Art, Education and The Endless Pursuit

the Horizon

2010-09-06T21:01:00.002-04:00

Admittedly I have been an absolutely terrible blogger as of late. But I'm feeling like I'm going to get really good - mostly because I'll need a place to write down and release my thoughts - which are running on overdrive recently.

Tomorrow I start teaching at a brand new charter school. It is exciting, it is nerve-wracking, and invigorating all at the same time. The school is amazing - it will be like nothing that exists in Baltimore right now. I can't even begin to describe the ways in which it'll be different - but I'm sure those things will make themselves known as I continue to right.

Sometimes I think that my inferiority complex is getting the best of me. I want to be the best I can be for my new students and, but wonder if I can be. Am I prepared enough? Am I ready for this? Will I be able to devote the time I need to? Especially since I have a family now - something I didn't have my first year teaching. Many of these feelings are actually paralleling my first year teaching, which was 7 years ago now.

At the same time I feel completely privileged to have the opportunity to teach at such an amazing school. I'm excited to be challenged and to grow as a professional, and I'm completely excited for our students who will be part of something astounding.

Stay tuned for tomorrows blog - I'm sure there will much to write about - and I'm sure, once again, that my emotions will have taken ANOTHER 360.

Long Time Coming

2010-01-10T08:47:00.007-05:00

I think I forgot I had a blog for awhile.

I finally was able to start my quilting class - which is wonderful. Most of the kids want to be there, and many take their quilting home with them, which is a good sign that they are genuinely involved. I, myself, have been busy working on my second quilt.

School has been interesting. I'm loving having another art teacher. My principal has promised us a kiln - which is great news! Will we actually get it? I'm not sure. But I hope so. I know that our students would benefit from having more hands-on classes, and those that I've even mentioned it to in passing are very excited about perhaps having a real ceramics class. The new art teacher would most likely teach it.

I haven't had the PAL students this semester, but will be getting them next semester -altough the administration is trying to do it the 'right way', this time, by coming in and talking to the students about the PAL kids, their needs, and how to work with them. They are also allow the PAL students to choose their classes, and only giving us 5 students (much better then 15!) per class - so I'm feeling MUCH better about it then last years disaster.

I'm trying to prepare to present at the NAEA conference in April (National Art Education Association Conference). I'm going to be sharing my Basquiat unit/project. I'm very nervous about it actually. I'll be presenting to my peers from all over the country. And it is true that teaching to your peers is a lot different then teaching to students. Exciting but nerve racking.

My students have been wonderful this year, I've really enjoyed watching them grow creatively and challenge themselves. I will definitely miss them in a couple weeks when I get new students for 2nd semester.

Even though I'm having a good year, I'm still keeping feelers out for another position. I feel like after 7 years of teaching that I want to be in a position where someday I could possibly be an art department head (meaning teaching in a school that has an actual art program). That is the extent of my ambition at the moment - I don't think I'd ever want to do administration. Art Education professor...perhaps....in another 10 years or so :)

In the more personal arena, I very good friend and colleague of mine found out that she has Melanoma. She has had brain surgery, and is currently undergoing radiation and chemo therapy. It's been really rough on her. She has a little boy the same age as Ashton, which makes it even harder to deal with. She's fighting it and staying positive, as am I.

Whew, I know I could write more, but Ashton is calling me - he dropped a pickle on the couch. The urgency of the situation is astounding :)

One month in...

2009-10-04T19:54:00.004-04:00

So far, this school year has been better then I had anticipated. I love having another art teacher, and she is doing great, although sometimes I believe she doubts herself. The kids really like her, and her ideas are so creative and fun, I've even stolen a few :) It just makes such a difference to have someone to talk to on a daily basis that understands the content of your subject. I feel like I've been more reflective on my own practice, and even in a month, have grown professionally from this experience.

My Fundamentals students have been great for the most part, and are currently drawing some rather amazing cities in two point perspective. I'll have to post some when they're finished. My drawing students just finishing some beautiful still life drawings. I'm very optimistic about what I can accomplish with them - they are very motivated and thirsty to learn. Love it!!

And I'm excited about starting a 'Quilting Club' second quarter. Right now we have a 'wasted period' where students really don't do anything. It's supposed to be dedicated to College Bound activities, but we haven't received any materials for that in the past couple of weeks, so I turned it into art club. But really it's just babysitting until the HSA Mastery students take the HSA's next week. After that this wasted period will turn into clubs that students will sign up for in accordance to interests they have. My club will be Quilting!

I'm on a hunt for materials right now. I submitted a Donorschoose proposal, and I posted for donations on Craigslist for material. So far I've gotten 4 people wanting to donate fabric, but I none have actually come through yet. We'll see. My principal says she will reimburse me for buying some materials, but, learning from the past - I don't expect that to happen.

Tomorrow I am reading the modified HSA to students. Question by question. Yay. The most boring thing you can imagine. But I overall, I'm optimistic for the year and for my students.

Walking Flash Backs

2009-09-10T18:57:00.003-04:00

Many of my old students have stopped by to say hi this week. Of course, you have the ones that graduated last year, and just can't seem to leave. These are usually the same ones who proclaimed last year the "I ain't never comin' back to this place!" They do. They always do.

I also have a student that graduated in 2007, that comes back every year to say hi and give me an update. He's studying Architecture at Morgan, and showed me his amazing drawings. Another student who graduated in 2005 came and visited - he's studying to be a nurse. And, dare I say, my all time *favorite* former student (who visits me a few times a year) stopped by today. He's a Baltimore City Police officer - he likes to visit in full uniform - which is awesome...it really freaks out the kids until I tell them that he's a former graduate.

I reflect on this because it's one of the best things about being a high school teacher. When former students go out in the world , and take the time to come back to tell you how they 'miss your class', or you. Giving you updates on their lives. Reminiscing about what they learned or did - or how they've been keeping up with their painting or how they miss it. I love it. I truly do. I am so proud of them - almost like they are my own children. The fact that I can have an effect on someone for the rest of their lives is a powerful and humbling feeling.

Summer School

2009-07-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

I just realized that I've neglected my blog - poor thing. Since I've been teaching summer school, my own painting has been pretty much ignored. and it seems like every weekend is so busy doing things with Ashton, as I'm sure every summer will be. It's hard because I'm feeling some very strong urges to paint - but have no time to actually do it. I need to force myself to MAKE time to do it. I really do. I think that I'll be inspired by Artscape - seeing all of the artists that DO make the time and create truely amazing work. I'm working the City Schools art booth on Sunday - and looking forward to it. Much love for Artscape. It's similar to the big art festival in Portland, but on steriods. http://www.artscape.org/

Summer school has been great though. I only have 10 students (5 in each class). They are a great group of kids, hard working and creative. It amazes me that even though they've have negative art experiences in the past, they are very willing to try it all again and give it thier best.

This weekend will find the family in DC at the air and space museum with the in laws. I know Ashton will love it.

2009-06-20T14:30:00.005-04:00

Wow - three days in a row of painting. Such a rarity, but so wonderful. Since experimenting more with my style of painting last summer, I have felt so much more inspired to continue and improve. Every session I learn something new about my techniques and it's invigorating. I don't suspect that I'll have many chances to paint soon, as summer school training/registration starts next week, and the kids come the week after - so I'm basking in the moment just a little bit.

I've made some progress on the Fenic painting - still not done - but well on it's way

This is another new painting - it's in the second 'dead layer' (underpainting) phase.....

And, yesterday I felt a strong pull to start a portrait. Recently I received a box of really old pictures (spanning back 200 years) from my fathers side of the family. This picture really stood out to me. It's a high school graduation picture of my great-grandmothers' sister, Ruth. This is still just the preliminary sketch painting. Much, much more to be done. I keep getting strange feelings that I need to incorporate animals, but I'm trying to fight that urge for this one :)

A week of painting on the wall

2009-06-17T20:03:00.005-04:00

So far I have immensely enjoyed my week off before summer school starts up next week. I've painted a mural in Ashtons bedroom! When he first saw it, he stomped around the room roaring, pretending to be a T-rex. Dinosaurs are his absolute obsession at the moment. We have to watch The Land Before Time almost every day now. Gotta love the repetitiveness of the 2's. I really enjoy muraling and am considering trying to start a little side business doing them. We'll see. I say that now. But summer school will take away all my focus, I'm sure. All of the little darlings that failed art. I really do love teaching them though - I consider them my greatest 'challenge' :)

Yesterday I was at North Ave. most of the day trying to brainstorm and plan events for city schools arts programs next year. I must say I'm rather excited. We have many student shows and fundraisers planned, as well as a possible teacher show - which there hasn't been for 5 years.

Weirdly enough I ended up in the elevator with a colleague of mine and Dr.Alonso. We talked about how awesome Artscape is for a total of 49 seconds. Exhilarating...

Here's Ashton new dino-bedroom

Winding Down

2009-06-10T20:05:00.004-04:00

I'm looking forward to a summer filled with painting and playing. I put in applications for summer school, but have not heard anything back yet. This is not strange for Baltimore City Public Schools. I may not find out until the day before I'm expected to report. I really need the money - it'll help with the trip back to Oregon in the next couple months.

I've pretty much been administering finals, packing up my room, and making tentative plans for next year. I am hoping to start a 'Comic Club'. I'm excited to work with the new art teacher. I think it'll be good for me professionally to have a colleague that I can talk to, plan with and bounce ideas off of that understands and teaches the same subject. I hoping it can reignite some of my spark that I feel like I lost a bit this year with all the stress. I'm also hopeful that my principal will hold up her promise of giving me extra planning time to work on murals and school-wide projects. I love doing that stuff - but I never have time!

Out of the classroom - I've painted a little, but not much. This summer, my goal is to create at least 3 larger, new paintings, and 5 new paintings total. Since it takes me at least a month to complete one piece, thanks to my process, I think this will be an attainable goal as long as I manage my time well. I would love to create a body of work with at least 15 pieces, so that I can start pursuing little 'mini-shows' at coffee shops or the like. I don't care much about selling my work, but I would like to get it out there so others can enjoy it (at least I *hope* they'd enjoy it)

This ones my newest 'finished' painting:

'Vacant', Oil on Wood, 9"x12"

And here's my newest unfinished painting:

It's a fenic, among other things. I'm still trying to figure out what innately draws me to paint birds and snakes.... many times I find that the pull to paint specific animals becomes clearer later in the process.

It's that time of year...

2009-05-28T20:54:00.002-04:00

Finals, projects, proms, farewells, bad attendance, yes it's that time of year again. We'll be having a wonderful graduation rate again this year, because all seniors that were failing classes as of last week were withdrawn from their courses and plopped in front of a computer to complete their class in 'twilight' (on online class/program) in less then a week. This makes me wonder why we even need teachers - if all administration is going to do is pull them out of classes and give them on online *education*. I don't get it. Is it fair that a kid who never came to class, and has a 17%, is given the opportunity to pull out at the last minute and complete an entire course in a matter of days on a computer screen? Ugh.

It just doesn't seem fair to those who work hard and come to classes to EARN their diplomas.

Anyway...I digress....

It's pretty much official that my principal is hiring another art teacher next year. I have met her, and she seems very nice, very creative, motivated and capable. So in many ways I'm excited. But wait...there's a catch! (Of course)

She will be teaching 1/2 time with Pre-K and 1/2 time with high school.....and.....

We have to share my room. Meaning that I will have no planning/prep time in my own room, at all. I've tried to suggest multiple ways that we can use the room that is attached to mine as an art room for the new teacher. It is currently a math computer lab (that is used about once a week). It has a sink, it's connected to my storeroom, it's close to me....it's perfect!

Problem:

It would cost too much money to wire another room to be a computer lab, and we don't have many rooms available to move to. 1)We DO have rooms - I made a list of possibilities and, 2) I've heard from multiple people that it really wouldn't cost *that* much or be that much work to wire another room. I feel like perhaps the administrators don't want to take the time to accommodate me or the new teacher. They would rather save money and have two miserable teachers that will most likely quit at the end of next year.

On the happier front...I had 15 kids in my room at LUNCH working diligently on their final project. And the student art show at the Baltimore Museum of Art is this Saturday - which is always fun. My husband and I have decided to travel out to Oregon this summer. I haven't been home in 3 years, and my son has never been there (and he's 1/2 Oregonian!), so I'm ecstatic about that!

