2 years...DONE!

I never thought I would have survived one week, let alone two whole years as a Baltimore City School teacher...but I did.  Bring it on summer!  time to relax and recharge...because now I really do understand why they have summer vacation...it is a necessity!

last day of school margaritas brought to you by Little Havana :)

what would it take for you to give me $60?

that was the question posed to me today by one of my favorite students.  turns out he wanted to buy something, and it was $60.

sadly, my answer to him was, for someone to give me $60 I didn't need.



part of me was a little weirded out...I mean, I never would have asked anyone in my family, let alone my teacher for money- even $1 would have felt weird...


I guess I should feel good, that my students feel comfortable enough to ask me for something that important to them...but it also makes me feel bad that they have needs that aren't being met...obviously, the money he wanted wasn't for something that was a necessity, but still, feeling that desperate to ask...makes me wish I could do more for them.



but, today I finalized the details for starting up our Art Club...so I am excited to start that, and be able to reward the kids who are really talented with extra projects...

I also wish I had taken pictures before I left school today...some really awesome art is coming your way soon!



until then...here's a happy little picture to motivate you on this chilly Monday- oh and dark...daylight savings is throwing me for a loop!

weekend wrap-up

okay, I know you might be shocked to read this but I LOVE fall.


love love love love love it.



and the weather this weekend has been GLORIOUS!  long pants and hoodies in the morning...seriously, I am in heaven...as we speak, the A/C is off, and the windows are open...I might even go sit on the deck and do a little sketching/planning after I finish writing this :)




so it wasn't too eventful for me, but having weekends that don't totally drain you are a necessity...I am tired though, so who knows what I am talking about...


I got up at the lovely hour of 5:30 am on Saturday to head over to Notre Dame for week two of my graduate classes...and I swear, I feel like I've learned more in two weeks then I did in all my training for BCTR...


says something about the quality versus time...honestly, I thought the 'fast track' to teaching was right for me, but you know what?  it's a lot better to really learn how to teach...


and look how pretty campus is?

and then we ended up having tickets to the Charm City Music festival fall into our laps- awesome surprise!  and we saw Eve 6 and Weezer...along with other bands I didn't really know...but it was a crazy good time...here are a few photos and videos from the show :)


 

oh, and I got to experience the Charm City Circulator- which is a free local bus for those who don't live here..got us down and back for free...yeah we had to walk a bit too, but seriously, for a free ride, I'll take it




and now it's Sunday...I just conference called my Uncle to get some advice on my Fantasy Football team...and now I'm going to do some meal planning and lesson planning and laundry.




I know you are jealous ;)

"I smell poop"

so last year, I kept coming across other teacher's blogs, and they were so great at documenting the funny things that come out of their students mouths...

so this year, I am determined to write down some of those gems and share them with you :)



today, while spending time with one of our Kindergarten classes, a little boy said to me:

Student: "I smell poop."

Me: "do you?"

Student: "I know it's not me.  I stopped pooping on myself a little while ago."





I love my job :)

first day of year 2

whew!  first day with classes...it's one of those things where no matter how many days and hours you prepare...you really never feel ready...but then again...you just have to be...so I guess it's okay not to 'feel' ready...because OCD me could always do something more...change this, adjust that, re-make this...you get the idea


but as far as first days go, I have very little to complain about...three classes, a few breaks in my day to get things organized...had my rules and procedures already outlined and in poster form, had my seating charts pre-made...and when it came down to it, I was really impressed with myself that I remembered almost all the students names!


remembering 400 this year will be so much easier then 800 like last year...did I mention how much happier I am this year?  already, on day 1 I can feel the difference.

I also feel like being in my second year in the same building, I have a bit more credibility with my students...or "cred" as they'd probably say...I am really glad to prove to them that I want to be there, and won't just up and leave them like other teachers have...



happy school year to me and all the teachers out there!!

playing catch-up

so I will try as hard as I can not to sound whiny...but being four days behind everyone else at school is tough...wah :(  haha!  but I know...I could be in that position of not having a job, of having them not realize that my evaluation was a bunch of bull...so behind the ball and scrambling is the name of the game right now...but in a few weeks...I think I'll feel settled back in.


I hope.


