Calder-style Modern Art Mobile: Alexander Calder is one of my favourite artists and arguably the king of hanging sculptures, or modern mobiles as they are often referred to (although, he has worked in many more mediums). I love the playfulness of his work and photos of Calder alwa…
Each year our elementary school has an auction to raise money for the art program. As my daughter's classroom docent, I had to come up with a group project for the class to contribute to the auction. In the past, I have led the class in creating a collaborative canvas. This is from 3 years ago (I was docent to 2 classes): This is from 2 years ago: This is from last year: I really like to see the individual handiwork of each student manifest in the final product. I love seeing the uninhibited creativity of their little minds shining. This year, I decided to go mixed media 3D on our project by helping the class create a mobile. For this mobile project, you will need: Cardstock Mirrored Cardstock Permanent Markers and Crayons Laminating ability (optional) Embroidery Hoop Ribbon I began with an oval die-cut (in teacher's workroom) and several colors of cardstock. I included one cardstock that was mirrored metallic on one side. I thought the light-catching element would be nice in a mobile. I cut enough for each child to have 4 ovals in the art. Circles or triangles would also make super cute designs for this piece. I gave the students ideas and some instruction on decorating each of their ovals with sharpie and crayon. I included swirls, plaid patterns, pictures of "vegetation" (that was their new vocab word of the day), and I required that they each put their first initial on one oval--as their "signature" on the piece. My daughter's teacher was kind enough to laminate them for me. After I cut them all out of the laminating (about 40 minutes in the car at the soccer fields), I laid them out in the order I would be sewing them. Then I sewed them together. If you have never sewed through paper, it is easy-peasy. Just begin at the top, backstitch to tie-off just like you would on fabric, then feed each new piece in as you come to the end of one. Be sure to leave some thread "tails" on the top end of each of your rows. We'll use those later to attach them to the hoop. I measured the width of all my strings of ovals laid next to each other to determine how large my embroidery hoop should be before I bought it. Mine was 30 inches in circumference. I also bought some inexpensive ribbon that would coordinate with the colors of the ovals. Now, on to the assembly: This part isn't hard, but it is a bit tedious. Tie each row of ovals to the embroidery hoop, going around both rings using a square knot. Slide each piece around to evenly place the rows around the hoop. Cut four lengths of ribbon 24-28 inches in length. Tie double knots in each ribbon length at its center to four "corners" of the circle. Gather these doubled ribbons with a rubber band to create the top of the mobile. Tie short cuts of ribbon all around the hoop and over the rubber band on the top. I used some of the ribbons sticking out above the rubber band to tie on a loop ribbon for hanging. The students were SO excited to see what their ovals had become! I think this could be such a cute piece to hang in a child's room or above a baby's crib (out of reach, of course!). I think a mobile done just in black, white and silver would be striking. Or one in all blue or all pink tones would be fun. The possibilities are endless!
Teach math with art!
Top 10 Henri Matisse Projects for Kids - Art projects for elementary school. Paper collage, art appreciation& other projects to explore with kids
Henri Matisse turned to collage when he could no longer paint because of illness. This is a great hand out for students to use as a reference when creating a collage in the style of Henri Matisse. I tell my students that the shapes don't have to look exactly like the pictures. The pictures are sh...