So all is not terrible :)

2009-05-17T15:57:00.003-04:00

I have just finished my pile of grading for the weekend, and have found myself rather sad. Mostly due to terrible attendance, students grades have taken a sharp dip 4th quarter. Of course, this is to be expected, when any given day attendance is *at best* 50%. But I still hate to see it. I don't know when school became an 'option' to our students. When I was in high school, I considered school my first job. I didn't think it was a choice at all. I knew that if I wanted to go anywhere with my life, I needed to go to school. Every day. Of course there were a couple 'skipping' incidents. But only a couple. Not the 2-3 times a week, or even entire weeks that my students are absent (completely unexcused). Usually when you ask them why they were absent or where they were the answer resembles "I had stuff to take care off" or "I had stuff to do".

Hmmmmm..... sounds more important then an education I'd say.

But I have had a little success with my Cubism project. I usually teach it using oil pastels - but since I'm almost out of those I decided to try the lesson with charcoal. Some kids hated the charcoal with a passion - others loved it. In any case - there were some nice results

In many ways I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll stuck at my current school for awhile. I'll try to make the best of it. I'll try to remain hopeful for changes next year. I'll try.

I've spoken with colleagues in other schools that have had/or are having the same problems with transferring. It's a district wide issue - that's for sure. It's sad that we have no control over our own careers. That we can be held hostage in one placement. But, again...I must stop myself and remain positive. That's all I can do.

Confrontations, Paintings, and new URL's...oh my!

2009-05-08T14:32:00.005-04:00

New blog URL for this blog: http://paintingclea.blogspot.com - my prior one had my last name in it - and consider some of the things I write about I should try to be more anonymous.

I confronted my principal yesterday about the 'principals' code'. She did admit that there is one - but that she would NEVER stop me from pursuing another position, and that she understands the importance of growing professionally. She said she was never called about the position opening for me at the other school. That she only 'ran into' that principal and discussed the 'possibility' of hiring me, but nothing was every concrete - just casual. Well that the polar opposite of what I was told the other principal said.....hmmmmm....

Last night we spent 5 hours in the ER because Ashton was having a 'respiratory event'. Needless to say I called out sick today to take care of him - and I must say...I HATE nebulizers.

I finished a painting and started a new one - Yay!

Here's the finished one:

And a new one (in under painting phase) - these will eventually be albino peacocks - they won't get their 'crowns' until later in the painting process...

Hopes dashed - a bit

2009-05-06T21:18:00.003-04:00

Well, not entirely, but I must say - I'm bitter to say the least.

After a wonderful interview a few weeks ago I was very hopeful with one of the schools I have been courting. I really liked them, they seemed to really like me, and actually tried to set up a date on the spot for the next phase of the interview process. As I considered the possibilities that the school offered, I was getting very excited. I would be helping to build an art program with a colleague from the ground up. I would have a supportive principal and administration. It would be great.

Well, Monday I received an email out of the blue from said school basically telling me that they would not be inviting me to the next phase of the interview process. I was crushed. What was going on?

Answer: My principal. When the principal of the school I was interviewing at finally called my principal last Friday about hiring me - my principal said she did not want me to leave. That was it.

Some background: There's an unspoken 'principals code' in Baltimore City. One that says that 'One principal shall not take another principals' teacher, if that principal wants to keep that particular teacher'.

I feel like a prisoner at my school now. Like unless I eventually change districts I will be forever at my current school. Given - my school isn't terrible - so it's not like I'm 'doomed', but I believe that my principal is stunting my growth as a professional - and that isn't fair at all.

I have to try to end on a positive though - since I've been so negative with posts recently. Today was teacher appreciation day. We got a nice lunch out of it, and a few students were filling out 'appreciation certificates' and handing them out to teachers. I got a few, some very unexpected, and that made me smile :)

Standards anyone?.......ANYONE?

2009-05-03T21:20:00.003-04:00

A few months ago, my school payed for it's entire faculty to go to a 3 + 3 conference downtown. This was a conference devoted to creating more challenge and rigor in the classroom for students.

Why do I mention this?

Because it's the end of the year. Seniors have a few weeks to get all of their credits/service learning/HSA's in order to qualify for graduation. You would think that a school that values a 'rigorous' education so much, would stand firm about the possibility of not graduating with students who have chosen not to come to school (unexcused), skip classes, and show up around 10:30 everyday, and curse and complain at their teachers.

No. Just like every year - these students are given chance after chance after chance. They are switched out of classes they are failing and put into 'twilight' - a class students can complete in the computer in a few weeks - mostly through copy and pasting from websites. They are 'given' service learning hours randomly - for literally doing nothing. Their teachers are asked to give out 'packets' of work so that a student that currently has a 5% can complete it and make up an entire course (they barely attended) with a few pieces of paper. And, yes, if worse comes to worse, grades are changed on an administrative level.

Every year I am told that I can either give the student a 'packet' to complete to make up my class or their grade will be changed. The rationale - well at least that way they are doing 'something' to get a grade.

What happened to all that 'rigor' that we are encouraged to incorporate into our lesson? It makes me wonder why I just spent all weekend writing lessons for students when it won't really matter whether they show up, try, or even pay attention.

I do it because it's my passion. I want students to learn and be genuinely engaged - but this time of year always weighs on me.

Big sighs of relief....

2009-04-21T13:18:00.003-04:00

So, after sitting in traffic court for an hour and a half waiting to be called. I watched person after person being found not guilty by the judge. Then he gets to the last five people left in the courtroom....myself included. We were told that because we did not request an officer in court, we would be automatically found guilty. What?! My court date was set up over the phone by the city of Baltimore, and I was never asked whether I wanted an officer to appear or not. I guess I just assumed in my ignorance, that they would either show up or not. Ugh.

So I was scared at that point. Yes, I was found guilty. But the judge was still AWESOME. He dismissed all of the fines and penalties associated with the ticket and all I had to pay were court costs to the tune of $45. Not bad, considering the overall bill was $1908!

So, yes, I'm happy.

I also used went to school headquarters and got some payroll stuff sorted out, submitted artwork for the city student show, and 'left a message' with the office of certification. Nine months ago I submitted all required materials to renew my teaching licence. All of my calls and emails get one of two responses - 1) they are ignored, or 2) "We're working on it". For nine months? This seems ridiculous to me. So, since I was there I stopped by the office only to find out they were in a 2 hour meeting, so I had to leave *another* message for the mystery certification people.

But I made good with the receptionist. She likes my students artwork (which is hanging in the main lobby) - so she guaranteed she'd get the message to them ASAP. I hope so.

Overall report for today = relief and accomplishment. I can't ask for much more then that.

Here we go...

2009-04-20T21:38:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, 9am is D-Day. Well for my ancient parking tickets, that is. I am hoping and hoping that I get a reasonable judge that sees how ridiculous this entire situation is. Wish me luck....

Today another article hit the Baltimore Sun about the parking ticket stupidity. It high lights a man named Jason Howard who is helping to organize us as a group to fight Baltimore's unfair parking citation laws. The group is called 'The Baltimore Scofflaws'....of which I am a proud member :)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.scofflaws20apr20,0,3873907.story

In happier news, I was contacted by Donorschoose.org because a Baltimore reporter would like to do a story on teachers who have received funding through the site, especially those who received the Gates Foundation help. So I may be interviewed tomorrow for that.

Parking, anyone?.......ANYONE?

2009-04-13T19:58:00.003-04:00

Stephen Janis, a reporter from the Investigative Voice (a fabulous online blog that reports on issues and injustices in Baltimore City) - did a great story about the current parking ticket drama . In the article I am cited as a criminal...but I assure you I'm not dangerous at all ;) Well, not THAT dangerous....

http://www.investigativevoice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=309:parking-tickects&catid=25:the-project&Itemid=44

The case of the missing fish....

2009-04-13T12:02:00.003-04:00

We have a little gold fish pond in the backyard that my husband built last summer. There are 10 large gold fish in there. Well....today there is nine.

Our neighbor across the street says that he found a dead gold fish in HIS backyard. His son said his 'friend' did it. We are 99% sure that his 'friend' is the neighborhood menace...an 8 year old kid that also lives across the street. This kid constantly hops peoples fences, cuts through their yards, takes things from other peoples houses/porches, destroys property and is generally annoying.

Michael wants to call the cops because he was trespassing, stealing, and ultimately destroying property (our fish). I convinced him that the best course of action would be talking to the boys mother first about it. I've never talked with her before, and she doesn't seem like the most reasonable mother in the world, from what I've witnessed. But I can only hope.

I guess if talking to his mother isn't helping, I can always call my former student, who is now a NE district police officer, and have him come up and scare the kid a bit. Believe me, this kid NEEDS to be scared a little.

I know he's *just a kid*, but this kid believes that he can do whatever he wants with no consequences, and killing our pet, even if it was *just* a fish, is entirely inappropriate.

Decisions, Decisions

2009-04-11T20:44:00.005-04:00

Over this spring break week, I have been deliberating what I want to do next year. I think somehow my principal caught wind of my desire to transfer, and is now tempting me with all sorts of things. She has promised me an extra planning period, and that she wants to hire a half time art teacher to work with Pre-K and PAL students. She also mentioned getting new art tables and possibly allowing me to teach Drawing I AND Advanced Drawing and Painting. This is all great, but I know for sure that promises are not always kept, and priorities roll with budgets year after year.

I have visited and spoken with the art teachers at both of the charter schools I am considering transferring to. I have my concerns about both schools, but overall, in both situations I KNOW that I wouldn't be 'alone'. That I would be part of a team working together to create a cohesive and relevant art program. I would have colleagues that understand my subject and it's challenges. Does that drown out the concerns? Not entirely, but it's a BIG incentive.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself a little. I haven't been officially interviewed, and neither of the positions is formally available, pending budget approvals. This is so much harder then I thought it would be.

In good news....I now have an official court date to dispute my 2 - 5 1/2 year old, $1900 parking citations. I'm trying to think about the best way to present my case. April 21st at 9am. The letter stated that if I lose my case I must be prepared to pay the court on the spot. Ha. Good luck with that.

Busy, busy, busy

2009-04-01T17:49:00.002-04:00

I'm so busy...this update is complete with bullets!

Went down to the Maryland Art Place and hung a painting in the gallery for 'Out of Order' with my friend Jo. It was fun, and the artwork that was up was inspiring and AMAZING.

I've been going crazy with trying to get grading done by Friday. My school was rather evil giving us our scan sheets on Monday and wanting them Friday when the quarter wasn't over until Tuesday....what?! Speaking of my school....

I've been talking some of my colleagues at two charter schools in Baltimore that would like me to join them, and I'm 90% sure I'll be at one of those schools next year - but I've been racking my brain to make a decision..... With all the restructuring and budget-cuts, even those positions may not be viable....all I know is that I need to be somewhere else where I can grow professionally, and it's not happening where I'm teaching now. In fact, many times I feel like I'm going BACKWARDS.

My students have successfully 'rocked those grids'. There's still a couple portraits that aren't entirely complete (due to bad attendance), but they are great and I can't wait to hang them at the Baltimore City Schools student show in May at the Baltimore Museum of art....complete with fancy frames :) Here's some of them....

My students can rock that grid!

2009-03-26T19:46:00.005-04:00

I really can't wait to post pictures of my students work from this week. They're still working hard on their grid enlargement portraits and blowing me away every day. I must admit I had a tidbit of concern when starting the portrait grid enlargements on Monday. I had taken pictures of the kids I selected Friday and Monday, many of them had small 'meltdowns' about the hard it was *going to be*. But, after some gentle pushing and reasurment - they took off on their own, and have done an amazing job. Here are some pictures of the drawings/paintings in progress from a couple days ago - as I said before I am going to try to put up new pics of the finished paintings next week... All in all there are 25 in progress....

Tricking students into challenging themselves

2009-03-21T21:30:00.002-04:00

Working in a school where most students are only going after the "60", sometimes it's hard to encourage them to really challenge themselves to go beyond the expected (or what I refer to as the 'requirements'. So, sometimes I try to subtly *trick* them into doing it, and almost every time they do challenge themselves, they are so much happier with their work and proud of themselves.

Some background: We are in the color unit and students have completed very detailed color wheel charts and done a series of color harmony value scales - now they will use their 'color mixing mastery' to match the colors exactly (using only the primary colors and black and white) that they see in a comic/cartoon. I pull these comics out of the Sunday paper or old children's books from Goodwill. Students automatically are interested because they get to draw 'cartoons', but in the same vain they are terrified that they have to draw.

