Winter break is here! I do enjoy the break from the routine, but I'm looking forward to seeing the students again. I'll add some more options to the studio. At the 3-d construction center, I'm going to introduce paper-mache. And in the fiber/weaving center, I'm bringing in beads. K-2 will have pony beads with string and pipe cleaners, while the older students will have the elastic beading string along with crimping tubes and beading pliers.

I'm also going to formally introduce sewing to the older grades. Sewing is interesting, because I didn't have the tools out at the fiber center, but if a student asked, I handed them thread and a needle, but told them I wouldn't be able to give them instruction (sewing is wonderful, but learning the basics really is a one-on-one activity). Amazing things happened; students that knew the basics taught interested students. And all this was completely unorchestrated, unplanned on my part!

I want the students to learn creative problem solving, so we don't have tape in our classroom. Instead of answering the same questions over and over, I created some posters at that center:

Okay, found my card reader, now I can post images of all the exciting art:

This is a girl in her house, and here is her chair.

This second grader is creating a suit of body armor!

Kindergarteners draw freely:

A sixth grader shows his finished weaving: Modeling clay:

A torn paper collage by a sixth grader:

Another woven piece, turned into a bracelet by a first grader

Wonderful things are happening here! (Unfortunately, I've misplaced my card reader, so I can't upload photos right now. It'll turn up soon, though . . .)

The kinders have the drawing, collage, and modeling clay centers open. And I've begun introducing watercolors to them as well! These kids love the collage materials, especially the staplers and hole punches. It's wonderful to see the spontaneous way they approach their work. These are artists unconstrained by the pressure to create "SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL".

The other classes have more centers available:

• weaving with three larger wooden looms, and lots of small handmade cardboard looms
• watercolors and tempera paint
• collage
• drawing
• origami
• pen and ink
• clay

I am seeing genuine artmaking happening in these groups.

Lots of things are happening in the art studio. Drawing is a favorite, especially with sharpie markers.

The fifth grader who created this told me, "I like to draw creepy things. This eye could be the eye of a creature who has reappeared."

Using one of the How to Draw books, another fifth grader created this,

"I didn't know I could draw this good!"

The sixth grader who created this piece wowed her classmates by creating skin tones with just a basic set of prang watercolors.

Kindergartners have a simpler set up right now, they have drawing and a few collage items. Their enthusiasm is amazing.

"This is the mimsy from that movie"

This is a view of the kindergartners working with colored paper, markers, and glue sticks

Almost every Saturday, I go yard saling. I'm on the lookout for things to sell for my ebay sideline, as well as supplies for my TAB classroom. At the end of each yard-saling morning, I sort my finds, and pack the TAB stuff in my car.

Since I live super close to the school, I go there once or twice a week to drop off the treasures. I'm hoping for a cool, rainy day to come so that I can spend some time organizing the room (when I stopped in at 8:30 this morning, it was 91 degrees). Because right now, it is just a clutter zone!

Before TAB I used to think that if I wanted to create something I needed to have all the right materials, plan out the entire project, AND "do it right". Which allowed me no room for mistakes, experiments, or discoveries. Now the TAB mentality has seeped into my artistic life. I find myself doodling all the time (somethingI used to be scared to do), as well as picking up old hobbies again.

Hobbies like sewing and quilting! I discovered I can do things my OWN way! Here are a couple of examples:

School ended last week. And yes, I'm glad it's summer vacation! Time to hang out with my kids, take some camping trips . . . and plan for next year. Here are some end of the year artworks:

I made this with paper mache and tissue paper and some beads."

"These are dragons that are friends."

"This is my mom, an angel."

Only a few weeks of school left! I am sad, because the students are working so well together now. All the stations are open, routines are understood and followed, and new ideas are filling the room. It's inspiring just to be there and to feel the energy and enthusiasm.

I am going to do a short summer program; two weeks, for two hours a day, in my home! It will be pure choice, with little restrictions, as I won't be worried about satisfying the core requirements. I am excited to see how students of different ages interact . . . I hope that I will see lots of things like this: "I'm just seeing different ways to put paint on the paper"

Here's the third sculpture in this first grader's series of fighting monsters.

Only a few weeks of school left! I will admit I'm excited for the vacation, but sad as well. The classes are going wonderfully!

It's just a cool sculpture design thing." This car took almost the whole class time to make! It's cute, and I can't wait for the glue to dry."

Students make interesting things with the attribute blocks:

Students are being encouraged to add color to their 3-D creations, either with paint, collage or paper mache. This photo shows the creation of two friends:

"This will be a playground for our Littlest Pet Shop animals. Here's the slide, the sandbox will go over there, and this is the trampoline!"

This is a rainbow turkey. It reminds me of my grandma, I love being with her."

St. George was nice. I even managed to present the TAB concept to some other educators. There was a slight glitch, however, because there weren't any hotel rooms available . . . so, I camped in Snow Canyon.

It was nice to come back to my classroom, though!

I'm pretty excited! In two weeks I'll go to St. George for the Utah Art Educator's Association convention. I went last year, and met quite a few people. It's great to spend a couple days with people who are just as immersed and interested in art ed as me.

Things in the classroom are really moving along. I've picked up a couple of sixth grade volunteer students from across the hall (I only teach k-3). They are weaving belts on cardboard looms. I love being there and feeling the excitement.

One student said, "I love your classroom. It makes me want to, you know, make stuff!" That was a huge compliment to me, as that is EXACTLY what I'm trying to do. My room is very casual, often cluttered, and filled with as much artwork as I can mount on walls and bulletin boards. I have things in the hall, as well as art hanging from the ceiling! I do have Art prints as well, and even a hand made art elements poster. It certainly doesn't look as though a professional designed it. It looks like it belongs to the students. Which it does.

I love block printing, but it takes up so much space . . . I've introduced it to my two smallest classes. This was created by a first grader. She went on to create prints for all the seasons,





"When they're dry, I'll put them all in a book!"

Here, is a "cat feeder" created by a second grader. "See, Mrs. Dyer? Each cat has a side to get to the dish!"

This sewn sculpture took two class periods to put together. First the student sewed and stuffed it, then she decorated it.

Three girls created a stuffed pillow using construction paper, fabric, and TONS of tape! It was created as a gift to their teacher.

I'm so behind in posting here! Here are some images I've captured, I may try to add in some text later . . . but I probably won't!

Painting on foil, large collages, and glazed clay ornaments

Curler and pom pom aliens, a purse, newly "marred" couple, and paper sculpture.

My daughter was in my classroom today, and snapped this photo of me!

Paper sculpture. Here, a student used paper she'd printed using a monoprinting technique to create this creature.