Masks with 5th Grade

There are so many different ways to create a mask in your classroom, but this project is among one of my favorites.  I enjoy it because students have freedom to choose their own designs.  This particular project is known throughout my school and students look forward to reaching 5th grade so they can finally create their own!  I've heard more than once on the first day of class, "We're making masks this year, right???"

I've adapted this project many times over the years due to the spaces I've worked in and the student climate.  Recently, I've been using pre-made pulp masks to save on time (this project can take quite a few weeks depending on how challenging you create the lesson).

Although this particular project was made with pre-made masks, I've also created this project with plaster wraps and mask molds.  It's another step your student can take in making their masks from scratch if you have the time.

Materials

-Mask examples (printed out)
-Mask template
-Pencils
-Black tracing markers
-Color markers
-Scissors
-Glue
-9 x 12 colored frame paper
-pulp paper mache masks (found in Nasco or Triarco)
-Paintbrushes
-Cups for water
-Tempura paint
-Paper towels
-Accessories (beads, gems, feathers, cord, etc.)
-Glitter pens (your choice)
-Hot glue gun (your choice, depending on the classes you teach)

Objectives

From learning about the uses of masks and designs from many cultures, students will create their own mask design.  Students are to develop an idea on a mask template by drawing and coloring in their own designs.  From that idea, students re-draw their design on the mask form, then apply tempura paint to their masks.  Accessories can be adding at the end of the unit.

Procedures

This unit lesson takes approximately 5-6 weeks to complete.  Each class period was approx. 40 minutes in length, meeting once a week.

Day 1: I share a Powerpoint I created of many masks from different cultures to help inspire students for their designs.  Afterwards, I begin the demonstration by showing what materials are available for creating the mask drawing over the template.  Students are encouraged to decide on their own design, and to help students who can't think of ideas, I provide a folder of different mask images to help spark the light bulbs in their heads.

(Please note:  I do not know how to share a pre-made Powerpoint on here.  I've tried many times, but I can't seem to figure it out.  Once I do, it will be up!)

(Another note:  I found mask images on Google.  Very easy to create your own printouts copy/paste in Microsoft Word.  You can also have students research on their own if you have the time and technology!)

Day 2: Students will be encouraged to complete their drawing designs, frame them with colored paper, then start their rough sketch on the masks.

Day 3-4: Students will continue to draw and paint their designs onto the masks.

Day 5: Once masks have finished, students can use hot glue guns (at designated stations in the room) to glue on accessories.  I encourage students to find their own accessories if they have something specific in mind.  When I was on a cart and in smaller rooms, I did not create a station and instead asked the students to hand me their accessories, which I glued on during plan time or after school.

Day 6: Wrap up accessories and artist statements.  At our school, we have chromebooks!  I have the students bring the chromebooks into the art room and enter in their artist statements straight to Artsonia.  The students reflect on their designs, the process, and how they felt about creating their artwork.
 

Drawing Examples

Finished Examples

                                              

"My mask design was inspired by how I am half Polish and American. I like this project because it was fun."

"My mask design was inspired by tigers. I liked it because I could create what I want to be"

"My mask design was inspired by my native country which is America, and the bald eagle, our country's symbol. I liked this project, although it got a little messy. I do like working with paint though. I liked this project because we got to pick something representative that we would like. This shows our creativity."

"My mask design was inspired by my thoughts and favorite things. I like this project because my favorite designs are zigzags and rainbows."

What Do You Do With Your Split Classes?

Do you have a split level class in your school?  SInce my first year of teaching, I've had around one to two classes per year of split level classes.  I've had K/1, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, and 5/6.  I've learned quite a few things with having split level classes and I'm always wanting to learn more.

A few years back I had a K/1 class, which was a challenging class.  I did have a classroom, which helped.  There is a wide range of abilities between the two grade levels, and trying to teach one or the other was challenging.  My kindergarten curriculum  has over 20+ projects, with almost one project a week to introduce elements of art, principles of design, and fine motor development.  My 1st grade students already created all the kindergarten projects, and having to redo the entire curriculum was out of the question.

I decided to teach two projects at once.  I designed my seating chart to split kindergarten on one side and 1st grade on the other side of the room.  I started with kindergarten while the 1st graders focused on worksheets or coloring pages.  After giving my instruction to kindergarten,  I let them pass out their materials, then I instructed the 1st grade side of the class.