I designed this pteranodon mobile for my dino-kid a few months ago and after he got over the fact that I didn't make a bigger variety of pterosaurs ("It's a flock of pteranodons," I said, "They stick together." I didn't really know, but it seemed like a good answer out.) he wanted to know where the fish they were diving for were. So we made some of them too and stuck them on the ends. This is really more of a grown-up craft but my tyrant had a good time telling me what's what and how to do MY design. I'm sure yours will too and then in the end you'll have a great decoration for his room. Or her room. Not all tyrannical dino-kids are boys. What You Need: A few sheets of colored card stock the template a couple yards of string a paper plate (it's what I had but you could stick two dowels in a cross formation for the top.) a hole punch glue or tape for reinforcement The template: What You Do: Using the template, cut out pieces for 6 Big Pteranodons (A) and 3 Little Ones. (Or however many you want.) And 3 Fish. Piece the pteranodons together by sticking the cut slit of the wings into the cut slit of the body. The pieces will be perpendicular. Voila. I strengthened and made them more together by gluing a piece of cardstock on each side of the body, above and under each wing but you could do tape. Decide your order of pteranodons. 2 big ones, 1 little one and a fish on the end of each. Through all the pteranodons, punch out two holes, one on the top of the body, one at the bottom. Cut strings, tie one to the top of the pteranodon, one to the bottom, tie the next guy onto that string. Put a string on his bottom. Tie on the last guy. Tie another string to him, tie on his fish. Do this with your other pteranodons, making three strings of pterosaurs and fish. Make your strings varying lengths so they're not all bumping into each other, but keep them relatively similar so you don't upset the balance. I'm sure you could figure out the math to make it perfect, but I sure didn't. On your paper plate, punch two holes near the center of the plate and tie a piece of string through, looping it. That's your hanger. Now, put three sets of 2 holes equidistant around, so that the two holes are about .25-.5" apart. Your three strings of pteranodons are going to get tied through these holes. Do it, tie them, I dare you. Done. Show it to your dino-kid and listen patiently while he tells you what you did wrong and then teach him about the phrase "Artistic License." Now if you're doing the dowels, you'll have to make a fourth string of pteranodons, so happy cutting!
Make your own adorable Henri Matisse Collage! This Henri Matisse art project for kids is easy and mess free. The Matisse shapes printable makes it sup
Download fun FREE printable art activities and coloring pages for the classroom and homeschool. Decorate your classroom with these engaging free pritnables!
Download this Premium Vector about Gradient Ideas Set, and discover more than 15 Million Professional Graphic Resources on Freepik
This solar system craft is so fun for the kids. It helps teach them the order of the planets from the sun and reinforces coloring, & cutting skills.
Helpful collection of Alexander Calder teaching resources and complete Calder Famous Artist Unit lesson plans to teach elementary art class.
Not sure when my obsession with installation art started but it's been unrelenting by holding my attention in a serious way for at least the past year. I honestly feel like if I didn't love my job (right now) so much and feel like I really was answering a divine calling to do it, I would easily dive head first into the world of installation art and try any carve out my place in it. I first stumbled upon this project idea on Princentenol under the name Tint and Shade Ceiling Hanging. I LOVED the idea of doing it but felt like it needed a little bit of something more to it so I mentally bookmarked it and then just forgot about it. Time passed, I got bored with some of what I had been doing in the 3D Design class, and a dug it back up in an effort to indulge my installation art obsession. The learning objectives behind this project are multi-layered and touch upon so many great things... Technique of painting evenly and with careful brush strokes Experiencing tempera paint and understanding why it is so awesome Color mixing, tinting, and shading Understanding and creating geometric and organic shapes Learning how art can be used to transform and reshape space For as simple as the project was, it was also pretty challenging. While I normally do lessons/projects that last about 2-3 weeks, this one easily took five total. It really required the kids to stay on task and stay the course even when it seemed like the work was becoming monotonous and redundant - because, seriously? It was once it came time to draw and cut each of the 144 shapes that were needed to make up the 72 pairs of shapes that would hang off of each of their rings. Since I share a classroom with my part-time colleague, storage is ALWAYS a challenge and this project didn't help at all. Thankfully, the issue was attended to beautifully by hanging things from the ceiling up by the front of the classroom/teacher's podium - this was to help keep students from wanting to bat at them while they moved around the class. The whole installation is mostly hung up right now with the exception of a few yellow pairings that I have to finish up quickly and get hung up because few people wanted to take on the task of that color. The most popular colors were red, orange, and blue overall. Kind of surprised me that orange was so popular but it's my favorite so I was delighted that so many of the kids wanted to do it. Here is what our exhibit "The Ombre Experience" looks like hung up in the student gallery hallway... I feel like (for the most part) I'm pretty pleased with it. We've gotten a lot of really great feedback on it and though I would have liked it to have filled out the space a little more, what it does look like really works for the space.
Les masques d'artistes inspirés des artistes Vasarely, Miro, Delaunay, Keith Haring ou encore Mondrian , ayant eu un grand succès, la collection s'agrandit avec un masque plein de peps inspiré des nanas de Niki de Saint Phalle... Si vous avez travaillé...
