TAEA Presentation 2018

I sent this picture to my Principal and said I found her portrait after STAAR Testing! LOL! 

So I just returned to the classroom, high on paint fumes and free samples from our annual Texas Art Educators Association Conference.  I always get so much from these few days of commiserating with like minded, artsie folks.  It helps me remember I am not alone in my over populated classroom.  That there are others with more difficult circumstances than I and that we are all KILLING IT!  Art Teachers are a resilient and resourceful group of individuals and I am proud to be a part of their community.

I presented twice this year.  My first presentation addressed the logistics of my annual End of the Year Art Show.  I discussed how my preparation begins on DAY 1 of art class.  I tell the students about the show, inform them they will not take artwork home for the entire year, and give them a few minutes to grieve the loss of bragging rights at home. After a mournful moment of silence I tell them all hope is not lost.  I introduce them to ARTSONIA. 



I have no affiliation with Artsonia, but I LOVE this resource for my students and parents. If you have not looked into this resource for your classroom, please do. It has been a game changer for my students and parents.

I have a 1st - 4th campus, so most of my students are familiar with Artsonia and how it works.  Although it is an online portfolio as well as a fundraising sight, I mostly utilize it for students to go home and share their successes with their family and friend.  This kind of takes the sting out of having to leave their artwork with me in their classroom box.

My husband is always so excited to help me do a classroom construction project (insert eye roll)!  We took a weekend and designed these shelving units, on wheels of course, to fit 20 copier paper boxes per unit (40 boxes in all) for Classroom Portfolios.  The first year, I tried individual portfolios, with each student having a folder of their own, but I almost killed myself filing all the artwork in the correct folders.  This system requires my Art Club students to come in on their free time (usually rainy recess time) and file artwork into the classroom boxes.  We just throw it in and sort it out at a later date.  The week after Spring Break, students get all their artwork back and choose their 3 pieces they want to go into the Art Show.  If they need to finish a piece, the next week I offer  extra work time for those wanting to finish or refine artwork for the Show and Art Stations for those not working on finishing up pieces. 

Banners are 6' in length, black bulletin Board paper.  Artwork is attached with two dots of hot glue at the top of each piece and banners are stapled to the walls with 4 staples, one in each corner. 
I have 2 parent work days and set up stations in the hall and in the classroom for parents to glue artwork to banners.  Banners are stacked in the Music room, FLAT to prevent the curling of the artwork.  (Found this out the hard way the first year when I stored the banners by class, rolled up.) If we do not have enough artwork to fill the last banner for a class, I usually pull artwork from the NO NAME! NO FAME! boxes for that grade level.

Art Club delivers the banners to the Cafeteria for teachers to hang up outside their classroom the a day or so before the Show. 

Teachers are happy to help and all the artwork gets hung.  The only thing I will do differently this year is run a blue tape line along the hallways to mark the height for hanging the banners so all look uniform. 

I host a silent auction at each show called the Empty Bowls Project.  Many of your are familiar with this grass roots movement and know it usually involves a dinner.  I haven't quite wrapped my head around how to incorporate this into the Show so we hold a silent auction where we sell student made bowls to raise money for our Backpack Program.

Each year my attendance has increased by about 200 guests.  Last year's solid count was 650.  This was from the sign in sheets and does not count the people who bypassed the sign in table.  I estimate that there were about 100 that did not check in. 

My second session  addressed a clay Bobblehead from Elementary, through Jr. High to High School and was presented with two colleagues of mine. Wayne Gaddis, Pine Tree High School Art and Nicole Davis, Spring Hill Jr. High Art were my co-presenters.  I offered the basic strategies at the Elementary level, Nicole offered advice for the Jr. High attendees, and Wayne brought it home with the advance skills for the High School teachers.  It was great fun and we look forward to presenting again next year. 

Nicole Davis, Spring 

Wayne Gaddis, Pine Tree High School Art

I can not take credit for this lesson.  All the glory and accolades go to Cassie Stephens and the genius that is she! She has an incredible video that I was able to use for my lesson.  I had my students practice on Wednesdays for 4 weeks before they actually do the final product.  Wednesday's are our PLC days, aka babysitting day.  I see a class and a half every 45 minutes while our classroom teachers have an hour and half Data/PLC meeting.  I see each group of students every 3 weeks, so these days are really a wash.  We use this time to practice clay or other skills I need extra time to impart.

This is the video I use........