Depending on the day, these procedures worked, but both grade levels demanded my constant attention for different reasons.  There were days when the kindergarten students were wanting my attention when I needed to help the 1st graders, and vice versa.

With other split grade levels I currently teach or have taught, I decided to split the projects most of the time, but not for every lesson unit.  When I do two projects at once, I attempt to make the challenge a little easier by doing two projects with the same materials, or demonstrating two projects with the same subject matter.

For example, If a 4th and 5th grade project required oil pastels, I would teach both projects at once to save on material management, even on a cart.  Here are the two projects I am currently teaching to my 4/5 split class:

4th Grade are currently working on a still life drawing using oil pastels to show highlights and shadows (tints and shades)

5th Grade are currently creating the famous banyan tree project seen on Pinterest and other art teacher blogs.

I had also done the same with my 2/3 split class using model magic clay:

2nd Grade students used primary color clay to make their secondaries and browns to complete a cheeseburger (inspired by Claus Oldenburg's Two Cheeseburgers)

3rd grade students also mixed colors and created a Joan Miro inspired creature

If one or both of the grade levels enter into a project that requires my full attention, I do have both grade levels complete the same project.  I do this mostly with clay projects because of the amount of prep, set up, and clean up needed.

Although this is a 3rd grade project, I have 2nd grade students make a coil pot along with the 3rd graders.  The above picture was a pot made by a 2nd grade student, and below by a 3rd grade student.

In 3rd grade, I introduce coil pottery to the students.  in my 2/3 split classes (which I have almost every year), I do the project with the 2nd graders too.  When those 2nd graders advance to 3rd grade the following year, they create the project again, but challenge themselves to add more to their project.  Those students also take on the role as peer helpers, assisting other in class with the construction of their coil pots.

I also like to introduce new projects with split classes.  This helps me to see the range of abilities with the students and to see which level would be best suited for the project.

Sometimes both grade levels enjoy the project!  The above image was created by a 2nd grader, and the one below by a 3rd grader.  Both are colored in completely, both added a good amount of detail, and both understood the concept of Picasso's cubist face.

So now that you'e seen some of my methods of instruction, here's a few extra tips that help in managing split classes:

1. If you are teaching two projects at once, split the grade levels apart with seating arrangements.  This will make it easier with set-up and clean-up with each grade level.

2. Stick with the same material, or at least the same subject you are instructing.  This will also make it easier with set-up, clean-up, and prep time.

3. If your classes are challenging with classroom management, it's okay to just do one lesson instead of two.  You don't have to be a superhero pushing yourself to the brink.

4. Have fun.  Don't look at split level classes as a burden, but a fun experience to try new things.


So you've seen some of my methods, how do you handle your split classes?

What Creates Burnout? Identifying the Triggers and Finding Solutions

Burnout happens to every teacher…even art teachers and bloggers.  There are some years that push you so much to the brink, you feel helpless and unable to cope with everyday tasks at work or at home.  Burnout should not be a taboo subject.  According to MetLife Survey, teacher satisfaction has dropped from 62% in 2008 to 39% in 2012.  The reality is that we all face it at some point in time, and once the exhaustion takes place, we need to find  our ways to cope and carry on.  Lately, I have been seeing burnout on the rise even among my colleagues.  With political opinions, common core push, testing, and teacher evaluations, many educators are feeling more and more helpless as the year goes on.  And if the teacher is a new parent?  Managing a classroom, meetings, committees, and home life?  We know many parents manage in their everyday careers, but the exhaustion still sets in (especially when the baby's up all night).

We enter our profession with a need to share our passion for the arts with our students, staff, and community.  Knowing full on that the arts are not considered a core subject in most schools, we take on the task anyway, walking onward with our head up high and are paintbrushes raised, advocating the importance of creativity in a child's education.  Many of us knew it was an uphill battle.

As some of us fall backwards in our journey, we must first take the time to identify the triggers that cause our burnout so we can move forward again.

#1 Identify why you're burnt out.  Believe it or not, if you take a moment to "sit down" and write a list (yes, take a pen and paper) of what's troubling you at work, you can identify the causes of your troubles.  Don't worry about complaining too much or sounding whiny, sometimes you need to get it out.

#2 Now that you've identified your troubles, attempt to create solutions.  For example, if you feel a lack of support from your administration or colleagues, make the time to address that in a calm manner.  Communication can be a great tool to fixing many problems, and it will help alleviate future frustrations.

