This Month’s Top Ten Recipients: All About Kids Award

 “This Month’s Top Ten Recipients: All About Kids Award” by Linda Martin Andersen. 

ANNOUNCEMENT:  THE WINNER OF THE BOOK GIVEAWAY IS…

Sarah Swan.  She came in style on an orange and white pinto and rides away with a prize.  Sarah, please contact me by email and give me your address.  I’ll mail a copy of A Rock Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas.  It is her latest release and that’s why I chose it as a giveaway.

JUNE:

Everyone knows we celebrate Father’s Day on June 21, 2015.

Did you know that June 28, 2015 is America’s Kids Day? Yes it is, and that’s what inspired the theme for this month’s blog.

Here are This Month’s Top Ten Recipients: All About Kids Award (selected by me for this site only)

 

1. Beautiful in Your Skin Month– I’ve described some favorite people as being beautiful inside and out.  What do you think it means to be beautiful in your own skin?  Describe what actions a person might be doing to earn this comment.  Tell about a time someone said something to you that made you feel beautiful.  What kind of beauty was it?  Physical?  Inner?  Beautiful in your own skin?  A combination of these?  Another type of beauty?  Tell us about it.
2. National Smile Month–When you say something encouraging to someone, do you find yourself smiling?  What other things bring a smile to your face?  List as many as you can in a minute.  Chose one of the items on your list to write about.  Turn your notes into a poem or story.  Have fun!  Survey people for an hour, a day, a week.  Smile and see if they respond with a smile.  Share your results with someone.  Would you say a smile is contagious?  Why or why not?  Have you ever smiled through the pain?  What does this mean?  Tell about a time you experienced this.
3. National Sun Safety Week:  1-8–The weather is beautiful.  The sun feels great.  Why do we need to hear something about sun safety?  What can you do to be more safe in the sun?  Intentions don’t count.  What promise will you make?  Who will hold you accountable for keeping your word?
4. Say Something Nice Day: 1–Name something nice that was said to you today.  What nice thing can you say in the next ten minutes?  In the next hour?  Be sincere.  Count the number of nice things you hear in an hour/a day.  Where did you hear most of these?  Do you think positive things said by retail merchants should count?  Why or why not?  Does a positive comment said by a clerk make you feel good? Why do you think they make positive comments to you?  Do you think their positive comments are sincere?  Most of the time?  Some of the time?  None of the time?
5. Positive Power of Humor and Creativity Days: 5-7–What helps you when you are feeling blue?  Does humor help?  Does it help to do something creative?  Keep your hands busy?   Give examples of how humor and creativity have had a positive influence on you. 
6. Upsy Daisy Day: 8–Have you ever heard anyone use this expression?  How could you use it?  When turning something upright?  When helping someone out of a chair?  Other examples.  I have a friend who likes to say oopsy when a mistake happens.  What do you like to say?
7. Family History Day: 14– Ask about your family history:  Who was it who used to work for the circus?  Who was the rodeo star? Did anyone move west by wagon train?  Was anyone a lumberjack?  A lawman?  Record what you learn.  Add to your research another day–maybe a family reunion.   Lots of families have those in the summer. 
8. National Flip Flop Day: 19– When I think of flip flops, I think of summer, the beach, shower shoes, and Jennifer Larson.  Go to her site and you’ll see why.  http://www.authorjenniferlarson.com/home.html
9. Family Awareness Day: 21–What is special about being part of a family?  What is special about how you and your family spend time together?  How do you show your family that you appreciate them?  Learn about other family structures such as single parent families, grandchildren raised by grandparents, foster families, adopted children, and others. 
10. Let It Go Day: 23–What does it mean to “let it go?”  What is something you can let go today?  Let your worries go, your To Do List, your busy schedule.  What about your hair?  How did you feel at the end of the day?  Better or not?  Why?

Thanks for visiting.  Come again soon and bring a friend.  Comments are appreciated.  If you’re under 13 years old, please ask a trusted adult to post for you.

A Teacher Who Encourages Creativity

 

 

“A Writer’s Playground”–A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.

Today’s Theme:

Encourage Creativity–

Think outside the Box 

As a new school year kicks off, questions are in the air:  Who’s your teacher?  What’s your schedule? Which is your favorite class?

