I am an artist!

Art in the sun! Can it get any better than this? (Yes, I could be in a comfortable bed and with someone who doesn't snore like a dying cow.)

I love my Arts Director at Wasatch County Schools. She is one of my favorite people. She won "Art Teacher of the Year." She also writes many grants for our district to help the teachers integrate arts into their lesson. I started attending art workshops during the last school year. It has been very fun, especially since I like to sing, dance, act, and occasionally drawing.

Things have progressed well in the arts arena in my life. As previously mentioned I have actively participated in the arts in my personal life. The last four days I have been at a Utah Art Education Association (UAEA) conference. It has been a great weekend! I helped present with JoAnn and her Eric Carle project. I also attended several great workshops.

We drove to St. George on Wednesday night. It was overcast in Midway and it got worse as we drove south. We pulled into our hotel at 11:25 pm. Then we stayed up for another 3 hours.

The next morning we went to breakfast and then hit the hot tub. It was great in the hot tub! It was extremely therapuetic. What was said in the hot tub stays in the hot tub. Eventually we had to get out of the hot tub to get ready for the Paint Out. I wasn't real excited about the Paint Out until I had finished my watercolor pencil drawing. It looked so great. I am going to put it up on my brag board.

After the Paint Out we went back to the hot tub. The bathing suit was cold getting on since it was still wet. But a quick jog and the hot tub was soaking my bocy. Then we waited for the rest of the Bohemian Babes to arrive.

On Friday, JoAnn had her two presentations. Both went fabulously. I was a little disappointed that my llama didn't turn out better in our Eric Carle project, but it was fun to be there and support JoAnn, Art Teacher of the Year.

Today I attended a workshop about African kalimbas. It is a musical instrument that is played with thumbs, so it is also referred to as a thumb piano. Stephen Pratt, the teacher, prepared 100 of them out ouf clay. We got to paint it and adhere the 14 gauge wires. I wish I had a picture of my kalimba.

We head home tomorrow. I am going to miss the spring-ish weather here in the south. I will also be dreading the return of snow on the streets and sidewalks back at home.

Arts Rock!

Swiss Handbell Ringers--Swiss Belles

I have been trying to figure out who I am outside of my career. I love music. I love listening to it, I love singing along at the top of my lungs, I love dancing to it, I love playing musical instruments.

I grew up taking piano lessons, on and off, for as long as I can remember. I started with my sister teaching me, and then graduating to a "teacher". I always remember listening to my older sister, who also gave me my first lessons, play the piano in our "front room". Several times I would ask her to tell me the story about the song and she would comply.

I did try to learn the violin, since that was another instrument we had around the house because our grandfather taught himself to make them. But I didn't like the elementary school teacher. So I only had two lessons at the most. When I reached Junior High I wanted to learn to play the saxophone but we weren't allowed to rent instruments, nor can we play it in church. When I got into High School I really wanted to be part of the band, but one can't really drag a piano around. I wish I was more aggressive so many years ago to find an instrument or an alternate route to being in the band. I think there had to be an percussion instrument that would have been easy to learn without the need to "rent" a set for home practice.

Well this last summer I was at a social function and met up with the director of our local Handbell Ringers. I knew about them for a while, and I finally got aggressive about trying new things. I expressed a real interest in auditioning or just learning more about the group. She, she doesn't like to be referred to as she, agreed to talk to me about the group and show me the ropes. I started attending Tuesday practices. I had a blast those first couple weeks sitting alongside an experienced "professional" ringer. I didn't get to perform at our BIG weekend performance but I did get a coveted substitute position. Shortly after that performance I had gained "professional ringer". I started attending weekly practices and learning to own up to my mistakes.

With the holidays coming up we had several performances to be practicing for. With each week bringing us closer to those dates the stress level to get the pieces right started escalating. It was fun to finally perform our numbers. With each performance we improved and it was full enjoyment.

Our last performance for the season was at the Joseph Smith Building on New Year's Eve (3ve). Someone caught us on film and put us on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y29Ay3oVGqI&feature=player_embedded

I am on the second row, third ringer in from the right. It was a fun night. We are now preparing for a "Ring In" on March 13 in Ogden. I love it, love it, love it.

100 Days of School!!

I love 100 days of school. I go a little crazy with it. This year I "won a grant" to help out with purchasing supplies for our big day. It has been fabulously fun. We just finished our goodie bags, and necklace. Last week we made a dinosaur to count by 10s. I have 100 post it notes for each first year. I also have plans for making a 100 day treat, and to finish off our study on the seven continents. (It has taken me forever to finish the continents!! But I can't just move on, I must finish!) Of course, there will be my door decoration, and the 100 exercises, 100 words, 100 math problems, okay maybe I am getting out of control.

I can't wait!!!

I told the students that we would have a pinata, i thought that would work for Mexico when we talk about North America, and put on 100 strips of paper. For South America we are making a rainstick--each student gets to count out 100 grains of rice to put in it, then 100 shapes to decorate it. For Australia we are going to make digeridoo, and then AFRICA!! We are making a shield. I haven't figured out how to fit 100 into that yet.

There is still so much I want to do and i am feeling a little stressed about time.

I Never want to post on Mondays

I love teaching young children. I love watching their progression and their different stage of learning. Today we made our 100 Days necklace. I had a great idea to have it as a skill to count by fives (5 beads for each color). It was interesting to see my students manipulate beads and put them on a ribbon, but also this one little lady counted by ten when I asked her to count the beads to make sure there were 50 (50 on each side of the necklace). I was pleased with her skills. I also found it interesting at the different development level each student is with their fine motor skills.

I wish teaching was only about teaching.