Whole Schools

Connie Buse, my next door neighbor at Lawhon was in the Totem Mask Class with me yesterday. After listening to a fable we had to create either a bird or a bear. I made a bird, Connie made a bear. I can't wait to make these with my students.

Don't I look like I'm all into my mask making? I really was! I added all kinds of elements from the fable. Somehow they didn't really get noticed. :(

Of course Leslie and I had to have a photo shoot. This photo or "artistic expression" is by none other than the renown photographer- Connie Buse. :)

So I have had a blast so far this week at the Whole Schools Summer Institute. The workshop is put on by the Mississippi Arts Council. I want to go back to this every summer, because I have never sat in workshops all day and had so much fun. I found out today that I am the only person attending the conference alone, by alone I mean the only one from my district represented. Lucky for me Tupelo has bought in to the Whole School Initiative and lots of my former teaching partners are here as well as my good friends Connie Buse and Leslie Hilliard. North Pontotoc also has a group of teachers Abigail Hamilton McMillen a friend from elementary school and Dustin Baldwin another Pontotoc High School alumnus is also attending. I have always enjoyed teaching my kids different art techniques, using different mediums, and exposing my kids to authentic art, but this workshop has given me new inspiration. I joked with my principal today to get ready because I am gonna be SUPER ARTSY...I am sure he can't wait. I am just thankful I have an administrator that lets me use art to teach my students and lets me cover the hall outside my room top to bottom with student work. I would die if I had to keep my student work to a minimum and hang them from cork strips. In a perfect school I would create walls out of cork board.

Leslie and I learned about the Conchiti artist that created storytellers. We made our own. I also won some clay for my class while I was there. I got really excited because I never win anything.

Tomorrow I get to take a class on Time Management within the Classroom. Hopefully I will make it into the Curriculum Mapping class, too. In the Principal and Project Director's meeting today the speaker gave a great example in how to be a successful leader. She had each participant stand on one leg with no propping. She watched as some people cheated, quit, or wobbled all around then she had us extend our arm and take hold to the person next to us. We all became more stable and were easily able to stand on one leg. She said that leaders need to remember our strongest support comes from those around us if we just will use our available resources. It was a neat demonstration especially for the teacher that sometimes feels that they have to reinvent the wheel. I'll keep you posted on what I learn the rest of the week.

Leslie and I made a new friend from Madison today in our Clay Storytellers Class. Meet Julie Evans, she was a blast to create with.