I'm so organized-y...

After a fun weekend of wedding celebrations for some friends, Iggy Azalea's "I'm So Fancy" refrain is constantly on repeat in my head. So, to keep it PG, my art teacher refrain sounds something like this:

I'm so organized-y

You already know

I'm in the Art Room

From morn to Four-Double-O

I'm so organized-y

Haven't you been told?

Remember my name

Miss French Fry, yo.

My latest AHA, why-the-heck-haven't-I-been-doing-this-all-along moment happened early this year.  I made color-coded table folders for each of my classes to collect dry work and pieces at the end of an art lesson.  And let me tell you, thus far, we have had zero escaped missing pieces for projects.  A total record!

Plus, having these handy folders ready to hand out at the beginning of a class period seriously cuts down on the class time that's wasted having students pass out pieces.  I love a good AHA! moment.

I'm keeping it short and sweet today, but I'll be back very very soon with some fun new projects, don't you worry, you Iggy Azalea fans!

Miss French Fry's Art Room: Version 2014.

I wanted to share a quick peek into some of the new additions to my Art Room this year.  I just did a lil' bit as we are in the midst of TOTAL kitchen redo at the French Fry house and I've gotta say, I am getting SICK of french fries and takeout food.  So, to take my mind off of electrical whips and wires and drainage tubing and drywall, here goes my Art Room version 2014-2015!

This year's theme is "Off to See a World of Art!" I ordered these flags from Party City and the banner is HUGE, like 23 feet long huge!  I draped it in my narrow entryway and then continued it all the way over into my reading rug nook.

Just around the corner, is my colleague's office (complete with the lovely bird privacy curtain I made for him) and my Smartest Artist wall.  I've played Smartest Artist with my kiddos the last few years, but I thought it would be neat to have trivia flashcards on hand for each grade (mostly so I don't have to invent questions during those moments in the day when all I want is coffee not kids).  Each baggie is attached with 3M velcro and is going to hold our art vocab cards, which I'll jot down as lessons commence and have a kiddo drop them into the baggie.  In the little white basket are our echo mics which I use to interview the Smartest Artist.  Even the 5th graders dig these bad boys.

Next to that area is the same shelf I use for fabrics, yarn, string, and other miscellaneous things, but I wanted to show off the cool artwork my father-in-law painted and passed onto me. They remind me of fireworks, and my students are ALWAYS enchanted by the colors in his works, so I like to switch out his work every year.  You know, give the kids something different to stare at when they're tired of my voice, right?

Reading Rug nook with art trading card board...

At the end of lessons, my students are dismissed table color by table color, and the line leader is expected to start the line on the blue square by the Reading Rug.  

Apparently, standing on the blue square is difficult for children of all ages, when Apparently there are like two random blue tiles in my room nowhere near the other blue tiles, and Apparently a new solution needed to be found.  So Apparently, now I had to tape a paintbrush to the floor and make it the Brush Stop.

Dude, if you don't know what I'm talking about with all the "Apparently's," just look up the Apparently Kid video.  I want this child in my classroom!

Next up, a couple of posters I put together to remind the kiddos of the school (and my) expectations.  I added the Be Unique line because I think that's pretty darn important in the art room!

 I also added these lovely dots onto the floor to help with sink traffic jams.  Fingers crossed these work!

Below is the Art Store cart where kiddos come to pick up their supplies at the beginning of each lesson.

Works in progress display board to showcase what's on the docket for the week.

I decided to expand my Art Word Wall this year as it was getting a little cramped in its old digs, so I dug up this pocket chart from my Kindergarten teaching days and put this up on the kiln door.

Just another little reminder to write your name on your papers, KIDS.

 Sweepers and our flag, pretty self explanatory...

And finally, the project which I will probably be eternally paint-stained from: my super duper organized brushes!  The brushes are grouped by type and color-coded.  In the next year or two, I am hoping to upgrade to some sweet Royal & Langnickel brushes, but for now, these painted brushes will hopefully do the trick and help with some of the clean-up catastrophes...

And tomorrow, it's back to school for me with teacher meetings and the like before the big game starts again on Thursday.  Well for now, may the Art Force be with you teachers!

A Dose of Color.

Just got home from a beautiful trip and before I post pics from that wonderful vacay, I wanted to share some fun color bursts from my classroom last year.  I know, I know, I'm living in the past, but seriously, color AND organization!?  CAN'T GET ENOUGH!

And while I'm on the topic of all things colorful and organized, I wanted to thank the lovely folks over at Segmation for the wonderfully written and kind blog post about me found here.  You all are great!