So I teach them the grid enlargement technique - I scaffold, and demonstrate the process and they practice it for an entire class period. At the end of class they must choose the comic they would like to enlarge.

In years previous, I just put all the comics together into a big box and students rummaged through the box and choose a comic, but I found that most students would try to choose the simplest, easy ones. So, this year I divided up the comics into 'skill levels', there were 4 boxes labeled 1 to 4. I told the students to choose the skill level that they were most comfortable with.

Ta-da! NO ONE wanted the level one (easy) comics anymore! It was amazing to watch. They all wanted to choose the higher skill levels - and they even began challenging their classmates. When a student started looking in the level one box - another would say "Hey, you can do better then that...that's so simple!"

Love it, love it ,love it. I hope come Monday that their enthusiasm continues.

Oh, and I selected some students to do self-portraits using the oil paint and canvas from the Donors Choose project. I'm really excited to see how they progress. I'll be taking pictures along the way

Weighing the options...

2009-03-16T20:00:00.004-04:00

I've been offered an interview with a public charter school in Baltimore.... You would think I'd leave at the drop of a hat - but I'm torn. I've been in the same building for almost 6 years and the same school for 4. So I'm using this time and space to weigh the positives and negatives....

Positives about Leaving:

1. Opportunity to become part of an 'art department' where I am not the only visual art teacher.
2. Teaching a wider variety of courses and perhaps having a say in creating an actual art program *gasp*, and not be stuck primarily teaching 'Fundamentals of Art' for the rest of my career.
3. NOT being forced to teach students or subjects that I have not been certified, trained or educated to teach...ie. preschool, PAL, reading 80
4. Potentially smaller class sizes.
5. Having a more positive all around learning / school environment.

Negatives about Leaving:

1. I love my students, and would miss them terribly.
2. I would not be guaranteed as good as nice or big of a room/storeroom, as well as availability of supplies.
3. I would miss many of my colleagues
4. Two words? LCD Projector
5. Concerns about being the 'low woman' on the totem pole in the event that there are job cuts.

At this point I would say that most of my negatives are either about *stuff* or are emotional/nostalgic in nature, except for the last one, which really does scare me. I don't know. This is so much more difficult then I imagined. I'll definitely go to the interview and at least get a feel for the school before any decisions are made.

#1 - State Champs

2009-03-14T19:50:00.002-04:00

Congrats to our basketball team (the fabulous Lake Clifton Lakers) won the state championship. They've worked so hard for this, and they should be so proud.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/highschool/bal-3aboys0314,0,4198979.story

Cuts.

2009-03-14T12:27:00.004-04:00

At my LEAD teacher (Leading Educator in the Arts Discipline) meeting at Douglas High School last night I found out more about how the BCPSS restructuring will effect the arts in Baltimore City Schools. Some of it I can't discuss yet, as it is still rather confidential, but all in all it's very disappointing. It seems like whenever things are getting better they take a hit and get worse.

There may not be any PD for arts teachers next year at all. This is sad because unlike many other disciplines there are very few schools with art departments, or any other teachers in the building that teach art. This makes collaboration and professional development very difficult for us. We are loners in our building. For me, professional development days when I can work with and talk to others that teach my subject and grade level are priceless. I learn so much from others. I am excited that one of my fellow LEAD teachers started a facebook group to keep all of us in touch in Baltimore City, but that's still not the same as getting to meet face to face.

Also, with the lack of PD and collaboration between art teachers I'm afraid that many of the city-wide initiatives and exhibitions that we've worked so hard to keep up over the last 2 years will fall by the wayside. In Dr.Alonso's original blueprints he boasted of being such a strong supporter of the arts, but as always, when it comes down to it - we are the first to suffer. Well, actually, not just us - but our students even more so.

Just yesterday I had 5 former students stop by my classroom exclaiming how much they missed art, and wish they had it again. I wish so much we had more arts teachers so they would have the opportunity to do that. But I know that with all the budget fiascoes and restructuring, this is probably still only a dream.

But, on a good note, one of my former students from the class of '04 came to visit me. He was an amazing artist and painted single-handedly one of the murals in our building. He is now a police officer! That makes two of my former students becoming police officers! The other student that I keep in touch with graduated from Lake in '05 (Lake Clifton's last graduating class), and graduated the police academy in January. I am very proud of both of them.

Out of Order!

2009-03-11T22:00:00.003-04:00

Watching, 8.5"x11", Oil on Wood

So I'm calling it done - except for varnishing of course. I want it to be completely dry for the Out of Order show at the Maryland Art Place. It's a one week show where anyone (literally) can come and hang a piece of art in their gallery. A silent auction follows the exhibition and a portion of the proceeds go to supporting the MAP. I did it a couple years ago and it was so much fun - so I'm going to try to do it again.

Delinquent Ticket Update #2

2009-03-09T19:55:00.003-04:00

I have so many things to write about - like the hip hop concert at our school this morning, my entirely confusing staff meeting or my saga with 'Javon'...but no....I must deflect to this parking ticket situation because it just got even more ridiculous.

I received the letter from my ex-husband so I called Baltimore City today to explain the situation (that I had never received notice of these citations) and to request a petition for a court date. After explaining that I have lived here for 5 years, and had never received notice in that time despite purchasing and registering 2 cars and renewing my licence multiple times, this was my response: "We show in our records that you did receive one notice at bla,bla,bla address in 2003, and we are not required by law to send you anymore notices". What?!

So, after I asked her for a court petition she gladly complied adding that "even if you are relieved of your obligation to pay the citations, we will still need to collect the entire debt from your ex husband since he was a co-signer on the vehicle"....What, what?!!!!

So, even if a court rules that I do not have to pay, my ex husband, who has never even set foot in Baltimore has to pay a $2000 citation that his ex wife supposedly received 5 years ago and didn't know about?

Sometimes I really regret moving here.

I sent a letter detailing the situation to as many representatives as possible, as well as some local news organizations. Hopefully with some publicity I can help get this resolved. It's one thing to put all this bulls**t on me, it's entirely more evil to drag my ex-husband into it.

Basketball and parking tickets

2009-03-06T19:07:00.003-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a big sports person, but I must give props to our FANTASTIC basketball team. For two years in a row they have been Baltimore City Champions. I know most of the team personally as students and they are wonderful young men - very courteous and hardworking. Not to mention Coach Tree who is an amazing coach and mentor to his players.

Go Lake!!

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/highschool/bal-va.lake02mar02,0,7702408.story

Oh, and about the parking fiasco.....I am refusing to think about it until I get that letter and actually see it for real. I found a local news story addressing the situation, saying that Baltimore city sent out 83,000 of these letters for back parking tickets for revenue purposes. Many of the people are in the same boat as me and never knew they even had a ticket! You can bet that I'll be contesting it.

Here's the news story about it...

http://www..wbaltv.com/video/18856076/index.html

WHAT?!

2009-03-04T20:27:00.002-05:00

Apparently my ex-husband (who is living in Astoria, OR with his girlfriend) recieved a notice from Baltimore City for a Parking violation that is now worth $2000. What?!

First of all, why did they send it to him (his name hasn't been on any car I've owned since living here). Second of all, I pay ALL citations that I ever knew that I had. Third of all......$2000!!! Is that like 5 years of interest on a ticket that I never knew I recieved? Again....what?!

He's sending me the letter so I can take a look. Great. I have absolutely NO money to even pay for a 10th of that.

A post that has nothing to do with school.....nothing!

2009-03-02T14:32:00.006-05:00

I love snow days - I can actually do two posts! This one will be teaching-free!

I had a chance to work on two of my paintings during Ashtons nap....

This one is in it's second under painting phase (I'm definitely seeing areas that need some help already - which is one reason I like to look at pictures of my work between each session!) :

This one is in it's first color phase - I think it's going to need more blue tones in the feathers:

And then theirs Ashtons wonderful work - non objective in subject , but focusing on the elements of line, shape and color with an added emphasis on the principles of repetition and variety ;) It's actually collaborative, starting as a drawing by me that he was *supposed* to use as a race track...ha, ha.

Snow Day!

2009-03-02T09:19:00.002-05:00

It's so nice to have a three day weekend. It was actually good timing because my son is rather sickly and I would have had to call out sick anyway. And after spending all Saturday morning at North Ave labeling, matting and framing student artwork (to replace old artwork that had been hanging up there for YEARS) , I felt like I really never had a weekend in the first place.

I do feel a little bad for the basketball team though. They are City Champions for 2 years in a row and their first regional final was today - and now I'm sure it's cancelled. I made a great banner for them too! I'm sure everything will be rescheduled and work itself out.

Happy news! The oil paint from my donorschoose project came in. I'm just waiting until we get into the color and painting unit and then I will try to determine which students excel and have a special interest in painting. Since I only have so many canvases, I'm going to be selective about who uses them. But I know that the students who don't get the canvases may feel left out. I'm still brainstorming on how to do this so that it doesn't hurt anyones feelings. I may just choose the class with the highest average and allow the entire class to use them - or maybe the students with the best attendance? We'll see. There's 40 canvases and 100 students....

Well, I am hearing "Mama! Mama! Juice! Juice!" So now I must be off to the kitchen....

Nerve Racking

2009-02-25T18:46:00.003-05:00

So today 'Javon' came back to class...late...and out of uniform. I sent him to get a uniform violation. He came back. He didn't want to do anything. Despite the fact that he currently has a 3% in my class (he barely shows up and when he does he barely does anything). Well, I sit him down and try to get him started. He wants to do whatever is 'easiest' to finish his project. I remind him that part of his rubric grade is effort and creativity, and offer a variety of suggestions to get him started. He just complains. Then he mutters something (that I didn't hear) under his breath, and everyone at his table gasps - so I'm sure it was rather inappropriate. Then he turns and says...." You can REALLY get on a n***ers nerves!".

I asked him to go to the office. He left quickly and without complaints - thank god. But I was really offended. I was trying to HELP him!!! Not chastising him or being authoritarian in anyway. According to his IEP he needs the extra one on one and demonstration/suggestions to help motivate him.

And to top it off, when I spoke with my principal about the incident later - she tells me that he really is *street* in his mentality and doesn't know how to interact other then offensively. Like I didn't realize that. But it's still just an excuse, and I'm sick of making excuses for kids. At some point they need to learn how to be a decent human being.

Oh, oh, oh...and to top that off my principal said that I really could take his statement as a 'compliment'. Really? Right. Her take - that he thought I was trying to teach/help him TOO much. Sure. If I could believe that I would.

As I have promised myself - I have to end with a positive..... the canvases have come in from the Donorschoose project - I'm just waiting on the paint :)

High School Identity Theft?

2009-02-23T18:47:00.002-05:00

Today I found out that a student was not who I really thought they were. Literally.

In my second period two ninth graders, a boy (I'll call him Javon) and a girl (I'll call her Denise) got into a verbal altercation. Lots of words were thrown around towards each other. I asked them to go to the office before it escalated into something worse and I wrote them a referral. Javon went right away, but Denise refused to leave so I had to call school security to remove her. Well, eventually she was removed....

next part.... (as I heard it from the administration)

When Javon was ask to identify who he was arguing with he pointed to Denise and said 'That girl, Denise'. The administrator said 'Denise isn't here'.

next part....

It turns out that 'Denise' is actually 'Tierra' and has been coming to my class every day for 4 weeks telling me she was another student. In my six years teaching I have NEVER had this happen! The girl even has an 'A'!!! I am amazed.

I typically always ask to see a students schedule to make sure they are enrolled in my class before they can enter the first time. I can't remember if I checked her schedule and she had 'Denise's' schedule or if I was just so busy and caught up in working with the rest of class on the first day she came that I forgot to check. I really don't remember. But in any case she got me.

And I will miss her. But there is no way that I would have her switched in officially. Partially because that would be giving her the wrong example, and partially because I am offended that she lied so blatantly for so long.

Now I need to locate the *real* Denise.....

2009-02-21T09:57:00.001-05:00

A note to the positive...

2009-02-17T19:55:00.002-05:00

Wonderful day. My students came in, took their first quiz -and 99% passed! That is almost unheard of! Of course, the students that would have most likely failed were not there....and the reason that they most likely would have failed is because....ta-da....they're rarely there. But still I was very impressed with them.

After the quiz, students diligently got to work finishing their projects. No prompting needed. They just got to work. Again....wonderful!

