Teach Dailey

 This past week, I had the pleasure of visiting the  Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco .  Many students in my class enjoy reading. Some that are resistant to reading find books with cartoon art to be very motivational. This spring break I decided to learn more about the art of cartoons. In San Francisco there is a small museum that fit my goal perfectly. Inside, there were lots of examples of art and even some examples of how cartoonists worked from an initial concept to the final version. This is something that I have taught students in my class. When an artist is working, they are going through several drafts and truly working to find the version they like best. These can be seen in some concept sketches that even show color keys to ensure that there will be consistency across drawings. I look forward to taking what I saw at this museum and finding a deeper understanding for what my students love about this medium. My classroom will have h...

As the students streamed into to room, they seemed to have a special bounce to their step today... Many students brought valentines to share. They had carefully written their classmate's names on the card, and attached a treat with care. When it was time for the gift exchange, students walked around the room excitedly to share with their friends. I was impressed by how much of a community this class had become. Everyone in the room was part of a bigger whole. When one student didn't have Valentines to share she just helped her friend to pass her Valentines out. This is an example of how accept each other and work to help each other.  Students had the opportunity to decorate their mailbox (bags) and as usual, their creativity was delightful to witness. Paper folding is popular in our class, so many built 3d mailboxes with hearts that jumped out. As I looked across the room I could see each student had infused their personality in their bag's decoration.  None of...

My resident teacher supports students in expressing their creativity through project based learning: The project begins Students were strategically placed in groups and discussed what they would like to make with a cardboard box. This planning time is important to make sure that everyone's voice is heard and that a compromise can be found. Once planning is complete, they begin building. There were various sized boxes available: glitter, beads, sequins, yarn, and paint. Students were so motivated by this project that it quickly became their favorite time of the day. I was impressed by how well they problem solved and communicated with each other. After students felt their projects were complete, they did a presentation to the class. Students had time to plan their presentations and this was inspirational to see. They discussed their process in creating their object, problems that occurred, what they would do next time. They also answered other questions that really got them t...