Ocean baby mobile with Narwhal, Jellyfish, Turtle, Stingray fish, Shark, Starfish and Puffer fish is perfect for a nursery in ocean style. Your baby will love it! This baby mobile is very modern and will be a wonderful gift for baby shower, expecting mom and newborn! Crochet products have strength and wear resistance. It is perfect for the baby's itchy gums - great to grasp and chew. Your baby is sure to be delighted! Games with natural toys help develop children's motor skills, hand-eye coordination and imagination. Toys are quite large in size. A grown-up child will be comfortable and interesting to play with them. 🐋 MATERIALS Every toys is 100% quality handmade and crocheted from high quality cotton yarn. Our mobile is absolutely eco-friendly and safe for baby. This item is made in smoke-free and animal-free home. 🐋 SIZE Diameter of the ring: 23 cm (9.1 inches) Full length ~ 45 cm (17,7 inches) 🐋 Music box and bracket Sweet melodies will soothe your baby. The toys will move and attract the baby's attention. The music box plays 35 pleasant tunes. There is a power button, volume control, transition to the next melody. Powered by AA batteries. Batteries are not included. This mobile can be installed in a crib on a special bracket. The mobile is packed in a nice box. 🐋 CARE Dry or steam cleaning The mobile develops vision and hearing in a newborn, teaches you to concentrate. Gentle music takes the baby to the world of sweet dreams. ❗ EXPRESS SHIPPING is available. For express delivery please contact us at any time! ❗ Baby Play Gym https://www.etsy.com/listing/1141879397/baby-play-gym-toys-ocean-baby-gym?click_key=17cac39ac9cf1347eef72d7f3076e604af533811%3A1141879397&click_sum=b649d3ab&ref=shop_home_active_16&frs=1&sts=1 is a wonderful decor element for the nursery of the newborn in ocean stile! If you have any questions, please hit the "Message..." button and I will get back to you within 24 hours. Thank you for choosing a baby studio "Sister’s Baby Land" 🐋
Looking for a some Boy Mobile Ideas? There are lot different choices to fit all kinds of themes. There are cute woodland, animal, planes, and more.
This easy-peasy wax resist art tutorial makes for the perfect addition to any homeschool art lesson.
Kawandi is a style of quilt created by the Siddi people of India, traditionally done by hand. It is truly scrappy and improvisational. While I like doing hand work, I was also intrigued by faster machine methods. I've listed some resources at the end of this tutorial if you are interested in creating Kawandi by hand, want to see another machine tutorial, want to see some footage of Siddi creating Kawandi by hand, and a discussion of creating Kawandi in your own style. This tutorial describes a new way of creating Kawandi by machine. These are NOT traditional Kawandi, but inspired by the joy and movement of Kawandi-style. I started with a background piece of fabric approximately 8x10", a piece of batting of the same size, and many scraps of batiks or quilting cottons. 1) Place the background over the batting, right side up (this is a quilt as you go technique, so the batting is incorporated from the beginning. 2) Place 4 scraps in the corners, right side DOWN - NOTE I'm using batiks in these examples, so its hard to tell that these pieces are upside down. In this image, you are looking at what will be the WRONG side of those scrap corners. 3) Begin UNDERLAPPING adjoining scraps into the corners. Fold approximately 1/4 inch on the side that will go UNDER the corner. Again, the scraps are placed upside down. Pin the piece in place along the edge. This will be machine sewn. 4) When you get to the next corner, fold the 1/4 inch on both sides of the scrap because it will go under 2 pieces of fabric. 5) Continue folding and underlapping scraps, pinning along the outer edge until you get the entire edge filled. Notice that it doesn't matter if you use short scraps, or long scraps. And again, its impossible to tell from this image because I'm using batiks, but you are looking at the right side of the background, and the WRONG side of the colorful scraps. 6) Sew 1/4 in seam all the way around the edge, removing pins as you come to them. 7) Clip the 4 corners close to the seam, being careful not to cut the thread. 