I must make a side note, however - I'm not surprised with students working diligently - they do that most days. I guess I was mentally prepared for a chaotic day. This morning I was a little on edge because a huge group of seniors were supposed to be returning after spending the first 2 weeks of the semester out of classes to work on Bridge projects for the HSA. I was concerned because they missed the entire first two weeks that they would barge into class, not understanding any of the classroom procedures and climate that had been previously established and I would have to essentially 'start all over again'. Well - that day will be tomorrow. Most Bridge students were still out today working on their HSA projects.

I was also concerned about the 'classroom visists' that were supposed to begin during the Reading class. For those who may not know - I (and many other teachers) have been ordered to teach a 45 minute reading class. I don't do it. I have no time to do it. Copies are never made for us, we are expected to make them. The curriculum is ridiculous and non-relevant to students, and this semester teachers are asked to do some of the planning for the class themselves. I'm sorry - but if I remember correctly I have 60K in student loans to be an ART teacher, not a reading teacher, especially with no supports. So.....I was scared that the person overseeing the reading class would come in and see that I was doing art with my students and not mindlessly copying random vocabulary words and filling out worksheets like I supposed to be doing. Again, this may come tomorrow - who knows.

On another happy, happy note....my second Donorschoose project that I put up a few weeks ago is 89% funded!! Yay! Thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation (who funded half of the project from the beginning) I only needed $275, and now I'm down to $63. Rather then reciting the project here, I'll leave a link. It has to do with oil painting! Something that in my 6 years of teaching I have never been able to afford to do with students.

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=205835

Throwing Things

2009-02-14T15:45:00.003-05:00

On Monday the 13 PAL students just walked into my classroom 15 minutes into class. I had no prior notice to when they were coming - and thus was not planning on them being there. My regular-ed students have had a hard time with the transition. They are feeling like they are in the 'special class' now because the majority of the class is autistic. Many of them have complained to the administration about being uncomfortable with this - and one even changed from my first period to my second because she said she couldn't *deal with it*. So....

As if this isn't stressful enough for them and for me - yesterday one of the PAL students attacked another PAL student, COMPLETELY unprovoked. He threw a punch at the boy and when the boy tried to run away he threw a backpack across the room at him. He has been suspended for 2 days. But I have tried to tell my administration that I do not want him back in the class because of his random bursts of anger and violence (this has happened all year with him in other environments). Especially next week when we will be using scissors and box cutters to cut cardboard for mask-making. Having him in there would NOT be a good idea.

I don't know what will happen. The administrator did not acknowledge the obvious safety concerns - just that when he returned to school he would have a 'modified IEP meeting'. Again, we'll see.

On happy notes - I was able to attend a production of the Vagina Monologues last night that my colleagues band played the musical accompaniment for. I went with a whole group of teachers - and it was really fun. I had never seen it before and it was great. The original writer of the book was helping to put on the production - which was a benefit for the House of Ruth.

It's nice to get out every once and awhile. Especially yesterday - when I really, really wanted to forget about the stresses of the day.

Kids and Fishies

2009-02-08T17:04:00.009-05:00

It's always a bit crazy at the beginning of a semester - and this time around is so exception. I have been informed that I am getting PAL students again. They are taking a bunch of 9th grade students out of my first period and placing PAL students in there instead. I didn't even *try* to fight it this time around. It's pointless. I'm just going to bite my tounge and do my job - like I always do. I just hope that their teacher comes in and STAYS to help with planning and management like she's supposed to do.

In the more cool and fun arena - some of my students work from last year was displayed at the aquarium last Friday for a Black History Month celebration. It was really wonderful. The kids got in free (even though only 3 or 4 showed up). One even was interviewed by the local cable education channel.

We took Ashton too - and he had a wonderful time looking at all the fishies (which happen to be one of his favorite things right now! My only regret is that I ended up running off with Ashton and missed my own interview! I hope I didn't burn any bridges there - but theres something amazing watching a child discover a new world that I really couldn't resist :)

New Underpainting

2009-02-01T14:21:00.004-05:00

I really should have been writing a lesson on gesture drawing, but instead I decided to finish a new underpainting...here it is! (Keep in mind that this is a rather rough first underpainting - but I like it!)

And last night I was able to put a second layer on the raven underpainting - bringing out more detail and highlights. I don't know what is up with me and birds recently. Symbolism, perhaps?

Now, I hear my little guy calling for me to get him up from his nap - off I go....

My Goal in Life.....

2009-01-31T12:45:00.002-05:00

Taken from my students 'me sheets' they filled out on the first day of class...

...to go to college (many students put this)
...is to live long
... is to play in the NBA (and this kid could actually do it)
...to be all I can be
... is to be successful in the future and be happy
...to become a forensic scientist
... just to make something out of myself
... is to get a lot of money
... finish school
... finish life (what?!)
... to become a better person
... to play football or make cartoons
... to be a doctor (there were 4 of these! Yay!)
... become a clothes designer
... to pass high school
... to become a pediatric nurse
... to become a mortician
... get my life together
... is to be a professional football player
... to have a big house and be successful
...to own my own business (there were a few of these)
... to be a book writer
... become a successful detective
... to be an OB nurse
... for everyone I know to work for me
... to be an NFL coach
... don't know
... be successful (there were a lot of these)

Grades and Headaches

2009-01-27T20:10:00.003-05:00

Baltimore City Schools has an interesting grading policy - or maybe it's just my school, I don't know. You can never give a student any less then a 45 on their report card. Even if they NEVER came to class, literally. If you ever actually saw a student, they can receive no lower then a 50. The rationale is that if a student gets a 20% one quarter and a %90 the next they still would fail after the averages are calculated (55%). Many of the students know this - so they'll not come for an entire quarter and then get a 70% for the next and know that they passed.

I'm sorry, but students are never going to *get it* when grades are literally handed to them. Even if they are failing grades - they DIDN'T earn. Well, that's my personal opinion. Also, I was asked to defend giving my no-shows a 45%. "Did you contact parents, send letters?", "Did you try interventions?".....What? When do I have time to constantly contact the 10-15 students I've never seen, along with helping the 100 that I actually see. Ugh. I thought that my primary job as a teacher is to actually teach the students that show up. I am not a social worker. I do my best for every student, but I am not superhuman.

Sometimes I day dream about teaching in a non-urban school. Is that strange? What would it be like? The students show up, maybe? The parents actually come to parent teacher night? I can only dream and remember what it was like as a student teacher in Portland.

On a good note...I love my new 3rd period. Today I had them creating Implied line name designs as a preassessment, and they were so into it, and so creative - without prompts! Yay! I can't wait until I get more into the curriculum with them :)

I really need to start trying to end on a good note again.

Update on yesterdays situation...

2009-01-25T07:48:00.002-05:00

My principal did listen to me. She promises not to place the PAL students in my drawing class. I don't know what the ultimate solution is quite yet, but I suppose I'll find out soon. This is what makes it difficult for me sometimes to consider changing schools. I DO have a supportive and wonderful principal (even though we may not agree at all times), and I DO get supplies. I know that neither of these is true at many, if not MOST schools around the city. I know that at the school we share a building with, the art teacher has received NO supplies. At all. All year. she is scrimping by with last years left overs. But at the same time her Principal keeps asking her to do more and more (start an art club, make a mural, etc.) while giving her nothing. It's ridiculous.

I'm still keeping my options open though, and I'm still looking. I think if I find something better I'd take it in a heartbeat. I really need to focus on what's good for me as a professional right now. I really don't want to burn out because I really love teaching and I adore working with my students.

Wow - seriously?

2009-01-24T13:56:00.002-05:00

I just got a call from my principal. Which is almost never good on a Saturday. She's says - "We're going to have to place the PAL students with you again. We were thinking that since all of your Fundamentals classes are too large we could place them in your Drawing class"

WHAT?!

My drawing class was set up to be a more advanced class for only serious art students - that were approved by me ahead of time for their dedication and motivation to learn to draw better. Putting highly autistic students into that class would not only mess up the dynamic that I've built with those students, it would also turn the one class I look most forward to the a planning and teaching nightmare.

Plus....the alternative is to put the SAME students into Fundamentals to complete the SAME course they JUST finished. What?! And my fundmentals classes are already filled. I really don't want to have 40 kids in my classes, personally.

Ugh. What a way to ruin a Saturday.

And you know what....I bet I show up on Monday with a group of PAL students added to my Drawing class anyway - even with my obvious show of dissapproval.

I have to find a new school next year.

Accomplished

2009-01-20T15:17:00.003-05:00

Watching the inauguration was amazing. Watching Bush fly away in the helicopter was AMAZING. Such a relief. I am so optimistic for our country - and I only hope the best for Obama and his administration.

And on top of it all, I actually did some painting!

Here's some progress on a prior painting - the one inspired by my father...

And a new underpainting inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's 200th birthday (which was yesterday). That *thingy* in his mouth will eventually become a watch.

Inaugurations and Procrastinations

2009-01-19T19:43:00.005-05:00

I haven't really painted in two months now. I am actually very disappointed in myself about that. I was on such a great roll. Part of the reason is that our basement is FREEZING this time of year and since my studio is down there...and I don't feel like dealing with frost bite...I've just not felt like braving the cold. The only small resemblance of me creating art has been relegated to making examples for student projects and a welcome back card for one of our administrators. Wow - I know. Impressive.

But, I have the day off tomorrow for the inauguration, and I am going to take Ashton to daycare so I can actually paint. Sometimes I feel guilty about wanting to do that. But I firmly believe that painting will make me a happier mama - and Ashton deserves a happier mama :)

Just for kicks - I'm going to post an Obama portrait that I did as an example for my drawing students back when they did the portrait project. I still don't consider it finished - there a few touch ups that are much needed and some of the shading is a bit off - I kind of rushed finishing it so I'd have it as an example - but the kids really like it. They all want me to make prints for them. They are so excited to tomorrow, as am I. It's all happening only 45 minutes away....amazing.

I almost cried while watching the news, where they were interviewing a man who was a 100 year old Louisiana resident that was traveling to the inauguration. He had grown up picking cotton, living through terrible segregation, and the continued struggles in areas of the South. He started crying at the importance of this Martin Luther King day, and the Inauguration tomorrow. - I almost lost it too. Again....amazing.

A little disturbing...

2009-01-09T16:58:00.002-05:00

I found out today that one of my former students (who graduated last year) was arrested for murder. Sad in so many ways. The murder apparently took place on May 5th - which means he was still coming to school - going to prom and farewell, graduation....knowing that he had murdered someone. Of course he is innocent until proven guilty...but I think he has the cards stacked against him on that one. His arrest sounds like an exciting episode of cops- for whatever thats worth....

http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story/Police-Use-Fire-Engine-to-Catch-Alleged-Killer/4NZpBgNnOUaAdyLc0WxJOA.cspx?rss=702

Its Bas-Qui-at...NOT Bisquick!

2009-01-08T19:47:00.003-05:00

My students are working on their final project

this week and next week - it's focus is Jean-Michel Basquiat - an amazing artist from the 1980's. I find that the kids really identify with him and his form of neo-expressionism. Many of this themes are themes that students talk about or think about on a daily basis - cultural heritage, identity, injustice, heros, ect. It also helps the 'buy in' process that he was a former graffiti artist.

I just must express how much I love teaching this project. I've done it as a final project for 6 years now. Students are able to really express themselves, their beliefs and ideas as well as demonstrate the skills they have learned in the class.

First, I have students learn more about Basquiats' use of symbolism and his life through an awesome interactive website: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/basquiat/street-to-studio/ Then I have them brainstorm and create concept maps about topics that they feel strongly about - they are to come up with emotions, colors, words and images that relate to their topic. Of course, I have to guard against the occasional student trying to sneak in the topics like 'Life' - which is a bit too general, or 'Being High', which almost always become rather inappropriate. This year I have students investigating the topics of 'Jail', 'Motherhood', 'Choices', and 'Obama' - which are all really great...along with the usuals: 'Love/relationships', 'Money', 'Music', and 'Basketball/Sports'...which are always addressed.

They are really getting into their paintings, taking their work very seriously, acting like little artists! Yay! Some of them even got really into throwing (*splatting*) paint onto their work to help portray the emotion of their topic. I set up a 'paint splat' corner for them. They love it. I love it. All is good.

And, yes...I had a student come today for the first time this week (missing all of the previous lessons on Basquiat) and asked me 'Who was this guy Bisquick anyway?'.....lol

I'm really going to miss these kids in a couple weeks when the new semester starts.

