The #1 priority in my class is for my students to become creative problem solvers and to enjoy creating art. We will learn many new techniques and refine prior skills, some of which may be challenging or messy, but will definitely be fun!
Be Safe. Be Responsible. Be Respectful.
Our classroom community is built on mutual respect and trust. It is an environment where it's okay to make mistakes and get a little messy as long as we learn from it all. Students must follow school expectations as well as the classroom rules and expectations so we can all feel safe and respected while we create art. Some specifics to know about include:
Class Rules: We have our class rules/expectations posted at the front of the class with art images to support them.
In the Art Room we . . .
Getting attention: We have a fun attention getting signal in our class called "Pablo! Picasso!" After students hear me say Pablo they repeat Picasso and turn to have eyes on the teacher, voices off, and hands free from work.
Leaving the classroom: all students must check in and get a hall pass before leaving the classroom during instruction and work time.
Turning in work: We have classroom folders for our art journals/sketchbooks and for any unfinished work. We also keep student portfolios for the course of the semester. Finished art assignments go into the portfolios to track student progress and achievement. Students will take home their portfolio at the end of the semester. Any art that was not a portfolio assignment will be sent home after it is finished and no longer on display in the room or in the hallway.
Grading: Our portfolio assignments all have visual arts rubrics that outline the necessary directions or criteria and the scoring involved. We practice using rubrics at the beginning of the semester so we know how to use them as guides to help us do our best work.
Paint: In the art room it can get messy even with our best efforts to stay clean. All students wear smocks or aprons/lab coats when we paint, but there are often wet artworks around the room and accidents can happen or improper use of smocks. In that case most paint can be quickly washed out by the student with some soap and water in class if the paint is still wet. If the paint has dried then there is still something you can do at home to clean the paint from clothes. I have used this trick many times since I seem to attract paint stains as the art teacher :) I use a clean toothbrush and some isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and the paint scrubs right off and clothes can be run through the washing machine afterward. I haven't used this method on all types of clothing, but it has been quite effective when I have tried it. Here are the steps I follow if you would like more information: How to get paint out of clothes.
Be Safe. Be Responsible. Be Respectful.
Our classroom community is built on mutual respect and trust. It is an environment where it's okay to make mistakes and get a little messy as long as we learn from it all. Students must follow school expectations as well as the classroom rules and expectations so we can all feel safe and respected while we create art. Some specifics to know about include:
Class Rules: We have our class rules/expectations posted at the front of the class with art images to support them.
In the Art Room we . . .
- are nice to one another
- take pride (try our best and take care of the room and materials)
- work together
- follow directions
- have fun
Getting attention: We have a fun attention getting signal in our class called "Pablo! Picasso!" After students hear me say Pablo they repeat Picasso and turn to have eyes on the teacher, voices off, and hands free from work.
Leaving the classroom: all students must check in and get a hall pass before leaving the classroom during instruction and work time.
Turning in work: We have classroom folders for our art journals/sketchbooks and for any unfinished work. We also keep student portfolios for the course of the semester. Finished art assignments go into the portfolios to track student progress and achievement. Students will take home their portfolio at the end of the semester. Any art that was not a portfolio assignment will be sent home after it is finished and no longer on display in the room or in the hallway.
Grading: Our portfolio assignments all have visual arts rubrics that outline the necessary directions or criteria and the scoring involved. We practice using rubrics at the beginning of the semester so we know how to use them as guides to help us do our best work.
Paint: In the art room it can get messy even with our best efforts to stay clean. All students wear smocks or aprons/lab coats when we paint, but there are often wet artworks around the room and accidents can happen or improper use of smocks. In that case most paint can be quickly washed out by the student with some soap and water in class if the paint is still wet. If the paint has dried then there is still something you can do at home to clean the paint from clothes. I have used this trick many times since I seem to attract paint stains as the art teacher :) I use a clean toothbrush and some isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and the paint scrubs right off and clothes can be run through the washing machine afterward. I haven't used this method on all types of clothing, but it has been quite effective when I have tried it. Here are the steps I follow if you would like more information: How to get paint out of clothes.
Beautiful Oops! and A Little Bit of Oomph!: These are two books that are absolute favorites in the art room! They are both by the amazing Barney Saltzberg and share the amazing opportunities that come from things we might think of as mistakes and the beautiful art we can create when we put in some effort. Many students ask where they can get a copy so here are some links to places you can get your own. You can get the books from Barney Saltzberg's website or order them from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Powell's.