8) Turn right side out by flipping each scrap over the seam. Use a tool to poke out or pull out the corners. There should be no raw edges of fabric along the edge of the piece because they are either in the seam OR they are folded under. 9) Carefully press the outer edge - taking care not to press the batting, as it might melt depending on fiber content. 10) The result is a piece with finished edges like this: 11) Top stitch close to the edge, This will secure all the folded under edges of each scrap. 12) When you are on the 4th side, approaching the beginning of your stitch line, turn the corner about 1/4" or 3/8" before you get there, to start the 'spiral' of stitching. The next steps are done just like Kawandi by hand, but you continue sewing on the machine. 13) To place the next piece, fold under 2 edges. Finger press or iron as necessary. Overlap the unfinished edges of previous scraps. 14) to place a color into a long strip, fold under 3 edges, staying aware of where you will place another scrap to overlap. 15) To keep a small scrap straight as you sew over the edge, it may be necessary to use long tweezers or stiletto. 16) Continue placing scraps and sewing in concentric rectangles, into the center. Note: this picture is from another project than the ones above. 17) Prepare the final scrap by folding under all 4 sides, and sewing the ever smaller rectangles/squares of stitching. 18) For the piece made of batiks, I decided the center "squares" looked better on the diagonal. Although not traditional at all, I've already broken so many 'rules', that I just decided to make this mine. Also, I'm aware that traditional Kawandi have 'folded flowers' in the 4 corners. Include them if you wish. Make it yours! Paula RESOURCES: How to make a Kawandi by hand by Kieren Dutcher https://youtu.be/yFd0xEfKeto How to make a Kawandi by machine (with binding) by Mel Beach https://pieceloveandhappiness.blogspot.com/2019/03/modern-kawandi-making.html Margaret Fabrizio travels to India to learn Kawandi from Siddi quilters: https://youtu.be/WqdIswL96q4 Margaret Fabrizio shows her own Kawandi quilts, and talks about making them in her own style. https://youtu.be/4NRxqOqp_UA
DETAILS FEATURES FABRICS You can view the size chart, finished measurements and fabric requirements here. JACKIE is an elegant, easy to wear, super comfortable knit dress that slips perfectly from day into night. This style is designed to be easy and quick to make without fussy closures. It features a built up neckline and shapely, figure-flattering seams that lengthen and emphasize your curves. It is fitted at the waist with a full, flowing skirt. A subtle opening at the back upper bodice closes at the neckline with three small buttons and rouleau loop closures. This project uses both a serger and sewing machine. You can also make it with just a sewing machine. Version 1: Long sleeves with hemline ending just below mid-calf, approximately 32.5" (82.5 cm) down from the natural waist. Version 2: Sleeveless with hemline ending just below the knee, approximately 26.5" (67.3 cm) down from the natural waist. Skirt length measurements are taken from a flat pattern. Finished lengths may vary due to fabric weight and stretch. Sewing level: Intermediate Sizes: 0-16 Pattern File Details: Tiled Pattern: 48 pages - 36” Copy Shop Pattern: 1 page with dimensions 36” x 92” (92 cm x 234 cm) - A0 Copy Shop Pattern: 2 pages - Instruction Booklet: 16 pages IMPORTANT: PDF patterns are delivered as a .ZIP file. Many mobile devices do not support this file type without the use of a third part app. Check with your device’s brand model to determine the compatibility with .ZIP files . This pattern includes: Easy to follow, detailed instructions with lots of diagrams to assist you in sewing your project. Imperial and metric conversions Lengthening/shortening instructions Light to mid-weight two-way stretch knit fabric with moderate to high drape. At least 20% stretch. Various knits: Jersey, bamboo, cotton, modal, silk, velour, ponte, scuba.
Fische sind als Bastelarbeit eine gute Wahl. Flach, aber ein schönes Profil und die meisten glitzern so toll. Aus bunt und glitzernd bemalten Papier, einen Ast und Goldfäden entsteht ein tolles Mobile für den Sommer! Inspiriert vom Buch Fische, Fische überall von Britta Teckentrup
In this simple artist study, kids look at paintings by Swiss artist, Paul Klee, and create their own with watercolors and pastels.
