Oooohhhhh NoCornerSuns.Blogspot.Com how I've missed you....

To say this year is a little hectic is an understatement.

This is about what my world feels like right now. #artteacherproblems (amirite?)

My School:

My schedule has changed so I've been teaching more (less planning time = less blogging time)
Our school district implemented a new grading system, unit planning system, email, lesson plan system, evaluations...& I have a new principal.
The new art standards are in effect, so my plans and things from the past all need to be reworked.
Common Core is nipping at my toes too!


plus...

I opened an ART STUDIO!

What started as this little pipe dream of years past has blossomed into a full blown small business.  It took many months, many tears, many muscles, and many terrific friends & family help - but I did it, and it's real.

Here's Mike.  He owns Weston Travel.  No Corner Suns moved to his vacant room upstairs.  Look how happy I am to get the keys.  Look how happy Mike is to get my rent check.

From the frustration with the climate of art education in the public schools, the lack of quality arts enrichment classes in my community, and those damn wine & paint events where everyone PAINTS THE SAME THING,  No Corner Suns Art Studio was born offering classes for everyone!  I am currently teaching a few elementary classes after school and have been hosting BYOB events and  art parties for kids. it. is. so. cool.

My beautiful and wonderful friend, Val made this sign!
I like to display my students' work in the windows downstairs for all the cars and pedestrians to see.  Featured here are my K-2s Matisse inspired collages.

I am lucky to be in a great community and have lots of support.  My years as a public school art educator are serving me well, and I just looooooooveeeee sharing it with so many new faces.  I have many things on the horizon for No Corner Suns!  But, I'd like to get back to this blog.  I know that my first love is art education, and being in the classroom, but a close second is writing about art ed. and sharing EVERYTHING I've learned over the past 16 years.... Ugh!  16 years?  I'm like a pro now.

Before

And After.

So, consider this a warning - New posts will be arriving daily.  To learn more about my school classroom, please visit MrsKostal.blogspot.com   or mrskostal.tumblr.com and to see more cool pix from No Corner Suns Art Studio, visit my Flickr page!

Keep Calm and explain to kids why this is so popular.

I took a class through The Art of Education on Common Core Instruction in the art room.  The "Keep Calm and Carry On Poster" lesson was used as an example for one of our projects.

We had a little bit of time between lessons and my fifth graders were becoming obsessed with "keeping calm and ...." slogan.  It was getting around.  What a great teachable moment.  The best part of this lesson is the video that tells the story of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster.

I made a little PowerPoint to introduce the lesson too.  The entire project took about one hour.

Word Wall: An easy way to sneak in some Common Core Standards

Here is my Word Wall at my intermediate building.  It's only been one quarter, and I still have more to fill in.

My classroom has a ton of words all over it.  Color theory, the elements of art, the principles of design, tools, center labels, art careers, art quotes, words, words, words.  Every project I teach I refer to some of the words somewhere in the room.  Sometimes it makes a connection from previous learning, and sometimes it does not.  That is where the word wall comes in.

I have been gathering all the art words we have been using throughout the year and printing them super plainly.  I cut them out and staple them to my imaginary Venn diagram bulletin board.  Some words overlap grade levels, so it is kind of like imaginary bubbles encompassing each grade.  The connections between the words is starting to become more obvious to my classes.  They are starting to understand that these words keep repeating and are important in more then just their one art project.  They have meaning even outside of the art room. The word wall builds on the students vocabulary. If a student sees a word that they do not know, they ask me!  It's a super easy teachable moment.

I am planning on improving it next year with a larger space, and using my other word posters as the word for the word wall. There are several ways the word wall can be implemented!  Here is a great article written last year for the NAEA Monthly Mentor Blog.

Here is my word wall at my primary building.  We've done more projects, but have less words.

The 4C's in the Art Room: Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Communication

I just finished up a class on The Art of Education.com.  The class was "Art and the Common Core."  It was very good and really got me thinking about a lot of my current practices.

One of our projects was to make a visual demonstrating how 21st Century Skills can be applied in the art room. Here is mine.  It describes useful things kids should be able to do - and often have to be taught how to do it.  A nice little reminder for the art room.

Artist Statements: A brainstorming worksheet and easy Artsonia upload.

Fifth grade just finished up their Imagine a Building lesson.  They studied and discussed several examples of architecture and were charged with designing their own unique structure.
At the completion of the project each student filled out an Artists Statement worksheet in their sketchbooks.  This worksheet was designed to get students thinking and talking about their art.  It's one of the Common Core Standards!
I uploaded the photos to Artsonia.  During centers time, students used the student computer to enter their statements.  I was so impressed with some of the things they said about their process and work.  We will definitely be doing this more often.