New Art (of Teaching)

Last week all the ATPs and I had a fun team outing to Painting with a Twist.  It was a fun way to bond and just enjoy conversations that didn't have to revolve around students or teaching.

 

 

It was fun to see how each teacher's painting was unique, even though we were recieving the same instructions.  (A good reminder about the unique talents of each kiddo, too!). 

 

ATP with her masterpiece

ATP #3's lovely "impressionistic" work

 

 

I LOVE these painting studios!  They make art so accessible and low-pressure and FUN.  But it's also the third time I have gone to one.  And I can only hang so many of these in my house!  So the last time I went, one of my brilliant friends suggested "making it work" for my classroom.  Genius!

 

On that outing, I painted this cute owl and added a quote (with my own owly twist...and correct grammar, of course!) from The Help.

 

 

 

So for this tree guy I remembered one of my grandma's favorite poems by Joyce Kilmer:

 

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

 

I painted the first two lines on my canvas, and boom: Poet-Tree!  (Get it?!  Sorry...my dad would love that one!)

My finished painting

 

So here it hangs in my classroom with other lovely student art work.  (And mentor sentences!)