Teaching art-on-a-cart is not every art teacher’s fantasy. Most pre-service teachers don’t even consider it a possibility (don’t we all envision large classrooms with big tables, floor-to-ceiling windows, the latest technology, and endless supplies?). But for a large number of teachers, reality quickly sets in, due to budget-crunching, cutbacks and school reductions. While we might look in envy at other classroom teachers who hold the keys to their own rooms, there are certain aspects of teaching ‘on the go’ that make it really not as bad as you’d think. You might even grow to appreciate it (dare I say “like it”?). Here are some tips on how to make the most out of teaching art on a cart, because - in the end - it’s not really about our own personal comfort or luxury or what we think we ‘deserve’, it’s about teaching our students to grow and love art. #1.) Claim your home base. Every art-on-a-cart teacher needs a home base they can work from (for the sake of your supplies, your preparation time, and your sanity). If nowhere is provided, look around the school for areas to infiltrate. In my last art-on-a-cart role, I invaded the teacher’s lounge. There, I claimed a large, freestanding media cabinet with doors, and a large space next to it to park my cart. Plus, there was a sink and bathroom in the lounge, which greatly aided in cleaning my supplies. And the fact that no students were allowed in there was delightful, and provided extra security. #2.) Determine your storage. Your abundance (or lack) of storage areas will determine what you are able to teach. Consider the amount of space at your ‘home base’ for storing student projects, and imagine what kinds, sizes, and how many projects can reasonably be stored there at one time. Don’t forget to think about the requirements of wet paintings needing to dry, or sculptures that need to be separated. Be creative – you can always use the tops of cabinets or hang clotheslines for drying work, or stand dry papers vertically. A folding, portable drying rack is also convenient. Consider the space you also have for storing art supplies – paint, brushes, markers, different sizes of paper, visuals, and more. Ask your custodian if there are unused furniture pieces around the school - cabinets, drawers or shelves - you could use to store more items. Still, there will be times when you must confront a classroom teacher and tell them straight-up that you do not have storage space, and that you must leave student work in their classroom. Granted, this is not ideal – it leaves work open to students, is out of your eyesight, and teachers are sure to be annoyed by your intrusion. Be gracious and always give a timeline for when the work will be moved. But be realistic – let the teachers know you understand it is an annoyance and not ideal, but on the other hand, you have no classroom at all and that is not ideal for you either. In the end, remove the items on time, and be sure to say thank you. You definitely need team players on your side! #3.) Plan your curriculum. Being an art teacher means you have to plan your lessons around time constraints, prescribed standards, evaluations, assessments, and sometimes meager program budgets. However, the plight of an art-on-a-cart teacher is that you are further limited in the lessons you can teach efficiently. Although we would all love to create life-size paintings, giant sculptures, work on pottery wheels and use the latest technology, these things cannot be easily taught (unless you’re really, really good at it!) from a cart. But don’t let this stop you! Find ways to manipulate the lessons you want to do, into things you can do. Cut down the scale of a project if it’ll take too long; cut down the size of a project if too messy. Think outside the box, and teach any lesson you want to – it just takes organization. After many years of teaching from a cart, I have decided that there really is nothing that I cannot do from my cart. If you want to teach painting or ceramics, go for it! Simply look for ways to make your materials portable, organized, and on a smaller scale. #4.) Organize your cart. All this being said, it’s great to think we can teach any lesson we want from a cart. But how do you do it? Easy; organize your cart to maximize its use. Though it may be small, divide your cart into separate areas and bulk up on storage containers. Be strict that everything has its own place. Determine your needs and consider how to make them work. Since my elementary rooms did not have sinks, I kept a medium-sized bucket on top of my cart that held water cups. At the beginning of a painting class, my helper would fill the bucket in the bathroom; at the end of class, the student would then empty the bucket. For cleaning supplies, I filled a spray bottle with soapy water. A clothesline attached to the cart handle held cloth towels. I also kept a container of wipes and a stain-stick on top of my cart for cleaning emergencies. Too many supplies? Keep it simple. Rather than ordering dozens of plastic palettes (which have to be cleaned), I purchased paper plates in bulk, which could be thrown away after a painting lesson. Rather than a hundred glue bottles, I ordered a dozen large bottles of Elmer’s with gallon refills (glue was shared among groups). When teaching a painting lesson, I only bring the largest quart bottles, one of each color I need – when the quart bottles run out, I refill them from my gallons at my home base. You can also save space by only bringing the primaries and neutrals and make students