The art room, also known as my second my home...

Ever since I was a child, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Well, that is not entirely true. From birth until high school, my real dream was to be a cartoonist for Disney. Cartooning was my thing as a kid. The teacher thing was always there though. I remember in elementary, my friends and I would make tests for each other, take each others tests, then mark them. This was a regular Friday night thing for us (I wasn't the coolest kid). It wasn't until high school when the idea of becoming a teacher became my dream. What happened in high school? My art teacher happened...

In my high school art class, I discovered that there was so much to art than just cartooning. It was my teacher who helped me to discover these things. He took interest in us. He had real conversations with us. He was funny, real and laid back. He provided us with constant praise, balanced with suggestions, tips and hints to improve our work. He was what a teacher should be, and he was what made me decide to become an art teacher.

So, this brings us to this year, my first year in an art room. It is my third year teaching, but I feel like I have been waiting decades to get here. Of course, like everything, the situation is not quite perfect. I only teach two Art courses, Art 6 and 7. I then teach 5 other courses in another room. This divides my time unevenly, and unfortunately, because I teach more courses in the other room, that room has gotten most of my attention. Secondly, I share the art room with another teacher. She is great, and we get a long well, but the space is not 'mine', and has been solely hers for quite a few years. I often feel like I am teaching in 'her' room, and so I do not want to step on her toes.

Yet, as the months have passed, and my comfort level has increased, I have really started to come into my own in that room. My lessons are getting stronger, and I am beginning to do little things to make the room mine too.

Here is my most recent addition on the side cupboards! A voting station to compare the kids preferences in artwork! I have started with a portraiture theme (our next portfolio in Grade 6 is portraiture), and I have chosen 4 portrait paintings from known artists with completely different styles. #1 is Tamara de Lempicka, #2 is Chuck Close, #3 is Leonardo da Vinci, and #4 is Picasso. I plan on changing the theme every 2 weeks or so! The kids love it so far, and #3 is winning last I checked.

I am going to keep dedicating time to creating more of these kinds of things and developing my Art lessons and plans. It is important for my students, and important for my own development as an Art teacher.