Committing to your work - committing to yourself.

Trying is hard.


Trying takes committing to working when you may rather talk with your friends.
Making art isn't always fun, sometimes it is just production/work.

My belief it that a good "work ethic" is the key to success in this world.
Work ethic + education/opportunity = whatever you want to be

Making ART requires huge work ethic!

The 4th graders have been working diligently on their Symbolic Self-Portraits and I wanted to share one - that is over-the-top in effort and development.

When a student takes the challenge and wants to push the limits and do her/his BEST.....
applause.....applause....applause

 

grading

2nd grade sunflower study

Hi - This is not the most popular topic, even with me, but as I wrote we are in the 3rd year of the arts tax and time to start measuring student learning.

I have explained the new grading criteria to many of the classes and even clarified the specifics that "if I taught it, and we practiced a concept or skill, then I will be looking for it on the final project."

The students seem fine with it all, as one girl told me yesterday "Oh our classroom teacher grades us all the time, on our homework and even on our tests."  Kids are great aren't they?

For instance, the 2nd graders are doing a drawing inspired by a sunflower still life by Van Gogh.
They looked at real flowers and realistic drawings of sunflowers. They practiced.
They also were introduced to some new pattern making techniques "zentangles" that might work well for the seeds in the center.

So I told them, when I go to grade their final drawing, I will be looking for:

• number of sunflowers
• are the petals more natural 
• are the centers complex? using one of the zentangle techniques or a complex technique the student invented herself. 

I explained if the sunflower has triangle petals and a checker-board center, then "you are not showing me you learned anything in our 2-3 classes of practicing." "Show me what you learned, show off."  They get it and appear to be enjoying the challenge.

Here are some of their "studies."

Conferences later this week, time to see student work on display

Hi-

As you head into the school in the next week, please take time to admire your child's work and the art made by the other artists!

In the 3rd year of the Arts Access and Education Fund -Arts Tax, the visual art teachers in PPS have already begun the necessary work for starting or reviving an arts program. In year 3, our goals are beginning to shift, from basic start-up to more refined expectations for student learning. *

PPS hired about 40 K-5 visual arts teachers and we meet once/month to share information and professional training.
Last year we rewrote the Visual Arts PPS Standards, the criteria to be assessed for the standard report card.
You will see:

Overall Effort

Refines and completes works of art.

Creates through appropriate use of tools, techniques, and studio space.

Responds and finds meaning when viewing works of art.

The grading values are:

Key for effort and expectations +Consistently demonstrates            V    Often demonstrates    /     Sometimes demonstrates --     Does not yet demonstrate NE   No evidence

Key for Academic Performance E     Exceeds: Demonstrates STRONG skills/concepts M     Meets:  Demonstrates grade level skills CM  Close to meeting:  Applies MOST grade level skills N     Does not yet meet:  Applies SOME grade level skills NM  Not enough work to determine grade level skills

 Soon a team of us will be writing a K-5 Art curriculum, as the most recent one was written in the early 1990's. This activity is a great opportunity to update information and to coordinate with the new national standards, which were developed in coordination with the Common Core initiative.
National Core Art Standards
http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/

*Please know that regardless of Standards, my overarching goal for all my students is that they understand that Art is HUGE, a variety of media, is ordinary and extraordinary simultaneously and open to specific and infinite interpretation.
Art is fun, as working with materials is fun and learning new processes and ways to think and be expressive is fun. Being confident in your skills is fun, so that those looking at your work really see and understand your ideas.
No matter what, these beliefs guide everything I do in the art classroom in my commitment to give students a solid studio experience and training. Hopefully they can leave my program feeling confident and capable as artists, regardless of what Standards  need to be delivered or assessed. NH

such a delight...

Let me share these images with you from the 1/2 blended class.
I had all the 1st + 1/2 nd graders look at Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, a typical art project, but it is such an inspiring painting. 
I told them that in many places in the world to learn about art, students are instructed to "copy" the art. In the process they become more familiar with the content and the techniques required to render the image. Actually, it is a pretty effective way to build skills, but against all the American ideas of "personal expression."

Anyway, the students love Van Gogh's work and many know of Starry Night and were quite willing to take the challenge, though don't think I didn't hear a "...that is too much detail!"

In my opinion, what is especially wonderful about these drawings is how the students SAW the painting and reinterpreted it.

I applaud them with loud clapping, here is a bit of their wonderful work!

 

9/11/15

I have been back one week and still have not seen quite seen everyone (because of the holiday and A/B rotation), but will re-greet everyone by mid-week next week.

Updating all the grade level pages is a few weeks out, because of this slower start. Please forgive me.

One of the first projects I do every year in Kindergarten is a cut paper sunflower. There are several educational reasons, but also because they a just so beautiful and every child can be sucessful.

This project is a great way to see how well students handle scissors and glue. It also has multiple directions, which is challenging for young minds. Each one is quite different which I like to think is a nice reflection about the different personalities with each class....and everywhere.

Here are a few from yesterday's class. Pretty wonderful!

 

Welcome Back

Welcome back to school!

Those who know me know I had a family emergency right at the beginning of the school year, so I had a late start to class. I will be working hard to catch up in the next couple weeks, BUT that will not affect the student classes.

I am happy to be back to see all the familiar student faces and a few new ones. As my substitute says, "It is fun to teach at Capitol Hill because the students have good art skills and know what to do in class." Compliments to you - Students!

My plan is to have a fun year (as it always is) and to bring some new projects in to the rotation, so we all continue to learn and grow.

More later.
Nancy Helmsworth

We are winding down, though art class runs through the last day of school.

I have enjoyed the school year and have tried some new projects. The students have risen to a higher level of learning and skill development. Capitol Hill has many great and strong art students.

A big Thank You to Pam Wilson, who has wholeheartedly supported this program from the start. I have worked for many, many Principals and she is by far the best!

A huge THANK YOU to Darcy Peterson, who managed and installed the Art Show this year. As the school grows the undertaking is increasing! to say the least.
A couple parents, Emily Stiffler and Emily Wilmerding have stepped up to co-chair the school art show next year. I am hoping for parent representation from each classroom as a team leader to support the show and art program. Please let me know if you know you want to be involved.

Teaching art is really so much fun.
Thank you for sharing your children.
Sincerely,
Nancy Helmsworth

Here are a few pieces you haven't seen:

3rd grade -Charles Demuth study

Kindergarten - Hermit Crab

5th grade - Action Self-Portrait

4th grade- Backpacks

1st grade- Enchanted Hat

3rd grade- Abstracted Portland Bridge, Joseph Stella study

1st grade - Penguins

Kindergarten - Paul Klee study - "Castles"

2nd grade - "Build-a-Bear"