Tips and Tricks...

Advice to new art teacher...be prepared, well organized and have great lesson plans ready to go. Then realized that no matter how prepared, well organized and ready to go you are something will always go wrong... and that's okay, just roll with it and be kind to yourself in those times. It will all work out in the end.

Trying Out Different Salts for Watercolor Resists Painting...

We wanted to see what kind of salt and paper worked best for our 2nd grade watercolor resists Kimono paintings.

I made a joke about Salt n Pepa but of course my 2nd graders did not get it. 

So here is our experiment. 

Pre-test..we used Mediterranean sea, Kosher Salt, San Francisco and table salt.

First we tried it on 90# white Pacon paper

Then we tried it on Watercolor paper

The San Francisco Sea Salt seem to work best.

Kimono lesson plan HERE

Fine Arts Night...

At our Fine Arts Night I put up a poster with 4x4 inch blocks, I asked people "What do the arts mean to you". Everyone filled in the boxes with their ideas of what art should be.

Tips and Tricks-Strange Printing Tools...

Dish scrubber!

Tips and Tricks- For Cutting Clay...

Use a cheese slicer to cut even slabs of clay. I got mine at Target. The bar is adjustable so you can cut different size slabs.

Tips and Tricks-Use a Brayer to...

When using liquid glue or glue sticks, turn the paper over and use a brayer to even out the glue.

My Art Room...Tips and Tricks...

Though I claim to be a neat, organized freak.....it is not always the case!

Right before and after a show, a week before spring break and my college finals...there is always that one corner of the room that explodes. I just pretend I can't see it until I cant take it anymore!

So just relax and realize it will happen no matter how hard you try. Just don't get use to it and allow it to take over your room and your life.  A few days is fine even a couple of weeks if you are under pressure but don't allow it to consume your room.

Tips and Tricks...GLUE STICKS!

I was this on Pinterest and I would like to tell you who posted it but I could not find the source when I went back to find it. But OMG it has changed the amount of glue sticks we go through. It has also ended the crazy amount of sticks that wind up all over the room in random and strange places. 

The caps are glued down to a board and you just change out sticks when ever you need a new one. There was a learning curve for the kids on how to use and store the trays be it has be come a way of life now. 

If you do not use the glue stick tray system then make sure you keep a 

zip lock bag for all the glue sticks without tops. For some reason students can never seem to find the tops to their glue sticks. It's like that one sock that always vanishes in the dryer. They just disappear! Just have kids  put the ones without tops in a  plastic bag!

This will keep the sticks useful until a top shows up...

Tips and Tricks-Clay Tools...

Did you know you can sharpen your wooden clay drawing tools with the pencil sharpener to keep them pointy?...

Well you can!

Art Room Organization...

My classes come back to back with no breaks so I keep everything I will need in these boxes. This way I can just grab and go. 

Stubborn Glue...

 Keep some extra glue tops soaking in veggie oil. The veggie oil helps keep the glue from clogging as fast. When one does clog just switch it out for a new top from the veggie oil. Wash out the clogged one and drop it in the veggie oil for next time. Also assign a "glue wrangler" this persons job is to make sure all the glue tops are cleaned and shut. 

Classroom Procedures Flowchart...

At a staff meeting we were all asked to create a classroom procedures flowchart. At first I went "yuck, more work" but then I realized this is the greatest thing ever!!!

It is simple and easy to make...I used Power Point because that is what I was in at the moment. Fell free to download it for idea inspiration.

I had them laminated, one for each table. If someone is not sure what to do next the manager of that table will hand them a flowchart. It has changed my world!

Tips and Tricks in the Art Room...

Save your old Tempera bottles to mix up other colors in. Any good squeeze bottle will work.