Many students would answer that art is their favorite class because it’s fun.  Art provides a chance to create and outstanding teachers encourage that creativity. 

Here to share more about art and creativity is Laura Reeves, an art teacher at an elementary school.  She is also the illustrator of a picture book series written by her former high school English teacher, Martha Goetz.  Talk about thinking outside the box!

Laura paints kitchen mural

Welcome Laura Reeves.

*Applause. 

Tell us about yourself, your art, and teaching art.

Laura’s Artist Statement:  Art is so much a part of me that I can’t imagine my life without it; I love the creative process.  The longer I am alive, the more I appreciate the gift of art.  I am inspired by simple things I see every day, as well as my own experiences, people I know, animals, and books and stories.  My Japanese heritage subtly but distinctly influences my art.  The children I teach influence my art as well: their artwork, humor, and fresh perspective on the world.
        Flowers and trees are favorite subject matter for me to paint and draw; God’s designs in nature are amazing and breathtaking and a lot of fun to paint.   A few of my favorite artists are Marc Chagall, Frida Kahlo, and Vincent Van Gogh, among countless others.  I feel very blessed to live a creative life, surrounded by family and friends.  I have been making art since I can remember, but it really feels as if I’ve only just begun…I specialize in individually commissioned paintings, murals, and illustration, but my experience includes several forms of art and design, including logo design, set painting for children’s theater, website design, and product design.  My paintings can be found in homes, businesses, and schools throughout North Carolina and in a few other states and countries, including Japan and France.

And now for the interview…

1.  Laura, today’s theme is “Encourage Creativity: Think outside the Box.” What does this mean to you?

Thinking outside the box is what art is all about.  However it is important to teach students the basic skills and elements of art so they have the tools with which to express their creativity.

2.  Describe yourself as an artist, remembering to keep today’s theme in mind.

I would describe my style as whimsical.  I don’t take my art too seriously; it would take the fun out of it.  I think art is a fascinating challenge.

3.  Name at least three ways students can “think outside the box” with art projects?

 First, don’t always stick with your first idea when brainstorming.  Sometimes the best ideas come later on in a brainstorming session.  Second, look past the obvious solutions/ideas.  Third, have fun.  Art is supposed to be fun.

4.  Name at least three ways students can “think outside the box” with other classroom assignments?

I would say the same as number 3.

5.  Describe a student art project that demonstrated “thinking outside the box.”

 Making up a monster is a very creative project in which students have to think outside the box.  The monster does not have to be realistic; it can be funny, silly, scary, whatever.  It can have as many arms, legs, eyeballs, etc. as you want. 

6.  Many students carry an art supply box.  What supplies would you suggest for an elementary child’s box?

Crayons, pencils, a pencil sharpener, color pencils, markers, and paper. 

7.  What art supplies would you suggest for middle school and high school students?

 the same as #6, except a wider variety of color pencils and higher quality art supplies

8.  Laura, please tell of a time that art made a positive difference for a student.

Any time a child is having kind of a bad day, and they leave art class feeling a little more cheerful, I am happy.  I think that happens all the time.

9.  September 10, 2012 is Swap Ideas Day.  Tell of a time students swapped ideas in art class.  Do you encourage students to swap ideas or to work independently?  Why?

My third and fourth graders like to make collaborative, elaborate drawings of towns, castles, etc.  They get ideas from books from the book shelf, their imagination, etc. It is interesting to see what they come up with.

10.  This is Apple Month.  Often students bring an apple for a favorite teacher.  How have you used apples as part of an art assignment? 

Not really, but I would like to do cut fruit and vegetable printing this year! 

11.  What words spoken by a student would mean far more to you than receiving a polished red apple?

“I love art class!”

12.  If you were leading students on a walk outdoors, what art activity might you suggest?

Doing crayon or pencil rubbings of leaves or sitting in a quiet spot and drawing from nature in a sketchbook. 

Thank you, Laura Reeves, for all you do for children and for art education.  And thank you for taking time to join us at “A Writer’s Playground.”

Have a great school year everyone!

To learn more about Laura Reeves and the Tristan Trapp book series, visit Laura’s websites:

http://www.reevesartworks.com/

http://www.tristantrapp.com/

Copyright © 2012 Linda Martin Andersen