mix their own colors. Students in their classrooms will also have supplies at their desks, which means you won’t need to pack pencils and other basics. If okay with the teacher, have the students create portfolios for their work, which can be kept inside their classroom. My old cart was a simple large Rubbermaid pushcart on wheels with a handle, a top shelf and a lower shelf. I determined that the upper shelf would be completely my own, but that the lower shelf would be for my elementary students. On the bottom shelf were separate containers and plastic shoeboxes with big labels, containing markers, colored pencils, crayons, oil pastels, yarn, scrap paper, paper towels, a basket of free-time activities and art books, and a collection of home-made photo reference folders made from cutting up old calendars and sticking them in binders with page protectors (one was about Animals, one was Cars, and one was Nature/Landscapes). At times, I would put my small box of art aprons down there also. On my top shelf was everything I would need to teach for the class I was going to. I had a box of teacher supplies that students could not use – my own glue, Sharpies, pencils, pens, good scissors, paper clips, a notepad, discipline slips and more. I also had Class/Grade folders that I stored there, which included information on the lessons I was teaching, a student roster/seating chart with room for notes on discipline, a copy of my class rules and procedures, writing assignments, my helper charts and more, specific to each group. #5.) Implement class procedures and rules. As an art-on-a-cart teacher, you’re in a sticky situation. You have your own class you’re teaching, your own cart and supplies, and yet you’re in someone else’s classroom (much less another classroom that already has its own rules and procedures that the students are used to). It would be easy to tell the students that you’re just going to use the same rules as their teacher. This would make sense if every teacher in the building had the same rules – but they often don’t. It is best to come up with your own set of rules – that are easy to learn, easy to understand, easy to follow, and easy to remember the consequence. I used a couple very simple rules of my own, made a poster, and stuck that onto one of the sides of my cart for everyone to see. Occasionally throughout the year, review the rules with your students, and explain how they apply to art class. Make consequences well-known and appropriate for teaching in someone else’s room – students knew that, depending on the offense, they would have their seat moved, all art privileges taken away for the day, or a writing assignment. Your class procedures are entirely different than your class rules, yet they go hand-in-hand. Procedures are the way that your class is run, and in some ways, these are more important than your rules. If you have excellent and routinely followed procedures, you should not run into many rules being broken. Procedures must be painstakingly explained, demonstrated and reviewed constantly. Art-on-a-cart teachers know that procedures begin the moment the art teacher walks into the room – I used to say “When it is time for Art, all other things are put away, desks are cleaned off, and all eyes are directed to the teacher.” This way the students know that a new class has started. I would verify attendance, quickly review what we were doing, then teach/demonstrate a new topic. Students must be quiet during that time. Next, I would announce who the day’s helpers were (in each classroom folder I kept a list of the student’s names, and had two new helpers each week), and they would begin passing out supplies. During work time, the students could talk, but they had to raise their hands for questions and could not wander around the classroom freely. Have procedures for what to do during cleanup time (my same helpers would clean-up the classroom), where students put their finished work, and what they should be doing when they are finished if others are still working (my students kept sketchbooks they would pull out and begin working in, but they could also use the bottom of the cart for free-art-time activities). It is extremely important to set up a procedure designating who classroom helpers are. If you do not, you will run into much wasted time deciding who can or can’t help, so make sure they know ahead whose turn it is, and that everyone will get a turn at some point to keep it fair. Also, have a procedure for washing hands. Lastly, you want to bring the class to a reasonable conclusion, leave on time when the bell rings, and that students are seated and ready for their next class to begin – you do not want the whole class walking around the room, projects still on tables and paint being cleaned five minutes after the bell has rung. Let the teacher know how the students behaved before you leave, then announce your departure. #6.) Teaching in someone else’s classroom. As an art-on-a-cart teacher, not only are you constantly reminded with the fact that you do not have a classroom of your own, but the students and the teachers know it and will remind you too. There are some things you should expect to happen: Students will occasionally undermine you as the authority when their classroom teacher is in the room Students will be distracted by their desks or other items in their classroom Expect fire drills/tornado drills/lock-down drills to occur in any classroom you are in and you may not know what to do The classroom teacher may stay in the room with