Sign of the Times

2008-12-30T14:31:00.002-05:00

I recieved a call on Sunday from my daycare provider. A call on a Sunday from daycare is almost NEVER a good thing. Usually it means that she has to close or is sick. Well - this was different. She informed me that her home is going into forclosure. She has until Jan.20th to vacate. She's losing her home, her day care business. Her, her husband and her son are going to move in with her parents near Annapolis - which means she'll be pulling her son out of his current school, away from his friends and starting at a whole new school. All in 3 weeks time. I couldn't even imagine what she's having to go through. The only option she's been given by the mortgage company is to come up with 32K for a refinance - and they don't have that kind of money or the credit to get a loan for it.

I'm really, really sad about it. She's an awesome lady. Ashton has been with her since he was 7 weeks old. I've been interviewing with other day care providers this week. I found a really nice one that I most likely will go with - but I'm still really sad about the switch. Not just for Ashton but just becuase I really like her as a person too.

Moral - be grateful for what you have - life can come and bite you at ANY time.

Being Tall

2008-12-26T14:50:00.005-05:00

Excuse me for some extreme randomness...

I am comfortable with my height. Finally. After all the years growing up and being insecure because I literally *towered* over all the boys. Actually I always used to feel HUGE compared to everyone else no matter what my weight was. I was just physically bigger because of my height. Finally, when I got into college and beyond I came to terms more with my height and became more comfortable with it. Yes, I do tend to tower over people - but what of it?! That's me, it's part of who I am and what makes me unique - I'll always be refered to as 'the tall girl/woman/teacher' - and that's okay.

But...there still are a couple things that really bug me about my height - SHOPPING. I have x mas money and gift cards for christmas - I a very, very rarely EVER buy clothes. I wear the same crappy clothes over and over again until they fall apart basically. So I went out for shopping round #1 today. Pants are always too short. Sleaves are always too short. Skirts and dresses are always too short, 'waist lines' are always too high. Ugh. And, the stores that carry tall sizes are usually the ones I can't afford - and even when I can I have to order online because the stores don't stock many tall sizes - esspecially size 6 tall. Of the times I have ordered online I've had to return stuff because it didn't fit quite right.

I know this is turning into a rant - but I just felt like verbalizing it. I know that shorter women have many of the same issues - but at least most stores have a pettite section. I really, really, really wish there was a 'tall' section. Tall women unite! Maybe we can demand it! That and *cute* size 11 shoes, damnitt! For some reason stores assume that women with big feet must have no taste and desire to wear loafers 24/7....ewwwww.

This all boils down to my fleeting thought of the day. If I where shorter - what would I dress like? What more options would I have? Would I not despise shopping as I do? I don't know. I do know that if I were shorter I wouldn't be me. So I really don't want to be shorter - I just wish there were more options out there for women like me!

The countdown is official!

2008-12-19T19:59:00.010-05:00

Two more school days before vacation! God knows, we ALL need it - teachers, students and admin. alike. I am holding true to my promise from earlier this week and posting some pics of students work and working!

Here's some pics of the kids intently working on their boxes (well...*most* of them...ha, ha)

I am so glad to have been able to do this project with them. Yay for donorschoose!! And thank you sincerely for everyone who helped to make it possible!! YOU are all my heros!

Here are a couple of the results of my portrait project with my drawing I class. I actually loved every single one (I only have 6 students in that class) but I think that thee two are my favorites. I'm going to enter them to the show at the North Ave. Headquarters building next month.

Just downloading these pictures off of my camera and looking through them has cheered me up so much, and helped to make me remember why I do this....because the kids truely rock 95% of the time :) Sometimes in the stress of day to day battles seems to wear me down and I forget. Thank you Mr.Camera for reminding me tonight.

Now I shall still resume the countdown to vacation, because no matter how much I love the kids, I still desperately need a break from them!

(Sorry if the formatting of this post is a bit strange...I'm still trying to figure all this out on blogger)

I must be wicked, 'cause there IS no rest

2008-12-15T19:08:00.003-05:00

I haven't *ever* done a clay project with an entire roster of students. The most I have ever done is will a small group in an after school 'sculpture club' that I had about 5 years ago (the days before parenthood - back when there was time to do such things). I say this because, although it is amazingly fun, and the kids love it - it is A LOT of work. The prep, the demonstrations, the clean up, and then to add the students terrible attendance into the mix (which ends up with 20 different kids in 20 different places on their projects any given moment). It's a lot.

But it is worth it. And I thank all of my donors from Donorschoose that made it possible. I have all sorts of kids wandering in from the hallway wanting to make stuff, and students from years past asking me why 'they couldn't do clay'. It makes me sad - but at the same time I am extremely happy that these students get this opportunity. I have one girl (actually the same one that cursed me out a month ago), who is *really* into it! She's made 2 boxes, a pencil holder AND a sculpture. She is loving it. And she's been a saint ever since she's been invited back to class - I've actually really enjoyed having her back.

I'm planning on posting some pics when the boxes are done. I also want to post some pics of the AMAZING portraits that my drawing students are doing. They've been working on them for 2 weeks now in preparation for a city wide exhibit at the Baltimore City School Headquarters building.

Over all a great week or so on the school front :) I really hope I haven't jinxed myself

Memory

2008-12-08T20:26:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago I had a bout of strong memories come back about my father. I, once again, realized how fresh the pain still is from losing him. It's been almost 3 years now, but it still seems so unreal. After my 'moment', I felt compelled to paint. This is what came out. Still only an underpainting since it's been a crazy couple of weeks and I haven't have much opportunities to paint. I find myself thinking about the painting a lot though. I want to work on it all the time. Hopefully soon.....hopefully soon.....

Some more randomness

2008-12-07T08:50:00.003-05:00

Ashton is 2!!

Everything is finally back to normal around the house after a crazy Thanksgiving/birthday last weekend. We all had tons of fun, and were very sad to see my mom and little sis fly away back to Oregon. I miss them so much.

The school week went by fast. And busy, as always. I am expecting next week to be even more busy since we will be working with clay....finally! I'm really excited about it, but I know that it'll be A LOT of work and LOTS of clean up. It doesn't help that I haven't done any projects with clay for 5 years. I hope I can just swing right back into it :)

Being that we are a household of Saggitarians, Michael and I turn 40 and 30 (respectively) next weekend. Michaels dad and step mom were kind enough to get us a hotel room at Ocean City and offer to watch Ashton for the whole weekend! My wonderful friend Cheyanne will watch Prozac, so we're all set. God knows we NEED a vacation.

These are the days

2008-11-26T21:05:00.003-05:00

Today was a wonderful day. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving...finally! It is also my sons second birthday. My mom and little sis are flying in from Oregon tonight. My donorschoose clay order finally came in. My students were awesome. I just made a chocolate-pumpkin-cheesecake pie and now the whole house smells wonderful :)

I am so looking forward to a weekend of spending time with family, sightseeing, celebrating Ashtons birthday, and just enjoying life in general. I wish everyone a wonderful and amazing Thanksgiving with your families :)

It's raining men!

2008-11-21T19:35:00.003-05:00

Google rocks for celebrating Magritte's 110th birthday today with their logo. He is one of my favorite artists :)

The observation today went okay *I think*. At the end of the day my principal said that she "really enjoyed my class". We haven't had the official sit down review of the observation yet though. I just hope that she got to see a little tidbit of my typical day and what an art teacher really deals with. I had the repeated chorus of "I need help!", "I can't do this!", "I don't know how to draw!", "Does this look okay?".....all at the same time from different corners of the room all period long. They do this with every project...for the past 6 years..... I'm rather good at juggling it all at this point, but I will say that it is rather tiring to say the least. They were really into it (the project was Medieval Illluminated Letters), but sometimes when they are more excited about it, they are even MORE scared they will 'mess it up'. The second day of a project is usually a little more relaxed and the kids have triumphed over their initial hesitancy. But I think it was still really good for her to see it.

I wish other content teachers could see a typical day in the life of an arts teacher. I always get the feeling that the arts teachers aren't taken as seriously for what we do on a daily basis. With the materials prep and organization, skill building, ego-stroking, coaxing, repeated prompts and motivation, not to mention the planning, clean up, classroom/material management, school displays and banners. We may not have an offical standardized test...but what the arts teach kids is so far beyond multiple choice facts.

Okay, enough teacher talk... here is one of my favorite Renee Magritte paintings, it does remind me of teaching a bit .....Happy Birthday Renee!

Being observed

2008-11-20T20:06:00.003-05:00

Where to start. School has been interesting to say the least. After 'restructuring' our school wide 'reading' class - I had a large amount of random 9th graders dumped into my 6th period. To put it lightly, I was rather upset. This is because the admin. needed to create separate classes for 'Bridge' students. These are seniors that have failed the High school assessments (twice) that are needed to graduate, now they must complete 'projects' in place of these assessments. About 70% of our graduating class has failed the HSA's twice, and are in grave danger of not graduating. Did I ever mention how much I dislike standardized tests?

Even though I *understand* why they had to restructure, what I was most upset about, was that we are all told the DAY OF the changes.....it was like "Oh, yeah, in 3 hours you will be getting a hoard of random 9th grade students that you do not know, in your most difficult to manage class, and are expected to teach reading to all of them". Great. I sent a rather upset email to my principal that morning to let her know that I didn't like the idea. no responce.

The next day (yesterday), she walked into my 3rd period to set up a time for my bi-yearly 'observation'. Again, Great. So I am being observed tomorrow by my principal. I love how we get advanced notice for things. The lesson I have planned is not the greatest one ever, but it'll work. I think I was observed teaching this exact same lesson 3 years ago actually. I've never been observed by my principal, so I'm a little nervous about it. I need to stop thinking about it actually.

Other then the random crazy busy-ness of my profession...I am planning and preparing for Ashtons' birthday next week. Making another Photostory slide show, this one of his second year. Yes, Lea...one is coming straight to you!! I'm planning on making one for every year and birthday party. I think eventually he'll appreciate having a digital record of his life. He does live in the digital age after all.

Although I have a million things that I should be working on right now, I am going to go lay down and continue reading Duma Key....

Leaves.

2008-11-11T19:42:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I wrote this big long post, and 'published' it and all that showed up was this pic of Ashton playing in the leaves. I really don't feel like re-writing all of it, so I will just leave this post as a wonderful pic of my main man....

Who knew that you could be happy with long lines...

2008-11-04T15:31:00.002-05:00

So I waited in line (in the rain mind you) for 35 minutes and voted! It's amazing to see so many people so excited and prepared to fulfill their civic duty and let their voices be heard! Yay for people! I can't wait to watch tonight and see what happens. I'll NEED to sleep, but I don't know if I'll be able to.

And, fortunately I have more happy/optimistic news, which seems to have been a rareity for my recently:

1) My Donorschoose materials are on their way (finally) after some of the items were found to be backordered and/or discontinued.....I can't wait!

2) The meeting about the inclusion of the PAL students will be on Thursday morning - we finally all figured out a time.

3) I finally got a new chalk board - of course my admin. felt the need to remind me that *other* schools are not so generous.....ha, ha

4) I did some more painting today, mostly on the Last Judgment painting....it just gets creepier and creepier.... I remember watching my mom paint landscapes when I was a kid, and her paintings always seemed to get creepier the more she worked on them, maybe I inherited that gene

5) Tomorrow I though my 'A' students their first quarter pizza party. There's 11 students with A's all together, but I'm also inviting a couple of students that have 88's and 89's, they just have to wait until everyone else has theirs before they get some :) Even though it is a strain financially, I totally think it's worth it - the kids get so excited about it, and can get very competetive about getting that A so they're invited to the party.

So.....I'm keeping it positive today.....and, f you haven't voted....VOTE!

Oh and bicker and banter

2008-11-02T14:09:00.003-05:00

After days of back and forth with my principal about the fact that I am not a *resource* teacher, I have decided to stop and wait for the meeting after being called 'argumentative' for wanting to express my POV.

Short story:

I sent her this link: http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/esea/docs/TQ_Regulations/core_subjects.htm
to the Maryland State Department of education, PROVING that I am *indeed* a core academic subject under No Child Left Behind.

Her response: "You are not addressing MSDE right now, you are addressing me, and that is my definition of a resource".

So she pretty much admitted that she is not following state and national mandates and would rather use her own, special definition for my position as an educator. Great. I think that gets down to the very root of the problem. I'm hoping for a meeting tomorrow. I'm already revamping my resume to send out in the spring, I am so sick of this.