I am not entirely done with setting up my room...but I do feel like this year is going to be WORLDS better than last year...one room, not two.  372 students, not 860.  a supportive administration, not...well...there aren't really words for what that was...


plus, I can put ALL my energy into making my room exactly how I want it to be- being there every day of the week...and not worrying about running back and forth, did I forget something that I need at the other school?!

this year is going to be better.  SO much better.



so as far as classroom set up...here is what I've got so far:

this will be the Artist of the Month board - probably one who was born that month...sitting on top of not one, but two broken kilns :)

a few of those motivational posters I discovered via Pinterest!

a nice little library center :)

my color theory wall

behavior management stoplight- will have to get a better picture when I get in tomorrow...but these are dry erase sentence strips!  and above that is my class helpers...each table will rotate, so there aren't millions of hands raised asking to help pass out stuff, or clean up...which I do love...but every little question takes time...and time we have so little of in class!

rules, and our BIG goal!

a place for their sketchbooks (which are just manila folders with paper stapled inside...gotta do what ya gotta do with no budget...)

and make-up work, extra credit work, and work with no name bins!

and something I'm super proud of...labels for my tables- each table is assigned a color...and this has how you say that color in 7 languages!  that one I thought up all on my own!

see what wondrous things you can do when you don't have two classrooms to set up!? 



okay...time to get the other 98749287596 things done that I need to have ready for tomorrow...

happy Labor Day everyone :)

very funny Universe.

today was quite a day.


it was my first day of my second year of teaching...I am so glad I got to go back :)  like overjoyed...what teacher ever said that they were glad to go back after the summer?

weirdo.  :)


but after all the weeks...well months really, of not knowing...it was such a relief to be back at school, setting up my room for the second time.

so the day started out great...in my classroom...with more work to do then there is possibly time before I have classes come in...but I'll get there...little by little...right now B's car is packed to the brim with my classroom stuff...yes the same stuff I carried all the way into the basement yesterday...


not my car mind you...because when I was driving home today, my car began smoking...yup, right out of the hood of the car, nice white puffy clouds of smoke...and the engine temperature gauge as high up as it goes...so a big thank you to my awesome neighbor for picking me up a few blocks away :)



not sure what the actual diagnosis is...thankfully I have another car to drive tomorrow...even if it's a bit too big for me :p





so one good thing balanced out with a not so good thing...okay, I do like when things are nice and even...typically...



then I got home, and the tv wouldn't work...and not that I need to watch tv...but it would be nice to know why it wasn't working...so after the suggestion of my Mom that I check the fuses (which wer being a GIANT wall of spider webs)...and found out nothing was wrong...I did a little "Mac-Gyvering" and found every extension cord that we own to rig the tv and the TiVo (which is in the basement) to outlets that they weren't originally plugged into...and wouldn't ya know.  they worked!!




feeling a little proud of myself...but seriously...that is just too much for one day.  also, I feel bad that no one was around today to witness my crazy...it was probably very humorous from an outside perspective ;)  just imagine me driving down the road with a smoking car...and a face full of spider web...you can't think about that without laughing...admit it ;)


tomorrow needs to be a little bit calmer, okay Universe?

heck yeah Karma!

gimme a high five!

because today.  today good won!  boo to you evil principal!  I win.  you lose!  and most importantly...the kids win...because they get to have ART class this year...with MEEEEEEE!  :D

I just found out today...and it would figure, because today was the day I moved the mountain of stuff from my classroom, that had been taking over my couch/living room into the basement.

but you know what?  I don't mind :)  I'll get it back...little by little :)


all I know, is that I get to go back to the job I love tomorrow!!!


but now I have to go to bed...I have to get up tomorrow at 6...eek!!

a case of the Mondays

...so today I feel...a little blue.

as in sad...not the color :p



it should officially be the first day of my second year of teaching Art in Baltimore City Schools...but it is not.


and the fact that it is because of one singular person...and over 400 kids are going without Art right now that really makes me mad.



I will try not to dwell on it too much though, because I am a happy person- partly the reason why I am in my predicament I think...it's a shame some people just can't deal with the fact that not everyone is as miserable of a grump that they are...but I digress...



something good that has come out of all of it...is that I am officially enrolled in grad school...I know, I know...more classes...what am I, nuts?  but I am really excited to start, and actually get the education courses that I wasn't offered in my first 'program'...

photo credit

so for the next year, I'll be in class pretty much every Saturday...which is the sucky part...I'll miss out on lots of fun stuff...but I also need my career back on track...



and hopefully this time, one vindictive grouch of a principal won't get in my way...