you while you are teaching or may leave the room during art but come back five minutes late or more The classroom teacher may make special requests of you (“I’m having a guest reader come in right after you leave, so can you please not work with clay today?”) or show annoyance with what you are doing in their room The classroom teacher may or may not view art as important as you – and deliver that message to the students The classroom might be arranged completely differently – both furniture and student desks – each time you walk in the room (so learn names quickly). These are some of the frustrating parts about being an Art-on-a-Cart teacher – despite the fact that you already feel under-valued! However, it is best for you to just hold your tongue, put on a smile, (voice your concerns when necessary) and decide that you are going to do your best, no matter what. Get to know each teacher individually – inside the classroom and out, and become friends – or, at least – more than just acquaintances. You need people on your side! The main things you need to remember when teaching in someone else’s classroom are the following: courtesy, time-management, and flexibility. #7.) Find out where your display areas are. Since you do not have your own classroom, you do not technically have your own display space either. Ask administrators if you can have a designated wall in the hallway, a display cabinet, cork strips, or bulletin boards to display student work. Or simply put artwork up anywhere in the school (but expect it at times to be taken down without your knowledge). You may also ask teachers if there is space outside of their classrooms that you can use to display new artwork for a designated amount of time – sometimes they might be thrilled to say yes, because then that is one less display that they must do. #8.) Memorize your schedule. Plan to be at school early, use your planning periods wisely, and stay after school later if needed. You need every bit of time you have to prepare for your lessons, clean up brushes or other materials, and set up for the next day. At the beginning of the year, keep class schedules with you at all times. There isn’t a worse feeling than leaving a classroom, stepping out into the hall with your cart and realizing you have no idea where to go (when the bell rung three minutes ago). Or (even worse) entering into the wrong classroom. If you’re like most art-on-a-cart teachers, you have an awkward schedule that changes daily – some classes/grades are twice a week, others once a week, others more or less. Memorize your schedule to keep your sanity! Teaching Art-on-a-Cart may be frustrating, but it is well-worth it. In conclusion, there is a lot of stress to learning how to teach art-on-a-cart. The good news is that most of that stress will disappear once you get into the routine. You might even find some aspects of the job you really like: seeing the faces of students light up as you enter their room and hearing their comments (“Finally, it’s Art time!”), being able to have more in-depth relationships with other teachers, not having the responsibility of a homeroom or cleaning it up for conferences, being able to escape to your private ‘home base’, being super-organized, sometimes even hearing the surprising “You are so lucky you get to move around! I have to stay in this room for seven hours with the same children all day!” from other teachers. Put things in perspective. You may have inconveniences – who doesn’t – but you have the best job in the world, teaching art to children. Nothing could be better!
Make your very own Georgia O'Keeffe inspired Giant Poppy art project for kids using upcyced materials. This is an art lesson perfect for ages 3+.
It's A Mother Thing is an award-winning blog from author Katie Reed. She writes about living with mental health issues as she parents four young boys. Excellent information for new mothers, with recipes, craft ideas, and educational assets.
For a lighter weight and projects that need the most flexibility, try this Gauge 8 Clear Plastic Vinyl! Available in a variety of weights, this vinyl is perfect for so many projects. With a slick feel and great mobility, use it in garment projects like transparent raincoats and ponchos, or add windows to clothing, bags, and more. In terms of home decor, it makes fabulous cushion covers and table protectors! Note: This product passed Prop 65 testing, meaning it's not known to contain harmful, carcinogenic chemicals. WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Check out the latest wave of nautical-inspired design for kids, from cuddly starfish to a giant plush octopus.
Simple tips for framing felt art work professionally at home.
I LOVE these flowers!!! I also think this may be my new favorite art lesson to teach! 2nd Graders did such a fabulous job creating them– SO proud of their work!! Step-by-step directions with…
Lately I’ve been perusing Etsy for cute mobiles to put in baby’s room. The paper ones really appeal to me because I don’t want anything heavy and potentially dangerous hanging ove…
Duckling crochet pattern by Little Conkers. Crochet a realistic fluffy mallard duckling or cute yellow duckling. Detailed, illustrated crochet pattern.
Fun art appreciation activities for kids in the Styles of the Great Masters. Andy Warhol, Picasso, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Matisse, Frida Kahlo
Don't miss out on these Henri Matisse Activities for Kids. These are great art projects for kids and are a great way to get them excited to learn.