Don't get me wrong, I still really love my principal - she has been very supportive of my position, and has funded me to the best of her ability - she's supported me in issues that I 've had with students among other things - it's just that she doesn't seem to be supporting this problem - and this is a BIG one, and now that I'm seeing the underlying cause - I'm starting to wonder about any chance of advancement or opportunities to be a part of an 'art department'. I am really LONGING for that as a professional. I am sick of being the only art teacher. I want to be part of a 'program' that offers students a variety of subjects and the opportunity to take visual art for their entire 4 years of school - as it SHOULD be. That is still my number one reason to want to change schools. I NEED to grow as a professional, be taken seriously as a professional and watch students grow in their knowledge, skills and abilities over time, not just in one semester.

I would miss my students so terribly. I really love *most* of them, but I need to start thinking about where I want to be in the long term, and what will make me happiest as a teacher.

Crazy scary stuff

2008-10-29T21:08:00.001-04:00

So, there was a stabbing at my school yesterday. I don't want to go into too much detail, as I don't want anyone find this, reading it and misinterpreting anything - or putting my name on any 'unreleased' information - but it was very tragic. The student has a collapsed lung and is at Johns Hopkins. I've known him since he was in 9th grade (almost 4 years now), and is one of the kids who helped work on the mural. The assaliant was a kid in my second period - who showed up for the first time yesterday. Weird.

Anyway, they caught him and are charging him with a slew of things as an ADULT including attempted murder. Here's an updated article about it and video clip:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-stabbing1029,0,3775016.story

I could add a lot to this story - and eventually I will, once it's all not as 'fresh', but the student who was hurt has been going through some terrible things in his family and for this to happen to him his senior year, while he's working so hard to graduate is so sad to me.

In less dramatic, but equally emotional news (for me) - I 'got into it' with one of my admins. about the autistic inclusion situation. I informed her that I have invited the coordinator for fine arts to come and meet with the admin to discuss the situation further. She flipped out on me. I mean, REALLY flipped out on me - saying she didn't *understand* why he has to be involved or what he could add to the table and that I should just be able to 'accomodate' my lessons without having to write new ones.....ha, ha - which proves to me that she really doesn't understand my curriculum or autism - because that is NOT working. But to put the icing on the cake she refered to art as a 'resource' class.... excuse me? I am not a 'resource' - I am an art educator with a Masters in Education. Art is a CORE subject under NCLB - and is to be treated as one. Resource!? What?! I also informed her that if this cycle of no suport continues that I will not be returning next year. It's just too much, and I can't juggle it.

So, after this all-depressing post I am going to shine some rather off-topic light and share our pumkins! We carved them tongiht, which was a great stress reliever interestingly enough. Mine is 'Jack', and Micheals was supposed to be based off of the Corrosion of Conformity logo :)

And the pendulum swings...

2008-10-27T17:07:00.001-04:00

So last week was a great kid week....today, not so much. I got cursed at/out for the first time in a LONG time, I would say YEARS. All over a uniform - a vest - that is ALL the students have to wear over at my school for a uniform, they can wear it over their street clothes - a vest, that's it.

I was doing my usual 'uniform check' at the beginning of class - making sure that everyone had them on - which they didn't. I had to send one student to get one - the rest pulled them out of their purses/pockets and put them on. Well, a couple students put them *half* on - only over one arm. I decided that I would address these students individually while they worked on their drill, since there was only 3 of them. The first student I come to - I'll call her J - tells me she doesn't want to put it on all the way because she's hot and is wearing 3 shirts. Here's the "conversation" that ensued:

Me: "I can let you run to the restroom and take a couple of your shirts of if you are hot"

J: "I don't feel like doing all that"

Me: "Well, then you are choosing to leave my room - because you have to have your uniform on"

(She says nothing and continues to sit there - so I write her a pass to the office indicting that she is refusing to wear her uniform - I give her the pass)

J: " I ain't going nowhere, this is some bulls**t! So and so isn't wearing theirs all of the way either!"

Me: "I will talk with them in a moment - but right now I'm talking to you, are you refusing to leave?"

(No answer - just some more mumbling about how this is bulls**t and f**k the uniform so I call the office to have her removed from my room - after which I sit at my desk to write her a referal)

J: "F**k you, f**k your referal, this is some bulls*it........."

I didn't hear every word that she said because I was writing the referral at this point but it was a long string of cursing directed toward me and the uniform and the school all the way until the school security officer came to pick her up.

Mind you...I don't care for uniforms - but my school has instituted this as a school rule and mandatory at ALL times in the building. I have to enforce it or points start coming off of my evaluation for not enforcing school rules.

Ugh. I can't call home for help because she lives on her own - so I really hope that the school helps me to aid this situation. The girl only has a 15% in my class becuase she has terrible attendance, never makes up work or quizzes and every time she DOES come to class she does very little, has a mouth of a sailor, is loud and very annoying overall - just for some background info.

Sorry this was so long, but I feel like I have to rant about it a bit so that I can take it off my mind for the evening and do the other work I need to do.

And the pendulum swings...

2008-10-27T17:07:00.000-04:00

Oh for Creepy Paintings....

2008-10-23T19:35:00.003-04:00

Today was a really great kid day. All of my kids are really into doing their grid enlargements - some are already on their second - and a couple are even taking home extra grids and pictures so that they can do them at home! Once again,....my students rock. It's funny, but every time I start the grid enlargement project I get alot of push back from kids saying 'but I can't draw!' Once I show them how to do it - it's wonderful to see how empowered they feel and proud of their work. It reminds me of why I love my profession :)

And here's the creepy 'Last Judgement'-esque painting I'm working on for Michael. It's still in the underpainting phase right now, mind you, but it's a bit darker then my usual subject matter. And it's been awhile since I've worked with figures, but I'm learning a lot from doing it though, which is always great...

Michael wants me to make the figures more 'blurry', so we'll see what my next painting session can offer in that regard. I'm already excited about adding color - but that's a ways off.

The weekend shall be fun.....Ashton is staying at Grandmas' on Saturday night, giving Michael and I a night off to go out and actually remember that we are a couple and not just a *mom and dad*.... ha, ha.

Crazy Good, eh

2008-10-19T14:36:00.002-04:00

Wow - this has been quite the whirl wind 4 days. I'll recap day by day :)

Thursday: Visual Art Teacher Professional Development

I led mentoring sessions in the morning. It was awesome. I got to meet a lot of the new art teachers, listen to their concerns, and try to offer them solutions and avenues to find help. I will hopefully be working with them on a long-term basis to help them out. Many of them are in some difficult situations regarding classroom management, administration and even a case of sexual harrassment and they can use all the help they can get!

In the Afternoon I led my session on creating pop art portraits using the grid technique. Overall I think it went well, and hopefully they teachers can take away at least one thing that they can use in their classrooms :) I recieved positive responces from them - so hopefully that's true!

Friday: Maryland Art Education Association Conference in Annapolis

I recieved my award which was very wonderful and amazing :) A couple of the sessions that I went to were helpful and inspiring - a couple of them...not so much. But it was fun nonetheless. I was able to work on my 'Last Judgement' painting for Michaels album cover. I'm going to call it 'Curse' since that's the name of the album. It's still in the underpainting phase - I'll post a pic later - as I'm typing them from a different computer that doesn't have the pics on it.

Saturday:

Ashton time! We all went to Ikea to look for a kiddie table and chair set. This was Ashtons first time at Ikea and he went hog-wild in the childrens department. We found a really cool red table and chair set (that he has since colored all over already!)

I actually went out on a Saturday night for the first time in God knows how long. I met up with an art teacher friend of mine and her friends at a cool Tavern in Fells Point. The owner took us down stairs to see the secret 'tunnels' that connect much of the area from the 1800's. The tunnels were used for many reasons, the war of 1812, the underground railroad, trafficing during the prohibition and more. They were really creepy...but incredibly amazing!!

Today:

WAY more low key....playing with Ashton, doing some grading, some cleaning and some lesson planning....which I really should be getting back to right now while Ash is taking his nap :)

The murals are done....The murals are done!

2008-10-15T17:30:00.001-04:00

We finally finished them today! I must give props to my OUTSTANDING drawing students, who have worked diligently for 3 weeks to get these done in time for a huge national conferance coming to our school this weekend :)

Tomorrow finds me at at PD for Visual art teachers across the city. I will be facilitationing discussion groups in the morning and presenting my lesson on Pop Art portraits using the 'Posterizing' process. Friday it's off to the conference in Annapolis - Yay!

Warning - very random thoughts.

2008-10-12T11:59:00.000-04:00

Part of me should be preparing for the presentation I am going to give on Thursday at the Visual Art Professional Development, part of me should be painting - which I haven't done for a long time now, part of me is half way out the door to go to a LEAD teacher meeting which starts in an hour. None of me is feeling very motivated about any of this. I don't know if I'm just been in a rut the last couple days or what. I know that I have to pull myself out of it ASAP because I hate feeling this way. I'm not 'depressed' in the way you would typically think of the condition. I just feel a little 'lack luster' in my enthusiasm. I think this is partly because I lost my rhythm with my own painting. I am going to do a painting for Michael and his bands cover - but I'm not feeling motivated to start it. I need to just DO IT. I know I'll feel better when I do.

I have high hopes for next week though. My drawing class and I will hopefully finish our murals, I will be presenting a lesson on Pop art and posterizing photos in Photoshop to my fellow teachers, as well as doing some quality control to make sure the PD day goes as planned, I will be traveling down to Annapolis for the MAEA conference where I'll be given an award (although I am very honored, I still am in denial about, I really don't think I entirely deserve it!), my paperwork will be filed with the court, so I can finally start to put this financial fiasco to the back of my mind, and I HOPE to receive my Donors choose materials so that I can begin the project and put together my 'thank you package' for my donors.

It will be a very busy and productive week *one can only hope*

For my artsy friends....

2008-10-10T21:34:00.000-04:00

This probably isn't amusing to anyone unless you've studied art and art history. I found it rather amusing :

Murals!

2008-10-09T18:22:00.009-04:00

I finally remembered to take pictures today! I will post new ones next week when we're *hopefully* done!

Here are the 'master plans' for both of them. The bigger one is for ETU (The Entrepreneurship Training University) hence the theme of 'Education' and the little business man on top of books. The smaller one is for 'Street Soldiers', a program based on de-programming students from a life of violence and keeping them *Alive and Free* - Check out their website - http://www.street-soldiers.org/programs.htm

The students were the sole source of material/subject matter/ideas. I helped draw a couple of things in the original 'mock ups' that they were stuggling with (mostly for time reasons) but the students entirely drew the murals onto the wall themselves using a grid system. They rock!!!

Randomness

2008-10-08T20:08:00.000-04:00

I am just getting more and more new students every day! 6 weeks into the school year. I don't mind the numbers, my classes are still relatively small. It's just a pain trying to aquaint new students to my syllabus, rules, procedures and assignment expectations while at the same time trying to manage the needs of the rest of the class (and the PAL kids in 2nd period). Sometimes it's a little overwhelming. Good thing that I'm halfway decent at multi-tasking.

It's been almost two weeks since I've been able to do my own painting, which makes me really, really sad. I did varnish and frame my Vermeer copy and hung it in the dining room. I know it's kind of a crappy picture...

In one more random tidbit, every morning when my son wakes up the FIRST thing he does is draw - he acts like he HAS to do it. If that's not an artists' son, I don't know what is :)

Award!

2008-10-03T20:31:00.001-04:00

I don't know if I entirely deserve it, but I have been selected to recieve the 'New High School Art Teacher of the Year' award for Baltimore City! I really can't believe it! I feel so honored I can't even express myself. The MAEA (Maryland Art Education Association) annual conference is in two weeks and I will recieve my award there. Yay!

I didn't do any of my own work tonight at School 33 - but I learned how to make sock monkeys, which was AWESOME! Next month for First Friday I'm hoping to get a plate together and utilize the press to do some printmaking. I haven't had a chance to do it for over 6 or 7 years now and I was part of my major and I really miss it.

And, well, things got a bit crazy (busy) at school the last couple days, and I totally forgot to take pics of the mural - but I will next week! I've had an influx of 'new students'. Well, they are actually 'old' students who were dropped off role in recent years for terrible attendance, but because of a new initative by the schools CEO (to curb the terrible drop out rate, that's around 60%) they are all being added back to the role books. It's alot of work to get new students aquainted to the course 6 weeks into it.

Inauguration What?

