Botswana Coil Baskets

8th grade students learned about the Botswana coil basket making tradition and then created their own basket with pre-wrapped paper core and yarn. Students were able to incorporate a design for extra credit. My favorite part of this lesson was having students push the tables to the edge of the classroom and rearrange their chairs in a circle in the center of the room. With this age group being as social as they are it was a nice change to have one large conversation rather than having six going on at one time. I was nervous initially promoting socialization but it turned out to be rather nice and the students were very productive. I should mention however that my class sizes range from 22-15 students and a class of 35 my become overwhelming. Having two circles may be a better option.  

Oaxacan Wood Sculptures

Last month I started a long-term substitute teaching position at North Lakes Academy in Forest Lake, MN. I have been having a blast with this amazing opportunity but have unfortunately have been unable to post in a long time. Above I have posted some photographs of sculptures the 6th graders were working on the first couple weeks I was here. When I arrived they where in the process of gluing the wooded shapes together with wood glue. I awkwardly finished out the lesson mispronouncing "Oaxacan" the whole way through, haha. I thought the sculptures turned out nicely painted and patterned. Very bright and fun, however I wish there was an alternative to the wood glue. It takes so long to dry that the students could only glue one or two pieces on a class period. Made for a lot of misused class time! Any alternative suggestions?

Stained Glass Paintings

See directions at one of my earlier postings here

Funny YouTube Videos... Motivational Tool?

The world of YouTube is filled with information coming from all different sources. I use videos all the time to supplement lessons, but what about the use of videos for a different purpose, in my case, the addition of humor into a classroom. I used one video in particular as a motivation for my middle schoolers to complete a project nearing the end of the quarter, and as a wake up call first hour (7:30 am) to my sleepy high schoolers. I find these videos hilarious and even though it doesn't supplement the classroom material I enjoy their addition into my classroom. I welcome a funny viral video any day, as long as I can use it to my advantage... (insert mischievous teacher laugh here). Please enjoy my go-to motivational tool here.

Waiting for Superman

Now that my student teaching is complete I have more time on my hands. With this time one day I was loading up my Netfilx queue and ran across this documentary. Watched it last night and was truly moved. The documentary focuses on the failing public school system, specifically in urban communities, and the alternative options parents and students have to bypass these public schools in their neighborhoods. If anyone has seen this documentary or decides to watch it within the next couple weeks please let me know your thoughts, reactions, and opinions.

Minnesota Original: An Art Television Series

This television show has become one of my favorites! Its a new series presented by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) called Minnesota Original. The show highlights local artists, writers, actors, and musicians of Minnesota very much like Art:21 (the PBS series) highlights internationally known contemporary artists. I use this website as a resource for brainstorming new and innovative lessons. If a lesson is inspired by an artist then I have a great video resource to show my students as motivation for a project. If you miss an episode, or you don't live in Minnesota, the website has all the artists videos posted and categorized by medium. Hope you find this inspiring! Enjoy!

Coil Built Slab Boxes (7th Grade)

Students built a set of four 3"x6" slabs with a combination of coils, dots, swirls, and lines flat on the table  top and then erected them like that walls of a house to put their box together. The students were fairly successful but I scheduled this project one week before winter break and the time crunch had a negative effect on the craftsmanship of many of the boxes. Over all a very fun project.