The Strength to Perform, Overcome, and Love!

Teachthought 30-day Challenge
Day 15: Name 3 strengths you have as an educator.

I found these graphics to illustrate my strengths. 

I'm the art teacher...what can I say...I like visuals!

www.soarwithfirefly.com

The more pressure I have to perform multiple tasks the better my brain works. The more things on my plate, the more driven I am to complete them. Much of my best work and growth comes from when I am under tons of pressure and looming deadlines. This week is one of those weeks. Come on brain, let's kick it into gear!!

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I didn't think I'd be able to incorporate Marzano into my 40 minute classes and still have time to teach my art lessons. I thought for sure something would have to take the back seat. But I took the challenge on and worked hard to overcome my time constraint challenges, because I knew I could find a way to make everything work together for the ultimate learning experience for my students.

You may be thinking I chose this picture because Popeye is a symbol of strength. I actually chose this because Joseph, a second grader, loves drawing Popeye. I love my students! I love getting to know them and their likes. I love seeing the potential they have and working together with them to achieve it. I love being a teacher and working with students everyday. It takes a lot of strength to overcome the challenges and pressures of a changing educational world. 

But when I think of my strengths as an educator, my biggest one is my passion for teaching. 

Reverse Feedback in the Art Room

Day 14 Blogging Challenge 
What is Feedback for Learning? And how well do you give it to your students.

Ms. Elliston, do you like my drawing?

I hear this questions ALL the time in my Art Room. Students in my class are constantly asking for feedback and reassurance. Years ago, when I first started teaching I would answer the questions with an excited Yes! And follow up with all the reasons I thought their art was great.

But that really is taking the easy way out. Because honestly, there are a lot of pieces I don't like. And that is one of the great things about art, we don't have to like everything we see. So I started to direct the questions back to the students. I wanted their feedback and self reflection on their own work. I started hiding my own feedback in the form of questions that encouraged the students to critique themselves.

So when I am asked if I like a student's work of art, I ask them what they like about it. I ask about the details in their design, and the colors they chose. I ask about the time spent creating the piece and if they think they rushed it.  I ask a lot of questions, and I comment on specific qualities I think each piece has, but my feedback never answers their number 1 question..."Ms. Elliston, do you like my drawing?"

I hope that hiding my feedback by making it their own helps my students learn that the only person they need to "like my drawing" is themselves.

My top 10 EdTech Tools

Day 13 TeachThought Challenge - A day late but I made it!

Drum roll please...

My top ten list of Tech Tools I use in my class.

Let's Start with my #1

1. Class Dojo - Love it! And so do my students. Great for classroom management.

2. Google Translate - I use it ALL the time! From Hungarian to Arabic and everything in between, our school has a lot of ESOL students from around the world. Google Translate is a life saver!

3. Power Point - I love creating interactive multi media presentations for my students that not only stimulate their minds but engage them in active learning that they enjoy.

4. Dropbox - It's the best way to store my lessons for easy access from home, school, or anywhere I happen to be.

5. Twitter - The best source for PD on demand! Love twitter and all my fellow teachers who share wonderful resources that help me become a better teacher every day!

6. Instagram - It's a great place to connect with my students for extra credit opportunities. I feature Instagram Challenges throughout the year. Students frequently post pics of Art seen on vacations or artwork they have created.

7. Edmodo - Is another social media option for students. For the students who don't have Instagram accounts this is a great alternative. I feature challenges on Edmodo as well. There are a lot of nice features on the site as well that allow for more interactive participation.

8. iMovie - Awesome and easy to use to create all kinds of movies. Love it because I can use it on my laptop or iPad.

9. iStopMotion - Great user friendly app to help students learn how to create animations. My students pick this up so easily and make awesome animations.

10. DoInk Green Screen - Love this one too. Once again a user friendly app that allows students to create movies that can mix together a variety of mediums.

In 5 Year's Time! "Noah and the Whale" Teaching Style

Day 12: How do you envision your teaching changing over the next 5 years?

This song instantly came to mind when I read today's prompt!

Noah and the Whale...5 Years Time
I love this song! How appropriate.

Now this song is not about teaching but hey...I'm the Art Teacher! I can make anything work.

"And it was fun fun fun when we were laughing. It was fun fun fun, oh it was fun..."

This is an after school art program I run out of my house. Kids Create Art WooHoo!! 

We incorporate ELA standards into our classes, mix it together with some art and face painting, 

Drama? Yes please!

and throw in some edtech to create a movie that is totally Fun Fun Fun!!

In 5 years time I envision my students in the public school I teach at being able to experience to excitement and FUN that comes from making movies by "hiding the veggies" in my art room!! 

Everything You Never Knew in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

Day 10 of the 30-Day TeachThought Blogging Challenge!