:)  okay, I feel better now...sometimes you just need to vent ;)



and ya know what...I'm going to finally work on my own Art...my jewelry...and get my house organized in the mean time...



so another *somewhat* win for me...and BCPSS is missing out I tell ya!

one of those days...

I am knee-deep in my portfolio, which is due on Sunday, by 9pm...but I saw this, and it can not be more true at this point.  10 school days...14 calendar days from today it will be glorious, summer vacation, and I don't believe I've ever deserved time off from work more!

to all those teachers out there...we can do it...hang in there!!

Saturday's Photo

this one's a 'two-fer'...

the last days of our afterschool program at Wolfe Street...really going to miss these kids!  I definitely will never forget my first class :)

Saturday's Photo

some of the adorable girls in my class, "hula hooping" last week on a really warm February day!

what I'm working on - studyingggggg

so as much as I'd like this to be an interesting blog post about what fabulous new design I'm working on this week, or ideas that I'm jotting in my sketchbook, this is what I am truly doing at this moment...STUDYING...

you heard me right, it's been a while since I've had to actually study for something...the last real test I took was in college in 2004, and before that, the last standardized test was in 1999, when I took the SAT...

so here I find myself, not really remembering how to do this, but I've got my Art History book, and hopefully soon my Art Praxis II test will arrive in the mail...

I've got until March 12th to know all that I can about art, or at least how they'll try and test me on it for this exam...

wish me luck!

art project idea

now that I'm in my fifth month working at the after school program, I've done a few cute art projects with the kids that I'm pretty proud of...this one in particular turned out really great...

snow paintings (of course, with glitter) have been one of the kids favorite crafts so far!  we all drew pictures, and then added white paint for snow, and some glitter for sparkle and shine...

here are a few of the finished products

and the kids who created them :)

my first snow day!

well as a teacher, that is...but I have to say, waking up to see just a dusting of snow, covered by a layer of ice was definitely a treat this morning!  now I can get so much more done today...which includes writing some lesson plans, editing photos and hopefully some laundry...

and finishing my application for the Baltimore City Teaching Residency...I am finally doing something to make my teaching dream a reality...it might be a tough process, but I have so much that I want to do, and getting a job is just the first step in accomplishing those goals...

but also, I'm catching up on all the blogs I follow, getting inspired by the creativity and motivation of others!  it's funny how your list of blogs to read can expand so greatly just by what you read...I've got a window full of tabs to get to...

so thank you snow...thanks for the extra "me" time

cap and gown please!

after 5 long years...I did it!  the 7 days a week, 12 months a year, with only a few small breaks...countless hours of homework, and giving up nights out with friends, weekends away and a general sense of overall freedom...through working multiple jobs, starting and running my own business, and attending more weddings then I ever thought possible...

I FINISHED SCHOOL!!  

I am the proud, and accomplished owner of a second bachelor's degree, in Graphic Design. 


whew...I need to lay down :)  no more HW!!  it's a weird, but very wonderful feeling!

new jobs!!!!

the day I never thought would come is here...I can finally stop working at Panera!!   :p  now it's been a very flexible job to have while finishing up my last classes for my degree- which I am soooo close to being done with!! - but it's time to stop waking up at 4am to go to toast bagels and brew coffee...

 so what will I be doing instead you might ask?  since one of my ultimate goals is to teach art, having work experience with kids is something I need to work towards..so my mornings will be spent with some adorable twins, Dhani and Dez, and in the afternoon, I'll be teaching an after school kindergarten program at my friends school in Fells Point!  I am so excited for these new positions, and I can't believe that I'll finally have jobs that are pointing me in the right direction!  

of course I'll still be making jewelry too, so as always I'll have multiple jobs, as well as class work...but maybe that's okay :)

♥

to a great teacher

Mr Hahl, Team 7C, Hillsborough Middle School...you will be missed...

very sad to hear the news of one of my favorite teachers...he made science fun, and even got a bunch of 12 year old girls to like drag racing, camping and canoeing...












photo from Debra Alberti Porowski of my 7th grade teachers :)