2008-10-01T19:47:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow the Seniors have their Inauguration. When I first started teaching in Baltimore going on 6 years ago....I remember thinking......What IS an 'inaugruation' exactly? I don't remember ever having one at my high school back in Oregon or at the school I student taught at in Portland. As I later found out, an 'inauguration' is a special day for the seniors to publicly annouce that they are now seniors. They have an assembly, make a pledge and then all go out to eat. Weird.

Well, it is a very strong tradition here in Baltimore. Part of my thinks that the kids do deserve to celebrate the fact that they've made it to the 12th grade - so many of their classmates that started with them in 9th grade don't ever make it to their senior year. But on the flipside- the students always have a terrible case of senioritous. The dillusion that they are now 'done', and can skip class/school, walk the halls and not take their studies seriously. I know this happens all across the country - but to a lesser extent.

Almost all of my senior students were absent today. Most with the excuse that they 'have to get their hair done' for inaugruation. And the administration supports this as a valid excuse. What? Like they can't get appointments anywhere after school? I don't get it. I know that being African- American that it takes a bit longer to get the hairstyle that they want, it's not as simple as a 'cut and color', but come on.

Okay....happy thought now. The mural that my drawing class is doing is finally getting a little color. I think we'll be working on it for a couple weeks to make it really nice. Perhaps I'll take and post some pictures tomorrow :) Kids from all over the school (mostly hallwalkers) are already admiring them, and stopping in the hall to ask us all sorts of questions, and if they can 'help'. Our kids are so starved for art. I really wish they had more opportunities to do it. Not just one semester for their entire 4 year career in high school. That's not enough.

2008-09-28T15:14:00.002-04:00

Thank you for all of your well-wishes about Ash. He is doing MUCH better now. His cold is almost gone and he seems to be back to his 'chipper' self! Running around and climbing just about everything our house has to offer. Oh the life of a one year old.

I just finished grading massive amounts of work and filling out bubble sheets for students' progress reports. I would say that overall I have about 30% of my classes failing - which actually isn't too bad - usually it's over 50% at progress reports. All failing students are failing because of poor attendance along with no make-up work being turned in. But, on the other hand, I also have a large number of students doing exceptionally well with their attendance and classwork. I always have a pizza party for students that have over a 90% at the end of the each quarter. It looks like I may have to order more pizza's then usual! But, of course, I don't mind :)

the PAL kids have done so much better doing 2-point perspective then I thought - which has raised my morale a little bit. I still need help - and it's still overwhelming, and no one has helped me, but I am feeling a little less freaked out by it all. Of course, they are finished 3 days earlier then the rest of the class(es) so now I have to scramble to find another activity for them....oh well.

And, in the painting world....I worked a little on my larger 'bird' painting on Friday - I'm starting to not like it all that much. I hope that with more work I'll turn it back around. Michael wants me to paint something for The Drowning Seasons' next album cover. He thinks something correlating to 'The Last Judgement' would be cool. I like the challenge. I've already found 10 different versions of the Last Judgement painted by various artists and I think that I'll take elements of each and combine them to make one of my own. With all of the detail involved I know it will take awhile - but I think it will be a great learning experiance :)

Of course, Bosch's version of The Last Judgement will always be the best!

What really matters.

2008-09-24T19:44:00.002-04:00

It's amazing that when something happens with your child - all the other stresses in your life disappear. Today I received a call at school from Ashton's daycare provider. He was miserable and having trouble breathing - wheezing worse then she had ever seen before. Well, after a trip to the doctor (who sent us to the ER) and 5 hours in the ER...Ashton officially has the diagnosis of Asthma. Triggered by the cold that he has. I can't even express how scared I was when I picked him up and saw his little chest heaving with every breath. He is okay now - currently sleeping soundly - but I am hoping tonight he will sleep through the night peacefully and not wake up gasping for air. All I want in the world is for Ashton to be healthy and happy.

And in other sad news, a student from my school was shot and killed last night. I didn't know him personally, but I am still so saddened and disturbed none the less. Only 15 years old. Standing on a porch in front of a house with his friends - 3 blocks away from his own home, according to the article. My thoughts are with his family. I am scared for my students every single day. I hope that they know how much I really care about them. Sometimes when I dismiss a class and say 'see everyone tomorrow!' I have a split second thought of 'I hope' afterward

As I stated previously, I must write at least one positive thing when my post is mostly negative. So here it is: My mom and my little sister (and Amber's dad) are coming to visit for Ashtons second birthday/Thanksgiving! I haven't seen her or my little sis for almost two years and miss them sooooo much! It's always fun to do the 'tour guide' thing too around Baltimore. I really do still love Baltimore, but I feel like the longer I'm here, the more bittersweet that love seems to be.

The Inclusion Exclusion

2008-09-22T19:28:00.002-04:00

So the battle still goes on. After a short meeting with a different administrator today, I am still in the dark about what to do with my autistic kids. I was told that I should 'differentiate' my instruction, and work with flexible grouping. Great. I know how this works with other disciplines - but I have never seen it done (or heard of it being done successfully) with art. The kids are starting 2-point perspective tomorrow and I can already forsee the result. Random lines all over the paper and me spending 45 minutes of class trying to show the PAL students how to correctly use a ruler and not rush ahead of my demonstration....NOT teaching my curriculum. That's the bottom line. This is not benefiting anyone.

I actually lost it and got myself so frustrated during the conversation that I actually started crying. This was rather embarrasing...but I really can't help it when I am so overwhelmed and frustrated. Before I was just mad. But it is beyond that now.

I had two students in my classroom working on artwork (this was after school). They saw me lose it, and when the admin. walked away...they asked "Mrs.M do you want us to take care of this for you?!" and they proceeded to storm out the door taking off their earrings and shoes pretending like they were going to fight the admin. It was really sweet and funny and made me laugh....I love my kids :)

On the happier side, my drawing students and I will be starting a mural over by the ETU program. ETU (Entrepreneur Training University) is an after school program that teaches students about business management. Students learn to create products and actually sell them - the kids love it and it teaches them many good lessons they can use in the future - so I'm excited to do a mural for them. My students seem excited about it too :)

I'm going to *try* to always write a positive with the negative - it makes me feel better

Scary

2008-09-20T14:38:00.003-04:00

I know that originally this blog was to be dedicated to art and teaching....I must diverge for a second into the policital realm. A conservative member of my family forwarded this email to me and it really does scare me. Does it scare anyone else? Or is it just me?

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Subject: Sarah Palin: A modern day Esther

Sarah Palin Video: Speaking at her ChurchHere is a video of Sarah Palin speaking in the Assembly of God church where she grew up. She is a spirit filled Christian and this video is really prophetic when listening to it in hindsight of where she is today. You can clearly see the hand of God. It sounds as though this video took place within the last year. It is 14 minutes long.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1766638341

Please pray for Sarah Palin's 'destiny' in how it is to unfold within the USA right now.Lord in the Name of Jesus, we bless Sarah Palin and ask that You will protect she and her loved ones for such a time as this. We bind and break off any demonic assignment against her and loose to her 7 fold blessings in replacement. We cover her in the blood of Jesus Christ. We loose the angels of God to go with her and carry her into her destiny created before she was born. Thank You Lord for Your hidden servants and all that You do to raise them up. Thank You Lord that she honors You with her life. Now we ask that You will honor her, in a job well done. Open the double doors and release her into Your chosen destiny in Jesus Name we pray, amen.

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Oh my god.... this really does lend truth to those bumper stickers: "Please god, save me from your followers". Scary.

Musing of the day

2008-09-18T21:25:00.003-04:00

In 5th period I have quite a few 'repeaters'. All of them failed because of poor attendance. They all had my first period last year and couldn't get to school on time. I really love all of them and have gotten to know them very well. They are doing to great this year - most of them with B's or even A's! Here is my random musing....

Scene: Students are in class diligently working on their projects. The crazy 9th graders in the class across the hall walk by and stare into the room (as always). Today they say "Damn! Y'all KEEP up doin' art in there!" Said in a sort of negative way (Background: many kids get made fun of if they actually care about doing school work or behave well in general, aka. *acting white*)

One of my students' responses:

"Yeah, well you just wish you were in here doin' somethin' fun. "

Another: "At least we're getting OUR education"

And another: "And when you DO have this class you BETTER do good or you'll have it again and again!"

I thought that was great. At the end of class every day I ask them to clean up - they always ask me if they can stay. They say "I wish we could have art ALL day!" It makes my heart warm up just thinking about it. Many of these words are coming from a girl that just 3 weeks ago walked into my room with a nasty attitude saying "I don't even LIKE art!!! Why do I have to be in here?!" Ha, ha.....I got her.

2008-09-17T19:46:00.002-04:00

The plight continues....the PAL meeting never actually happened. What did happen was a 5 minute 'discussison' in which I talked about this situation being pretty much impossible to deal with as an educator, and my administrator telling me that it is 'mandatory' and there are 'ways' I can accomodate every one of them. Ha, ha. I'd like to see her do it. The dance teacher called the Union today, and is expecting a call back. She doesn't believe that we should have to do this as part of our contract. Hopefully I'll hear good news back from her tomarrow. It's sad, but this situation is making me want to start filling out my applications now for the county for the next school year. Errrrrr......

Parent night was tonight. I saw no parents. None. It's so sad to me. Where are the kids' parents?! I can understand that *some* have to work - but ALL 700 sets of parents? I strongly doubt it. Sometimes I feel like the parents in the community feel that once their kids are in high school that 'they are on their own' or 'they can handle it'. This couldn't be farther from the truth. If anything they need MORE support to deal with the new *adult* issues that they have to confront on a daily basis. Our school even brought in the local radio station to DJ and give away door prizes. We offered food. Noone. Or next to noone. The parents that were there are of the A students - not the ones that it is the most important to speak with. Theres a testimony for parent involvement = positive. Again.....errrrr.

I hope that tommorrow I have more positive things to say. I'm so drained right now.

2008-09-15T17:30:00.007-04:00

So I actually DID get some painting in! I put a second under painting layer (emphasizing darks and lights) on the new painting:

I also put some finishing touches on this one - just need to let it dry and varnish it! When it's completely varnished and finished I'll definitely take better pictures!

Things are still crazy with school. I now have 15 autistic kids from the autism program in my second period - which has been very frustrating. I still have a 'regular class' and I am teaching my 'regular curriculum' but most of the PAL kids (Program for Autistic-Like Youth) do not understand and do not participate. They rush through assignments, not following directions, and do not understand most directions. I totally don't mind teaching them - it's just that I do not have the extra time or energy to teach two separate classes in the same period! Ahhhh! they are also putting the PAL kids in Dance and Music - and we are all having similar issues. I feel like when the admin decided to mainstream the kids in 'regular classes' they chose the arts because they felt they were 'idiot subjects' - that 'anyone' could do that. This is b*llshit. I have worked to create a rigorous curriculum that is based on KNOWLEDGE of art and artistic principles - it's not just *making stuff*!!!!

Something needs to change - hopefully the dance teacher and I can meet with our principal tomorrow to discuss the issue. It is causing way too much stress that I entirely don't need right now.

I feel like I should start another painting tonight...just to forget about it for awhile. But I should probably keep lesson planning.

2008-09-11T21:07:00.003-04:00

Well, the board meeting was awesome. Two of my students came and were congratulated for their artwork with a certificate and free passes to the American Visonary Art Museum - which is awesome...for those of you that haven't been there or heard of it..... check it out!! http://www.avam.org/

Some of you know the financial mess that I've been dealing with for awhile now - and I have taken it into the 'legal' arena. I don't want to get too specific - I guess I feel a little uncomfortable putting it ALL out there - but in a few short words......IT SUCKS. Combing through every last penny that is spent, every last penny that is earned...and every last penny we don't have is making me want to rip my hair out, piece by piece by piece. I can't wait until it's all said and done and I don't get the headaches that I receive every time I even think about it. Uggg.

So, this weekend will be jam packed with my financial mess, grading, lesson writing, mother-in-law visiting (hence lots of cleaning) and who knows what else. I probably won't get the chance to paint :(

But in good news.....My fellow LEAD art teachers for the city have set up a date called 'First Fridays' at School 33 (a local art gallery and educational venue) where Baltimore City Art teachers can get together to paint for a couple hours once a month! Which is awesome. I'd love to go. This addresses the issue a lot of art teachers face, including me..... "I have forgotten who I am as an artist!!"

