A Delicious Lesson All Students Can Sink Their Teeth Into Curriculum Design % %

I have always been intrigued by the art of Sashiko, but I have never had a chance to learn more about it. This article from Koekoek was just what I was looking for. It is a nice introduction to th…

These are the steps that I did with my kids. There may be different ways of doing this, but this is what works for me. The first step is to fold your paper in half, down the long side ( we say hotdog fold). Then with a pencil write your name sitting on the fold, in cursive. Then, darken the name by tracing 2-3 times. Fold the name to the inside, make sure the name is facing down. Usually, you can see the name through the paper, which will help with the next step. With the cap of a marker, rub over the name. If you can see through the paper, you can rub directly on the name. Check to see if transfer is happening, if not check these things. 1. Is the name dark enough 2. Is the name on the inside (Yep, it happens) 3. Is the name facing down 4. If the following is done, you may not be holding the marker at the right angle. Once the name is transferred, you can start adding in details (eyes, nose, ears, hands, feet, lashes and so on) Remember it is a creature, so it can have 6 eyes, 2 mouths, and hands. Anything goes! This part is done just like the name. Draw on the original side and transfer for symmetry. Trace with sharpie and erase any left over pencil markings. Add color!

How to Display Artwork on Cinder Block Physical Space % %

Confession time: my kids spend tons of time working on art, but I don't always keep my kids' artwork. Here's why I don't keep it and what I do instead.

Super cute and fun-to-make Jesus Heals Bible Craft for Sunday School lesson on Jesus healing the official's son in Capernum in John 4. FREE PRINTABLE!

In an era of high stakes testing, art is sometimes the first thing to go but we as teachers need to find ways to continue providing art experiences for our students. Not only is art just plain fun, and let's face it, kids do need fun, but it's much more than that. Art is beneficial in so many ways! Find out ways to incorporate art in this post by The Teacher Next Door.

How to dye pasta to make colorful pasta crafts or a pretty maccaroni necklace. It is quick and EASY to color pasta at home!

Combine Art with Anatomy in this X-Ray Skeleton Hand Lesson! This project is perfect for elementary art, but could be a fun Skeletal System Activity for Middle and Highschool as well! A perfect Fall Art Activity, it's spooky enough for Halloween art while also teaching important shading skills and s...

We are currently starting our final projects of the year. [I can't believe it!] But for now, let me catch you up on what we just finished... 5th and 4th grade have been working on the same concepts for the past two projects. Both grades participated in a school wide Egyptian art unit by creating Egyptian sarcophagi. They reviewed SYMMETRY, and learned about hieroglyphics. After that, they learned about creating TINTS and SHADES by making an undersea painting. You can find these handouts here- http://www.teachandshoot.com/2015/02/art-room-handouts-round-3-value.html I would have let the students have more freedom with other colors, but I really only had blue left, and underwater came to mind. Thanks for visiting! 3rd grade also participated in the Egyptian art unit by creating Egyptian PORTRAITS! This might be my favorite project from this year. What a wonderful job the students did! After that, 3rd grade made ORIGAMI frogs, but I forgot to take photos! After origami, 3rd grade started creating ASSEMBLAGE art like the artist Louise Nevelson. They are just starting to paint their sculptures this week! 2nd grade created a fun pyramid COLLAGE as part of the Egyptian art unit! After that, 2nd and 1st grade both created ABSTRACT Picasso PORTRAITS. 1st grade and kindergarten created Egyptian necklaces and learned a little bit about PERSPECTIVE by drawing the pyramids. Kindergarten just finished learning about weaving by creating some alligator WEAVINGs!

Effective classroom management is imperative! Discover how to eliminate disruptions & manage your classroom with one light, two tags, and FREE printables!

Zach's Place, a reggio inspired-studio in the center of a montessori school

Simple bottle decorations are a great way to repurpose […]

Classroom management is one of those things that can make or break a teaching career. It’s a bigger deal than I think I even realized when I first started teaching. The lack of it can steal your joy quicker than butter melts on hot toast. People who have it can make miracles happen with students...Read More »

BIGGER is better, right?! It definitely is when it comes to art. Get kids moving and creating with these amazing BIG process art activities for kids.