Now, I'm not gonna lie, I am already getting excited about decorating my room again this coming year and have a plan for my theme too, which I am pumped about.  But, while you wait with bated breath, enjoy these pics.  If you're as into organization as I am, then I hope you really enjoy them!

Soooo, if you can't tell by now, I am a bit over-the-top when it comes to my organization, but if I wasn't this organized I would lose my MIND (plus probably a lot of supplies too).

This is my latest OCD addition to my supplies.  Used up a wee bit of leftover scrap paper to keep my paints from turning into a mishmash.

Ahhhhh, le sigh, oh organization, how I love thee!

Ode on an Art Room Cart.

This morning I decided to put my skills (or lack thereof) as a former English Lit/Art major to work.  Take THAT college loans, I got the best out of you today.  Ermmm, maybe not.

Take heed, folks, for the writing below exemplifies the effects of excessive coffee consumption. You have been warned.

Ode on an Art Room Cart

(inspired by Jon Keats' Ode on a Grecian Urn)

Thou mobile cart on rolling wheels,

Thou noble steed of metal mane,

Built of factory-made cold hard steels

A winning companion, organization no longer my bane.

What say you, my silent friend, housing the tools

Of which we mere mortals grasp with hands,

In varying shades of ink, oil, and wax, without them we would be remiss

What hides there on ye' underbelly, away from us fools 

But placemats to protect the tables in our lands.

What echoes down the hallway?  Thy rolling wheels of eternal bliss.

Sorry, but you're not getting five stanzas out of me, thankyouverymuch.  I'll leave that up to Keats.

But, just for kicks, check out my noble steed of metal mane below.  I am super lucky and have an art room to call home, so I am not a wandering art-on-a-cart teacher (bless you, those that are), but I LOVE my carts.  I've got one for my daily supply station, another for the kiln and clay supplies, and finally one for the work that needs to be hung/hanged/hunged....PUT UP?  So much for that English degree.

I recently attached a portfolio to its underside to house the messy mats we use on a regular basis too.

The mini cart below is the Art Cart that usually houses work that needs to be placed around the building too.

As good ol' Keats says, heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are even sweeter.  I think I unhear more coffee calling my name...until next time, Miss French Fry out!

Miss French Fry's Art Room.

Welcome to my Art Room version 2013!  I like to switch up my room a little bit every year because A) the kids notice and always like ooh-ing and aah-ing over the changes, and B) I get a little bored and need a decorative outlet, and my own home can only tolerate so much.

My theme this year was somewhat "crayon-y," "crayon-ish,"...hmmm, "crayon-esque?"

My art room is a former gym locker room so it is very twisty and turn-y in the entranceway, so bear with me.  We've been doing quite a few Dia de los Muertos projects, so there are some fun 3rd grade skellies on display in the Art Room entrance too.

Below is my "What are we doing today board?"  Before EVERY class I would have students asking me, "what are doing in art today?," and while I love their excitement, I found myself continually repeating, "wait until the whole class is in the room," or "I will tell everyone when the class is here," or on my tired art teacher days, "HOLD YOUR HORSES."  So, here is my solution.  It's a large, old bulletin board I picked up at Goodwill, covered with white dry erase material, dolled up with some borders, and VOILA:

The reading rug where I will often gather students to read a story and introduce our next lesson before transitioning to the art tables.  Behind the book shelf is my art trading card board, which students may use if they finish a project and have extra time.

I worked as a Special Education Teacher for a few years before transitioning into Art Education, so I have some tools I use for behavior management in my room, such as the Choice Chair, which is for kiddos who sometimes just need a break.  Each class also has an Arty Party pocket, where they must work together as a class to demonstrate safety, respect, learning, and problem-solving, and in turn, earn a "crayon."  When classes earn 9 crayons, they have an Arty Party (which might mean a special project, a dance party, or more).

     

Here are some more snapshots of my room, including one of my favorite teaching tools: my "What you need" magnets.  The magnets are color photos I took of supplies around my room, laminated, and then added some sticky magnet backs.  These magnets are super helpful for students with special needs who benefit from visual supports for following directions.

The art tables color coded with baskets showing students' jobs

What You Need magnets

The Got Time? Make Art station

Art Room Jobs

              

Inspired by http://mrspicassosartroom.blogspot.com/

                 

            Got the idea for the Cool Art fridge from http://mrspicassosartroom.blogspot.com/.  I adore her!

   

                                            And of course, no art room is complete without a shelf of crazy art teacher props.

In future postings, I am hoping to write a little more about classroom behavior management, as well as, some tips I picked up during my Special Education days, so stay tuned.  Until next time, Get Smart and Make Art!