New assignment and my new favorite art/writing project.

I love Art Projects for Kids!  I adjusted this project a little bit and had my students make their own cityscapes in oil pastels. I love, love, love how they turned out! They also had to write a Cinquian about their cityscape.

As you may or may not know, I teach a self-contained 6th grade class. Next year we are departmentalizing and I will teach English. I am so excited about how this will work. We will have two teams of five teachers and I really like the team I've been assigned. My grade is experiencing a lot of change and some loss. The losses are hard, but the budgets are tight. I really hope my pink-slipped colleagues find a job. They are all really good teachers.

I may or may not post, but will definitely pick it up again in August. I hope you have a great summer!

Stick a fork in me...

I. AM. DONE!

This year, without a doubt was the toughest of my career. This group was a real challenge. Some of them, I grew to really love. Some, I wonder how they will ever make it in Junior High. I am just glad it is over. 

Adding to the challenge was the fact that I was diagnosed with a really challenging disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis steals so much from me and when the day is tough, RA makes it tougher. So, I'm putting on my big girl panties and vowing to push on through no matter what. Also, I have 10 glorious weeks to laze about in the pool and love being a teacher. 

I will blog a wrap-up in the next few days, but then I won't blog a lot here this summer. I will be blogging on my family blog and would love for you to come and visit me there. Have a wonderful summer!

I've snapped...

Went to Lowes the other day and saw these.

I officially have lost touch with reality and have been sucked into the blogosphere. (Unless you read this blog, you won't get this.) I am ready for a break!

Final Field Trip

We have five, count 'em, FIVE days of school left! Last week was the last field trip for my kiddos. Down the road from the small town where I teach, is another small town and they have a terrific indoor recreation pool. Three classes loaded up and headed down the highway. Before we went to the pool, we took the kids to see a movie at the small, but very cool little theater. 

We saw "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". Half my kids liked it  and the other half were not impressed. On to the pool.  

There is a very cool fountain in the pool. Sort of looks like a giant mushroom. 

They had a blast!

Sh*t my kids say

Have you read "Sh*t my dad says"? Hilarious! Google it...

My student, who asked me at the beginning of the year if George Washington was still alive, gave me a chuckle yesterday. We were making layered dip in "honor" of Cinco De Mayo. She asked me what olives were.

I asked her what kind of sheltered life was she living?

Dale Chihuly

Phenomenal glass artist, Dale Chihuly, has become an obsession of my class. 

We read about the science of glass in our National Geographic Extreme Explorer magazine. If you teach elementary kids, Nat Geo is a fantastic resource and it costs just $4 for the 8-9 issue subscription. I modified this lesson plan from Dick Blick by using a hair dryer to soften transparency film after the kids cut out their shape. 

They used acrylic paints and created some cool designs.

Another year over for Chess Club

This is the second year I have been in charge of the Chess Club for our 6th graders. Before me there was no Chess Club. What I enjoy most is these sweet, authentic kids I get to know better. I also like giving them medals and trophies.