Week One

Well, I've been back to school for a week and a half now, and the kiddies have been back for three days. I have to say: so far so good! A lot of people may assume that the first week of school is easy-peasy but, truthfully, it's not.

From my perspective, I'm like a broken record the first week. I repeat the same expectations for 24 classes all week. However, after day one, behavior is already in a decline. The first day, the kids are excited! They're back to school! New class! New teacher! By day two, they're seeing where you draw the line. It's like they're testing you. And boy howdy do you have to make that line clear and immovable. 

I always enjoy the feel of my classroom the first week though. Everything is fresh and new, clean and tidy. For example:

 Fabric for the bulletin boards. Never fades and there is years of use!

Like my bulldog? I painted him (apparently it's a him) my first year.

Jobs and such. It gives students a sense of responsibility and ownership.

In the next few weeks, my room will be used and filthy with clay, paper cuttings, bits of crayon, sticky glue spots, and probably dirt. Always dirt. That's alright though. In the end, an art room is supposed to look bedraggled! It means there has been serious creating going on!

<3 Kate

Otakon! Wait, where did the summer go?

Well, Otakon was epic. As I insinuated in my last post, I went as Korra from the Nikelodeon show 'The Legend of Korra.' My husband and two good friends were the Fire Ferrets and councilman Tenzin! We also had Pabu, but she was taking the picture. Our costumes were probably the best we've ever done and we've been attending Otakon for years now! Observe:

I can take absolutely zero credit for my costume. That was all my mom! She's pretty rad and has way more sewing skills then I will ever have. Tenzin (on the far left) also has to thank his mom profusely for his super popular costume (he was a big fan fave), and then our Fire Ferrets bravely created their costumes all on their own! We had a ball.

Now, as a not-quite-tangential-but-still-random side note: THE LEGEND OF KORRA RETURNS SEPTEMBER 13! Oooooh yeeeaaah. If you've never watched the show, you really should. Not only is it beautifully animated but it's appropriate for both children and adults. There are some pretty deep themes in the show (along with its predecessor Avatar: The Last Airbender) but they are done really well. It's just great. 

Now that Otakon is over, my summer is also inevitably over. Where did it go?! I demand a recount! This is the time of the year where I start getting nightmares about my classroom. The kids all realize that if they all worked together they could totally rebel and overthrow any classroom management I have in place! You wouldn't think that'd be "nightmare" worthy, but trust me...it's terrifying.

So, look forward to some awesome student artwork in the next few weeks/months! Their work kind of takes over my own, but I'll try to post some things from myself! 

<3 Kate

Off to Otakon!

And I shall be the blondest of all the Korra's.

<3 Kate