#3 For those troubles you can't fix, find a creative outlet to release the stress.  We are artists, so take the time to do something for yourself.  Create art, write a story, or do a dance.  Sometimes our burnout occurs from lack of our own creativity, so take the time to release your bottled up imagination.

#4 Realize that you are not alone, and many others may feel the same way you do.  Sometimes it's best for you to take the first step to brighten someone's day.  We may feel that we are walking in a dark tunnel, but shining your inner light can help guide others along their path.  Remember that kindness is contagious, so in being a positive light in your school environment, you can help others in shining their lights.

#5 Take time for yourself.  Get out of Pinterest and lesson planning, close the laptop, and go for a walk.  Clearing your mind can help in organizing yourself.  Exercise, go shopping, read a book, or take a nap!

#6 If need be, get help.  Burnout is not just a physical strain on your body, it takes an emotional and mental toll as well.  Some of us fight so hard that we overdo it, and need to step back and recollect ourselves.  It is not a bad thing to go and talk with a counselor.  Sometimes we need some extra support to keep going, no matter what anyone thinks.

For everyone reading this who has gone through burnout, depression, and high anxiety over our careers that we love, I wanted to say that I am very proud of you.  Taking the time to identify your troubles is the first step in moving forward in a positive direction.  It's very easy for others to say to "get over it," but in order for us to "carry on," sometimes we need a helping hand.

Some of you may have seen that I have not posted in over a month, and I wanted to share why I had to leave my blogging alone for a time.  For the first time in my education career, I will be at one school for the 14-15 school year.  For 7 years, I traveled from school to school, pushing carts, and teaching out of cafeterias.  I learned how to manage storage space and share a classroom with others.  Having a room of my own and not having to bring materials from one school to another is going to be a refreshing start.

Sadly, my previous home base school had lost their dedicated art room.  I don't know the exact amount of years the art room was there, but I'm told it was there when my mentor started in the district 40 years ago.  It is always a tragedy when any of the arts loses their dedicated space and have to travel from room to room, but we make the best of it.

Thank you for sticking around.

Responsibility with Painting: April's Stepping Stones

Do you struggle with managing painting projects, no matter what your teaching situation is?  Every teacher has their own unique tricks up their sleeves when it comes to managing painting projects in the art room…or cart.

It took a few years before I had the courage to teach acrylic paint to my 5th grade students.  I started off teaching acrylics to my after school art students (5th and 6th grade), and created a method for handling the materials.  In my Arts & Activities article, "Responsibility with Painting," I give a few steps to help prepare for painting projects.  These are things I learned the hard way

1. Send a note home to parents informing them about the materials and how to properly wash it out of clothes. 

2.  Tell the students about the paint in advance as well.  You will be amazed with how quickly a student can turn and blame another if they get one red paint dot on their brand new white sparkly hoodie. 

3. Keep a stash of aprons handy.  Many kindergarten students in my schools have their own art shirts, but if you feel they need additional coverage from the paint, aprons help!

3. Collect a ton of newspaper. This will save you a clean-up headache at the end of the class.  Some teachers use tablecloths, but with traveling, newspapers were much easier.

4. Use disposable paper plates for your palette.  This will save you so much extra time with clean up, and it's much easier to set-up and clean when teaching from a cart.  

5. Choose your paint wisely.  Some paints have a good viscosity and can pour smoothly, but others are thicker which causes disruption when you’re trying to shake that paint out of the bottle.  

6. Control the paint yourself.  If you let students squeeze paint out of the bottles, they will pour too much, which will waste the paint (since you can't really put it back in the bottle)!  

6. Organize your clean-up techniques.  If you have a table set-up in your class, you can choose one table of students each week to collect water, brushes, and newspaper, as well as washing of the brushes (one table of students is better than an entire class getting up and cleaning).   If you’re on a cart, choose 5 students every week to do the clean-up duties, and make sure you mark it so you don’t repeat students or leave anyone out!

Happy Painting!

Art-Class Management Strategies: February's Stepping Stones

For February's Stepping Stones article in Arts & Activities Magazine, I decided to focus on management strategies for the art teacher.  Over the past few months, my classroom management post became the most viewed post I had written.  I started the post over a year ago, and since then, I constantly add new strategies I use in my art class.  Even though I may be "re-inventing the wheel," I have different challenges and situations every day the require specific strategies.

