BACK TO WORK

My Desk

The holidays are over and school is back in session.  This is my Monday-morning-back-to-school-first-day-of-the-Spring-semester-desk.  Lots going on.

I learned long ago to begin the second semester with a little overlap from the first semester.  I never enjoyed dragging myself up to my classroom over Christmas to clear out supplies, build new units and have my room all fresh and shiny for the new year.  It is exhausting to go back to school and to lecture and be up to motivate my kids the first day rarely productive for me or for them.  I now carry over a short assignment so my students come back, jump into routine and know exactly what they are doing.  Then over the course of about two weeks, I start packing up current assignments and getting supplies and equipment out for something new.  I think my students like it to.

Right now my classes are finishing up handmade paper making (a huge supply nightmare) and I am sorting and organizing printmaking supplies (another monster assignment that requires lots of prep and room) to start next week.  My second year kids are finishing up ink drawings while I get charcoals and pastels ready to go.  My advanced students are working on intricate, colored pencil drawings while I am getting ready to blow their minds with some creativity exercises and competition assignments.  My first year children are doing self portraits from photos we took before Christmas and I am dragging out linear perspective examples and assignments (not my fav but over the years I've managed to make it more fun).

Lots to do in my classroom.  I love new beginnings especially when I can manage them.