Word

2008-09-07T20:04:00.002-04:00

I just found out that three of my students will have their work featured in a Baltimore City Public Schools publication - and are invited to the BCPSS board meeting Tuesday to receive a certificate and get props from the City Schools CEO! Yay! I'm going to try to get them to go - even if it means that I am picking them up and taking them myself. Very, very awesome :)

The works are some that we did last year as part of a Black History Month display. They are pop-art style portraits of famous African Americans through history.

I don't think I mentioned it in a previous post - but my project on Donorschoose was funded! Donorschoose is currently awaiting checks to be mailed in from the donors. I'm so excited for the kids! Now I just have decide what projects they will do :) I will probably try to post another proposal soon - getting oil painting supplies - which we have none of. I think that trying oil paint - as opposed to Tempera will open up a whole new world of possibilities for students

Painting actually DID occur

2008-09-06T14:24:00.006-04:00

Wow - I did paint a little - for the first time in a couple weeks. I feel much, much better now. I even started a new larger painting today. I had a spare piece of canvas I figured I would use. I typically only paint on masonite or wood - but I've been staring at this canvas for awhile now - I think it really WANTED me to paint it....ha, ha.

Well, as I promised here's some updated pics:

Here is an update on 'Free Ride'. It's finally starting to get some color!

And here's the new, bigger *canvas* painting..... in it's first underlayer

I'll be adding a little mini-forest on the cliff and changing some of the values in the clouds and water so that they receed more into the background. I like it though so far. I contemplated a rope tied around the pheonix.....I know that it needs 'something'..... hopefully I'll have a chance to paint again soon :)

Tomarrow is devoted to school stuff as always...

Now back to Ms. tropical storm Hanna, which thank god is mostly just Lots and Lots of rain.

2008-09-04T20:04:00.011-04:00

Although the house painting last weekend was successful - my own painting was not :( But, I am already committing myself to paint tomorrow night since I can afford to stay up a little later... god, I feel so old sometimes

Here's a couple pics of the new room colors - I really like the warmness of them. We've painted these rooms three times now in less then 4 years. When we bought the house EVERYTHING was white. So, we painted a red dining room, and a peach living room with a dark purple accent wall. Then we were trying to sell the house so we painted everything a very bland, neutral color - we rather hated, but knew would be better for resale. Now that we've decided to stay in Baltimore for a while longer.....ta-da!.....new colors! We're happy again. It's amazing how a little color thrown up on a wall can change your entire mood

School update..... things are still going very well. The kids have been *mostly* fantastic. I know for a fact that things could be quite worse. Even the 'reading' class hasn't even been that bad. The kids actually don't mind it at all surprisingly.

I am super-excited about my project on Donorschoose.com being almost funded! I haven't been able to afford to buy clay for my students in over 3 years - and I really think it's an important part of their art experience - especially since most of them will not have art ever again. I'm crossing my fingers..... $67 to go! Anyone who hasn't been to this site - it is awesome. It's a way for teachers to ask for supplies and literally anyone in the world can help them out if they choose to do so.

Here's the link:

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=150612

Well, I WILL accomplish my goal of painting damnitt. It's been WAYYYYYYYY too long - and I can feel it. Pictures are forthcoming....

First week accomplished

2008-08-30T19:17:00.002-04:00

I have successfully survived the first week of school. And I must say it went relatively well! The kids are fantastic (so far - this IS the honeymoon period), my classes are small and my Drawing 1 class is amazing - always giving me a reason to look forward to last period. I recieved an LCD projector - which makes me very, very happy! I haven't been able to do any painting though :( , but the first few weeks of school are always to busy. I'm hoping to get a couple hours in this weekend.

Ashton is at his grandpa and grandma's on the eastern shore until Monday so Michael and I are finishing up a few projects around the house. Mostly painting. When we were putting our house on the market we painted over all of our fun colored walls with a very bland 'neutral' color. So now we want to paint it back!

If I do some painting - I'll be posting new pics!

My report: 90% pleasent!

2008-08-25T19:54:00.004-04:00

The first day with the kids back went relatively well. My classes are TINY and only half of them showed up - meaning I averaged about 5 students per class! I know I asked for small classes...but damn! Not that I'm complaining :)

Everything was going really well...until my principal came to me with 30 minutes left in the day (during my class) to ask me to make a banner for TOMORROW because the Baltimore City Public Schools' CEO is coming tomorrow. Ahhhh! I had so much to do - and was very tempted to say no. But, I figure that doing stuff like this always seems to be payed back in favors later on - so I did it. Frantically. After school. Michael was awesome and picked up Ashton for me so I could stay and get the work done. :)

The only other moderately crappy thing was that because of an extended homeroom my one and only planning period was cut to 30 minutes. And probably will be tomorrow also. with so much to do, this is very, very frustrating.

The kids were great though - yay! Of course, I've only met half of them - but I have high hopes. Considering that the dance teacher wrote 7 referrals to the office before lunch - I am counting my blessings. My Fundamentals of Art students seemed very interested in talking about art during our class disscussion, and my drawing students seem very motivated to learn and practice.

Now off to do some more work that I didn't get done....

Deeeeeeeeep breaths......

2008-08-24T21:04:00.002-04:00

The kids are coming....the kids are coming...... I hope my post tomorrow finds me exuberant about how wonderful they were....one can only hope :)

Whirlwind!

2008-08-22T19:50:00.004-04:00

Wow - this has been a crazy few days! Some of the kinks from my previous post has been sorted out. I do have a planning period now - yay! I got my tentative class lists and my classes are rather small. I do have a bunch of students that failed me last year repeating - but that's nothing new. I even have one kid again that has failed my class 3 times - 3 years in a row giving it another go. Ha, ha. He's actually a great student when he's IN class - that's the problem....he only shows up very sporadically... we'll see...

My room is ready to go, but now I have to actually do the planning and write the lessons for next week. Easier said then done. There's a ton of new things that the admin. wants us to include in our lessons so I virtually have to rewrite them. Fun, fun, fun.

Needless to say I don't know if I'll have a chance to do any painting this weekend, but I feel like I really NEED to do that too. I'm going to try to find at least a couple hours to sneak away. :)

Oh, and on top of everything I need to call and set up an appointment for the next session of the part-time job that I am applying for. Teaching English to Korean students via the Internet! I'd be using a web cam and a microphone and a special program to do it. I think it would be really amazing actually - but I hope I can handle the extra planning work involved. It's only a few hours a week and only a couple classes. The last part of the hiring process (there have been like 5 parts!) is to teach a mini-lesson using the equipment. I have to figure out what I'm teaching and give it a go! I'm very nervous about it - I've never taught English before! Wish me luck....

I am too young to be Disillusioned?

2008-08-19T19:43:00.004-04:00

Today was the first faculty meeting. I must say that driving to it I was excited. I wanted to know what the new year had in store, what plans and programs that were to be implemented, what the daily schedule would look like. But I left the session feeling more stressed out and frustrated then happy. I'm going to vent in a list format:

1. All teachers will have to teach a 35 minute reading course - regardless of your content area.
Yes, we need some sort of literacy intervention at our school - many students can't read
or read on an elementary level - but, I'm sorry, I have 60K in students loans and a Masters degree to teach ART, not reading. This course will also not be graded - so I know the kids aren't going to care or pay attention no matter how many times I tell them that basic literacy is the foundation that sets up the rest of their lives. ugh.

2. I apparently have no planning periods. I need to speak with our scheduler about this, because it's rather illegal actually.

3. We are starting AP and honors classes at our school for the first time ever. This is a good thing....well I thought so at first. Until I found out that 'anyone' could take an honors class as long as they want to. There is really no criteria for getting into one - which I think defeats the purpose of an AP or honors course.

Okay, I could go on and on, but those are the things that really bugged me today. But there were some wonderful things too...

1. We have a dance teacher!! For the first time in 5 years I will not be the only 'arts' teacher. There is now a music and a dance teacher. I think this opportunity is invaluable for students.

2. I do have a drawing class on my schedule. I love the chance to teach students how to improve their skills with drawing - at times I get very tired of always teaching 'Fundamentals of Art'. I just hope that I get to approve students before they are added to my roll.

3. Classes are 60 minutes! Yay! For 4 or my 5 years they have been 90 minutes, which I believe is way too long for students to sit in any class, and one year they were 45 minutes, which was way too short of a time period to really do anything. I'm hoping 60 minutes will be a happy medium.

So, it's a sort of mixed bag. Tomorrow is another day. Every year is a new adventure...but I'm telling you - the county is looking better and better....

My last marathon...

2008-08-18T13:48:00.006-04:00

Okay, that's sad, but it most likely was my last 4 hour stretch of painting without interruption - at least for awhile. I've been playing around and learning about layering and glazing with oil paint, and have found my love of painting springing back to life after an almost 5 year break. I'm getting excited about my work again. Yay! Here's what I've been working on:

This one is my first real attempt and is still not totally finished. I'm about 5 layers in now. I'm really enjoying the 'soft' effect that can be achieved through glazing. My older work tended to be very hard-edge and almost cartoon-like. I think that this new technique fits my style a little more...and my love for blending!

This is a new one - still in the under painting phase. I am tentatively calling it 'Free Ride'. I know the picture is a bit small, but these are a litter of opossums on a bunny-lion. I guess you could say that I'm somewhat of a Surrealist in the sense that I like to follow my subconscious when coming up with ideas. I just start painting, and see where it takes me :)

This is another new one - also in the EXTREME under painting phase. This one was entirely composed randomly. I usually do not assign a 'meaning' to my pieces until they are finished, and even then, it is a personal meaning. I'm thinking about 'Fire Flies' as a title for this one. Ha, ha....my titles are starting to become rather clever, eh?

Well, tomorrow will find me at some caterers' place for the first meeting with staff for the school year. I'm sure we'll eat well! As I am going to try to write more often - I'll probably be back soon....

And theres always the first

2008-08-18T09:05:00.003-04:00

I hope to use this blog as a way to gather my thoughts about anything and everything. I'm afraid it will be rather random at times - as this is how my brain tends to work.

I start back to school tomarrow. My sixth year teaching. Damn am I starting to feel old now. I feel like I graduated from college yesterday. It's *teacher week* so it will be mostly meetings and room prep...aka....boring. The kids come back next week, and I really hope that my year goes as well as last year. I have high hopes. I always do. I really love teaching. I love the challenge of showing students another way of looking at things, and watching them learn to challenge themselves and their own creativity - something many of them have rarely done.

So today is my last day of freedom. I am off to paint! I may not have another chance for awhile. Perhaps I'll come back and even post some pictures of my progress :)

Art, Education and The Endless Pursuit

the Horizon

Long Time Coming

One month in...

Walking Flash Backs

Summer School

A week of painting on the wall

Winding Down

It's that time of year...

Confrontations, Paintings, and new URL's...oh my!

Hopes dashed - a bit

Standards anyone?.......ANYONE?

Big sighs of relief....

Here we go...

Parking, anyone?.......ANYONE?

The case of the missing fish....

Decisions, Decisions

Busy, busy, busy

My students can rock that grid!

*Tricking* students into challenging themselves

Weighing the options...

#1 - State Champs

Cuts.

Out of Order!

Delinquent Ticket Update #2

Basketball and parking tickets

WHAT?!

A post that has nothing to do with school.....nothing!

Snow Day!

Nerve Racking

High School Identity Theft?

A note to the positive...

Throwing Things

Kids and Fishies

New Underpainting

My Goal in Life.....

Grades and Headaches

Update on yesterdays situation...

Wow - seriously?

Accomplished

Inaugurations and Procrastinations

A little disturbing...

Its Bas-Qui-at...NOT Bisquick!

Sign of the Times

Being Tall

The countdown is official!

I must be wicked, 'cause there IS no rest

Memory

Some more randomness

These are the days

It's raining men!

Being observed

Leaves.

Who knew that you could be *happy* with long lines...

Oh and bicker and banter

Crazy scary stuff

And the pendulum swings...

And the pendulum swings...

Oh for Creepy Paintings....

Crazy Good, eh

The murals are done....The murals are done!

Warning - very random thoughts.

For my artsy friends....

Murals!

Randomness

Award!

Inauguration What?

What really matters.

The Inclusion Exclusion

Scary

Musing of the day

Word

Painting actually DID occur

First week accomplished

My report: 90% pleasent!

Deeeeeeeeep breaths......

Whirlwind!

I am too young to be Disillusioned?

My last marathon...

And theres always the first

Tricking students into challenging themselves

Who knew that you could be happy with long lines...