the final step and it's at the point in dress-making where I just WANNA BE DONE and NEVER SEW AGAIN. So my patience is pretty much extinct. 

 But then I wear the dress and feel all proud and start thinking of the next dress Ima bout to hate making. 

 Look, maw! Matched up backside! 

 Also, POCKETS. All my dresses have them. It's mandatory. 

Stay tuned! I'll have another Donut Dress to share with y'all super soon!

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In the Art Room: Everyday Heroes!

Teacher Appreciation Week was last week and I FINALLY managed to get the fourth grader's portraits of our faculty and staff up just in time. If you recall, we created these some time ago...but I'd been saving them as a surprise for the teachers and staff on Monday of appreciation week. So I sneaked in on Sunday and got 'em all hung. They were a huge hit!

 Our theme for our art show is Superheroes...so I thought that calling this The Everyday Superheroes of Johnson Elementary would be fitting. If you recall, I did a similar project to this a couple of years ago and we called it the Gallery of Gratitude. For that, we simply created drawings. This time around, we used modeling clay. More information here. 

Here's the video I created for my students (and all y'all) to help them learn the process of creating a portrait with modeling clay:

I got a lot of questions about this project so I'll try to answer them here. 

*How did the kids pick the person they were to create a portrait of?

I had them silently draw the person's name after the video. If they knew the person, then they could go to their seat and get started. If they did not know the person (maybe they are a newer student or perhaps they simply have not had interaction with that person to know them well), then they could stay seated on the floor. After everyone drew a name, they could chat amongst the other kids on the floor and either swap names or do a redraw.

 * What about the people that didn't get their names drawn? Who did their portraits?

I had some kids who I learned were VERY fast at creating these mini portraits. And they loved creating them. So for those early finishers, I'd have them create a second or even a third portrait...or help those who were having trouble with their portraits.

 * What supplies did you use? Does modeling clay dry?

We used modeling clay from the craft stores...I found that some could be hard and some easy to manipulate. If they clay was hard, I simply told the kids to warm it up in their hands (see the video). I really found that all the modeling clay we used worked well. We used matte board cut to 3" squares as our base. Modeling clay NEVER sets so I added a varnish to the top to seal and protect it. For that, I used Crayola's Model Magic Glaze. The "frames" are actually plates from Hobby Lobby!

* How did you do the written portion? 

I didn't...the classroom teacher's handled that for me! I sent them an email letting them know what we were up to and asking if they could help me out. Not only did they talk to the kids about the written portion and have them write it up, they also had them type them! A parent volunteer then added them to the fancy paper frames. 

 * How long will this stay up?

I'd love to leave it up until the start of next school year...but I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to take it down before school's out for the summer. I'll be passing these back to the teachers and staff. 

 I think that about covers the questions I've been asked. My students loved making these so much that I followed their portraits up with a self portrait project of the same nature. They look so adorable for our art show!

 Were there tears on Monday morning? Y'all better believe it! This is one of the most favorite projects that I've done...it means so much to everyone involved!

 I loved reading the kind things our students had to say. Each and every person working in my school is so well loved!

 I'll definitely be doing this project again. I'd love to hear if you've done something similar!

Have a great week, superheroes! 

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