Clay Hands Kindergarten

This is an easy project and fun for the kids.  The reason it's easy is I provide the clay to the kindergarten teachers and they have a station that runs through the week for tracing their clay hands.  An adult does most of the work.   After tracing the hand in the clay slab and cutting it out, you smooth out the edges and place the hand in a small bowl so that the hand stays curved when dried.

Then they come to me and I fire them in the kiln.  To identify each hand I use the first two initials of the teacher plus a number (numbers decided from the attendance sheets).  Those identifiers are put on the back (which will be the bottom) of the hand.  Then the kiddos apply the glaze and I do a final firing.  The results are cute.  We make these for a Mother's Day present.

         

My last summer as a teacher.

This is my last summer as a contracted teacher.  By next summer I'll be retired.  I'm very ready.

I likely won't blog after this year.  I'd like to blog about my last year.  I have a bunch of projects to share and have been busy organizing my many pictures.  I'm not even sure anyone is reading this but blogging is for me anyway.  It's a way to express my thoughts and reflect on my teaching.  That anyone would care to visit here is amazing to me.

I've been in the same room for 12 years.  I've taught art for 17, five of which were on a cart.  Two actually.  This year I'm moving.

My old room was small but big enough for six tables.  I managed pretty well most of the time.  I did get cluttered a lot.  My new room is about 1/3 size bigger and I go from one sink to 4.  It will be worth all the effort of moving once I'm done.

Bye bye old room

Hello new.

Lots of stuff to unpack in August.  Then more pictures.