This Waistcoat Stitch tutorial shows just how easy this crochet stitch can be! Learn how to do the Waistcoat stitch and make crochet hats, bags, cup cozies, and more with this dense and versatile crochet stitch.

New Stamp Tip: This is going to make you CRINGE!! (but it works!)

To get into your favorite dress, you may have to do a little more than just shave your legs! Wondering what that is? Getting your calves in shape!

Here's a great idea I spotted on Pinterest.... I tried this lesson with my middle school students and they had so much fun with it! I originally used a copy machine to enlarge students' fingerprints. It was cumbersome and time-consuming. But then I figured out a faster, easier, and better way! For detailed instructions with photos, tips, writing prompts, a student gallery, and fascinating fingerprint facts, check out my fun resource on TPT! My pdf also comes with 3 ready-to-use fingerprint enlargements in case you don't have time to take students' actual fingerprints. This can also be helpful for students who arrive late or miss the first day when you work on these. Optional... use colored pencils to lightly add some designs in the background before tracing over your writing with Sharpie. This will personalize your self-portrait even more!

These cheap and unique hobbies are not part of working hours. They exist to let your mind go; it is no longer about being productive, just about feeling good.

Whether your students are lethargic or super-charged, adding movement to your lesson plans will help to solve both issues. Not only is it healthy to move throughout the day, but it can also help students focus and become more engaged with the content they are trying to master. Due to the nature of English classes, ELA ... Read More about 10 Ways to Add Movement in the ELA Classroom

We have made a LOT of playdough over the years and this is our favorite no-cook playdough recipe consisting of cornstarch and conditioner. This simple 2

Make beautiful bubble painting Hydrangea flowers! Fun DIY dish soap paint recipe. Great kids art activity & easy beginner watercolor ideas!

When it comes to your portfolio, less is more. You might be thinking, “Wait — shouldn’t I showcase all my work? I want clients to know I’ve got the experience.” Trust me, I get it but we’re going for quality over quantity here. You want to showcase the cream of the crop, not every sing

We all love the book My Mouth Is a Volcano by Julia Cook! (She's one of my favorite children's authors!) This year, I bought the book for only $6 on Amazon. SO WORTH IT! I LOVE to make learning fun... so of course, we had to make it happen! Instead of just reading the book, talking about it and moving on with our day, I decided to make this more interesting! We made our own volcanos!!! Yes. Volcanos! All the supplies were roughly under $5, so if you're interested in making this lesson a little m

This quick and EASY frankenworms experiment demonstrates baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction with fun halloween activities for October.

Unlock elementary & middle school art teacher resources! Join my free library: games, handouts, posters & more. Elevate your art curriculum!

Valentines day is just two days away! Yay, another day to share the love, appreciate your loved ones, family, friends and even reach out with kindness to a stranger. I created this little dinosaur card to colour in. I have left it blank so you can add your own text or just leave it plain and cute. Download the dino card here: Dinosaur cardI also drew some animals, particularly cats, and created some little note cards to colour in. I realize they are a bit random but I also thought they were quit

As artists, we often fear that we don’t have a unique style or voice in our art. It’s a concern that is hard to define and style typically evolves over time. Many artists argue that they don’t want…

A multiple choice quiz after reading is a quick and easy way to check student comprehension, but it doesn't allow you to assess deeper understanding and it certainly isn't fun or creative. If you are looking for more meaningful and engaging activities to use with students during literature circles or a novel unit, here's twelve ideas that are favorites in my classroom and the Common Core standards they align with.

If you're DIYing a website or working with a designer, it can feel serious just to even know how to speak the language!

If you know me, you know that a good sort is one of my favorite instructional strategies. I actually think my grade level colleagues get si...

We've all used exit tickets in our classroom for informal assessment, but sometimes it can become boring. Read this post to get exit ticket ideas on how you can engage students with exit slips and still assess your students!

Test outside the box.

These creative writing practice ideas support letter formation and automaticity in written work. OT ideas for working on writing skills.

Social Stories are a great tool to help kids manage difficult or confusing situations. It’s a way to give information about those situations, including what is expected or what might happen in a simple, supportive and reassuring way. Carol Gray initially defined and refined the process of creating s