HeyArtTeacher1: July 2016

I don't know about you, but April, May and June were a super hectic time for me this year! Of course there are the "normal" art teacher things, like art shows.

That's the time of year when all of my students (500+) get to choose 4 pieces of artwork each to hang in the hallways. And now for a little math.... over 500 students * 4 artworks = 2000 pieces BUT each piece has (at least ) 4 pieces of tape or sticky tack on the back which is over 8000 pieces of tape/sticky tack! Don't forget what goes up must come down AND get re-filed into each student's portfolio to take home. Yes it's a lot of work! Students and parents help with the actual labor, and classroom teachers help me remember who-due to an absence-still has to choose their artwork. It is also the best time of the year! All of that creativity hung up at once makes the school look AMAZING!

I have heard of some art teachers who (gasp) don't have a show! They say that it is too much work, too time consuming, and too little "reward". I beg to differ! The pride on the faces of your students as they admire not only their work, but also the work of others is fantastic! Also it is a chance for other teachers in the building to see a creative side of their students that they might not know about. I can't tell you how many times I've had a colleague say to me "I was looking at so&so's artwork and I just cannot believe how talented he/she is! I never would have known about this side of them!"

Once the art show is over it is time for the Student's Choice Award each of my students grade 3,4 & 5 is allowed to choose one piece of their work to display. We have 3 different awards, one for each grade level. The students (and staff) vote and I award the top 10 for each grade level a certificate and the top 3 receive either a bronze, silver or gold medal.

Then of course there is the rush to make sure that each student has all of their artwork in their portfolio to take home at the end of the year. Each grade level does 10 or more projects, kindergarten does about 25, so that multiplied by over 500 students is a lot to keep track of.

The hidden benefit to storing their artwork all year and then sending it home leaves me with an empty cabinet. That translates into the perfect spot to stash all of your stuff that has to be put away for summer cleaning!

Somewhere in there we had our last early release day of the year. Some teachers have to go to PLC and a select few of us get to hang out with the kids for four and a half hours!

This year with a graduating senior the spring was especially hectic! Since she is a dancer there was of course recitals and competitions.

Mine is the one in gray, seven performances with up to 14 numbers each!

Of course there was prom.

And commencement.

And then summer activities start-for me that is supervising the gym 2 nights a week for a summer basketball league. I don't have pictures of that, me taking out the trash isn't very exciting!

And of course summer school! For the month of June our after-school program becomes the summer school program. We try to find a happy medium of academic and enrichment activities for the kids. Here are just a few of the highlights.