Mini Art Show

I love art.

There is something so personal and challenging about it.
It makes me excited, happy, and very busy.
Memorizing numbers and vocabulary words is easy (personally),
but art offers a challenge that only the person
doing it can achieve. The only competition is with yourself.
And personal viewpoints and backgrounds only enhance
the work rather than deters from it.
Your art is your story. It comes only from you. You are the
person figuring out the puzzle and applying the meaning.
Isn't it so fun?

I think I seriously am going to have the best job in the world.
Who doesn't want to play with pencils, paint, and crafty stuff
all day? And I love the fact that I will maybe help others discover
their talents and what inspires them.
Yes, I am a crazy artist and I love it.

School has kept me very, very busy.
There is my final work sample portfolio that I've been stressing
over for the last month. It has to include a unit with 6-7 lesson plans,
assessments, adaptations, students work, and resources. I've
been scanning, printing, photographing, writing, stressing, organizing,
stressing, and perfecting this thing for the big day where I go in
front of a panel of professors and present it. And then they decide
based on it and my teaching whether I can be a teacher.
It is FINALLY done though. (Clap, please.)
I feel very accomplished, proud, and ready.

But my real pride is my students. They keep me on
my toes. Some days I come home thinking there is no way in
heavens I can do this. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING!
They are crazy, wild, uncooperative, and frustrating.
But then there are the rewarding days where I see them
break through a problem and feel good about what they have done.
I see them take pride in their work.
I see them try their best.
The days where I help them see the world a little different
are the bomb-diggity.
They make the crazy days worth it.

I'd thought I would show you a mini art show of some
of the more recent projects we have been working on.

Student Artwork:

Scratch art is where you scratch off the black to present
another color underneath. Students studied negative and
positive shapes. I wished these would photography better,
but the silver is so shiny I keep getting a glare.

I
I loved doing the wire sculptures.
They turned out so cool. I wish the pictures were better.

Last are the tape sculptures that go up tomorrow.
Students had to wrap themselves in tape to create life size
sculptures of themselves and make an installation in the school.
It is fun just to see the process.
I'll show you the final results when we get them up.

I wish I could have taken pictures of everything.
My classes are so good.

I will assure you there is more to come.

And the Students Pull Ahead

I was the perfect student. I just know it.
I wish I had thirty of me, perfect little me's, sitting in my classroom
eager to hang on every word I say. Then I might
feel like I was doing well teaching.

(Because I am not going to tell you all that there are
a few choice students that I could just, you know... kick
really hard, or something.
I'm a professional.
Professionals don't want to kick their students, or spray them down with
a super-soaker water gun, or duct tape them to their seats,
or stuff a million sock down their mouth.
Professionals know how to handle situations where students just
rub you the wrong way. And I'm going have to delete this post
before I ever get a job. And professionals wouldn't have to do that.)
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Yep, I had a rough day at school.
(Remember I am still a students so I can complain
about how hard school is. And how much I hate Monday
because it means I have a whole week of school left.
Students be nice to your teachers!)

But I can't complain about my weekend. I joined the Mormon
force down in Utah to attend General Conference. GC is where
we listen to our leaders tell us all sorts of good stuff and feel that
nice warm feeling we call the spirit. We find way to be better,
and I really like that.

My whole branch left
at 4:30 in the morn on Sat. and returned at 2 in the morn on Sunday.
Not usually my tradition for GC.
Usually I make a mighty breakfast, leave on the PJs,
and watch GC from the comfort of my couch, but not this time.
I didn't watch much on Sunday. I slept. A lot.
Good thing there is the Ensign.
And we can find it here.
What is your General Conference tradition?

P.S. Don't you just love her nails? Watermelon! Genius!

Ms. Hansen: 1 Students: 0

A little VICTORY for the novice teacher today!

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Today in class we were having the kids finishing up an

observational drawing. In order to move on to the next assignment

they had to get it passed either by Mrs. CT or me. I was helping this

one girl, telling her what she needed to fix in order to move on, and I

could tell she wasn't thinking the best about my suggestions. She walked

off (I thought with the intention to fix it) and went straight into Mrs. CT's

line. Oh, that made me mad!

Because that meant that she didn't believe a word I said. And you know

after all, I am a teacher and I have feelings!

I kept a close eye on her and when she reached Mrs. CT I tuned in to

see what she would say to this particular student.

It was exactly what I told her to do!

Boo-yaw!

She looked at me, noticed I was watching her (which I totally gave her the

I-told-you-so look but very mature like), and went back to her seat to do her assignment.

She asked ME for help later.

And she told me my shirt was cute.

P.S. I am going to tell about my weekend. Soon.

Moving, Deodorant, and Wal-mart

I've arrived.

It has been a mess. Boxes and piles everywhere, but slowly

my room and apartment have emerged.

It is definitely a change.

I'm not at college anymore, but not really in the "real world" either.

I don't know anyone in this town and my roommate has

to work every night. So its been lonely getting all moved in and hauling

boxes up the stairs. (I've definitely gotten my workout the past few days.)

I've been to Wal-mart enough times to know which cashiers

are fast and which are slow. And I've broken in my new car.

(I'll tell you that story soon. I need to figure out its name first.)

And my poor Van Gogh

doll with the detachable ear was torn up by the roommate's dog.

(I'm an art teacher. I can have Van Gogh dolls.)

Thursday and Friday this last week were a lot of teacher meetings.

I met with my cooperating teacher and university supervisor to go

over what is expected of me.

I don't know how they think anyone can be comfortable teaching

knowing that in the back someone is critiquing every word said.

Plus, I sweat a lot when I am nervous. (Well, kind of all the time really.)

It is gross and I'm really paranoid that I'll have huge tacos in front of everyone.

I'm sorry if this is grossing you out, but I've had nightmares about it.

I have tried almost every antiperspirant and I can tell you personally:

THEY ALL LIE.

This last student teaching experience is a pass or fail course.

These two people decide whether I can be a teacher or not.

It is scary and very, very intimidating.

Highlight: My parent love me. They gave me three roses with

good luck note. This is a big change for me and kind of scary.

I'm so grateful for them and their support.

I start with real kids on Monday. Wish my luck.