As one of the "specials" teachers in our schools, we have limited time with our students.  Classroom teachers have their own rules, but we create our own set to make the art class safe for our students.  If you travel, you may be attempting to adapt to each class's familiar mantras (like hand clapping or hand signals), but overall, we need to do what works best for our situations, whether you travel, push a cart, have a room, share a room, or teach from a temporary space!

In my article, I list some a sic steps to begin setting your rules.  Although this article is released mid-year, it's always good to change things up to catch the students' interest.

I recommend creating your own rules.  Take a general consensus of what the rest of the classrooms have for their standards, and adapt them to your own.  These rules can be "set in stone," meaning the students will know your expectations throughout the years.  Since I've have many of my students from kindergarten on, they like to model to students who transfer in how to navigate the art room.

Seating charts!  I spend so much time creating all 33 of my seating charts, so when someone says to just change the chart, I want to cry.  I recommend writing your charts in pencil, so you can erase any switches or transfer out's throughout the year.  If you push a cart in the general classrooms, the chart is already set, but ask to view it if you need to find a student right away.

Create a mantra to get your students active.  Even if the older students act like they're "too old" for kids songs, you can still catch their interest with some simple art phrases, like "stash your trash."  With PBSS (or PBIS), you can repeat mantras that are used throughout the school too!

Control your noise the best you can.  I still struggle with this after 7 years.  I cannot stand a quiet art class because I do not feel the students are releasing their full potential in their creative practices, but when it gets to loud, it has the same effect as well.  I've used yacker trackers, bells, hand signals, and resorted to yelling (ashamed to admit, but it happens).  Find your own creative way to control the noise, like a visual stop light, incentive chart, or noise games (the quiet game is a good one with the kindergarteners!).

Reward systems are effective, but challenging.  I've been using Classroom Dojo to measure student behavior, but some classes are so intense and busy, I can't get to my computer to mark the points.  Depending on your situation, you can create tangible rewards (if you can swing it), or positive incentives, such as a choice-based project.

My biggest piece of advice to give you is to keep trying.  You will not always be perfect.  Sometimes your management tool you spent hours trying to create does not work, and that's okay.  The key is perseverance.  As a first year teacher many moons ago, I struggled with all the challenges that arose, but over time, I found what worked best.  Give yourself a break and always be willing to try again.  Your students will thank you for it.

For my list of classroom management strategies, click here.

For a description of PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support), click here.  My district has moved to the PBSS method, which is very similar to the previous description.

If you're interested in a totally relevant online class on art room management strategies, visit the Art of Education classes!

And finally, to view my full article in Arts & Activities, click here!

Knowing Your Students' Names: October's Stepping Stones

For many art teachers, we see an entire school (or multiple schools), which could be anywhere from 500-1000 students in one week.  The joy of our position is seeing all of those students growing and maturing each year.  The trick is getting all those names to your memory!

It takes almost half a year for me to start remembering names to those faces. With all the pronunciations, the families, the transfer-ins, and the short time you see the students every week, it gets tricky.

It’s actually very important to try and memorize all those names and faces because a child’s name helps you to connect to that student in your classroom.  When a child’s identity is recognized, they self-esteem improves and they are more receptive to your instructions.  

In my article, I share a few tricks I've used over the years to start implanting those names to memory.

1.     If you have a classroom, create your seating charts in advance.  

2.     If you travel or push a cart, request a copy of the seating charts from the homeroom teachers.  This may not work in every case since seating arrangements can change drastically from week to week, but it’s a start.  In the school I travel to, the homeroom teachers received magnetic charts that were erasable and easy to read.  If there was a day I pushed the cart into the room and seating was rearranged, I was able to view the magnetic chart right away and find those faces.

3.     Use those nametags! Do the students have nametags on their desks?  Memorize them! Walk around during project time when you can and start acknowledging their work. 

4.     Test your name knowledge.  Randomly throughout the year, I call the students to line up by name instead of tables.  If there are a few students with names I can’t remember, I work harder to know them better the next time I see them.   Even if you can’t remember their names right away, the kids can see your effort in trying to get to know them.

To view the full article please visit October's Arts & Activities: Stepping Stones.

There's also another tip offered by The Art of Education!  

Jessica also offers more tips on her own site!  Click to view her article titled, "How to Remember Student Names."