5 Random Facts

1. I rescued a cat family this summer.

2. I just cut my hair shorter than it is has been in over 10 years.

3. I love mixing science with art!

4. I got stuck at this one on Guess Emoji.

5. Tomorrow night, my 3 kids and I are going to see Fitz and the Tantrums...Woohoo!

4 Things From my Bucket List

1. I want to take my 3 kids to Paris when my 16 year old graduates high school. 2 years and counting.

2. I want to speak on TED!

3. I'd like to live in different countries for a few months each year.

www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk

4. I want to Time Travel with Doctor Who. Matt Smith and David Tennant Please!!!

3 Hopes for this Year

1. I hope to be so successful in my integration of science that students grow by leaps and bounds.

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2. I hope to keep my sanity with all the new Marzano and EOC Exams coming my way.

cassandraforsythe.blogspot.com

3. I hope my students learn to love the "Art of Thinking" as much as I do.

2 Things that Made me Laugh of Cry

1. I cried this week because I felt so overwhelmed with all the new changes in our state, county, and school. (and I NEVER cry!)

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2. Please refer to number 1.

1 Thing I wish more people knew about me

1. I am not just the "Art Teacher"!

Bon Appetit!

Day 8: What's in my desk drawer, and what can I infer from these contents?


You're looking at it. I can infer from my stash of Nature Valley Granola Bars that I do NOT have any time to eat while I am at school. I barely have time to go to the restroom let alone sit down for a meal. At any point in the day when my stomach starts rumbling a bit too loud as to cause a distraction for my students, I know it's time to raid my desk.

Lunch! Snack! Energy Burst!

A blog post's a blog post no matter how small. :-)

Dream Big. Do Big. Be Big!

Overwhelmed working on my unit plans so I thought I'd take a quick procrastination break to blog tonight's 30-day challenge topic.

Day 7 My Most Inspiring Colleague. 

With a class motto of "Dream Big. Do Big. Be Big!", Mr. Stuart has taught many grades from high school all the way down to elementary. Currently a second grade teacher, I think breaking free from the standardized testing grades has given his innovative teaching a chance to soar.

This was his class last year. Built by his 2nd grade students, this ship carried his class to the new worlds of knowledge and exploration. 

His "Find the Hero in You!" book about Columbus inspired his students to become their best selves no matter what obstacles they faced in life. 

He is definitely one of the toughest teachers I have ever worked with. He never gives up on his students and he never lets them give up on themselves. He holds the bar high, and although he may spot a student till they reach it, he will never lower it for them.

His impact is strong and long lasting for his students, as seen when parents reminisce about the amazing growth their children had during their year with "Mr. Stuart". But more compelling than that, are the past students who are now in high school and college, still reaching out to their former teacher to tell him what a lasting impact he had on their lives.

Mentor My Inspiration

Day 6: What does a good mentor "do"?

A good mentor helps you with self-reflection

 and inspires you to be your best!

Be the MiracleBruce Almighty

It's Elementary My Dear Watson

Welcome to the Investigative Art Room of Sherlock Holmes!

Inside student's magnify their learning
as we go deeper into the connections between
art and other academic subjects.

They will do this by becoming Sherlock Holmes!

There are no rules in class this year.
But there are many things the students are
allowed and even encouraged to do.

And it is 9:00 p.m. on Friday night
and I am exhausted. 

Good night all!

I LOVE This! Can you guess why?

Day 4 asks us to reflect on what we love most about teaching.

Below my answer is illustrated.

Student A

       Student B           

Now you may be thinking:

 "Of course... The Art Teacher loves her student's ART the most"

But you'd be wrong! 

Student A is Autistic and mentally handicapped. He spends part of the day in a regular classroom, and it is then when he comes to art. For the past few years when I would would give lessons, he would quietly create his own work of art. For example, one time we were making clay snowmen and he made a "camera".

The picture above is the first time he has tried really hard to create the same project we were working on. I was amazed! You'll notice he watched me drawing so closely that he also wrote in my name.

And that my fellow teachers... is why I LOVE teaching!

Smart Boards? Yes Please!!

Blogging two days in a row! How many days till a habit is formed? This Reflective Teaching 30-day Blogging challenge may be just the thing to get me into the habit of finally keeping up with my blog.

Day 2 asks what piece of technology I would like to try this year and why. Perfect time for this topic.

I REALLY REALLY want a Smart Board!

leegreensmartboardtutorial.pbworks.com

But, I have a REALLY REALLY good reason for wanting it. And it's not just because I teach art.

www.creativeeducation.co.uk

It's because of Marzano!

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No. Not that Marzano...This Marzano.

www.marzanoresearch.com

This year our school was chosen to be a model school, which means we get trained by the folks at Learning Sciences. It's great! Hands on training with the people who worked to create this new methodology. What could be better?

A Smart Board! A Smart Board could be better! Because with a Smart Board I can implement the new learning goal and scale with all the learning targets and clustering in an interactive, engaging, effective and efficient manner for my 40 minute classes.

www.emlii.com

Smart Boards? Yes Please! 

Learning Science you rock too! But oh the things I could do with what you have taught me if I had a Smart Board. :-)