Glitch-a-Lisa by Mrs. Gilly circa 2022
Today I realized that I need to rethink the way that I teach (again). I am currently teaching middle school art. Our school is a first year hybrid catholic school affiliated with a university and partnering with a big online company. The kids and I received some art supplies. I have been buying more, but art supplies are pricey. I love doing hands on art! I miss doing more hands on art with my students. However, as my magnet on the fridge says, “Bloom where you are planted.”
Hence, it is time to rebloom again. Be are learning about The Renaissance. Perhaps, I need create a media choice menu. When I teach art in person, I often give my students choice on media. I usually apply for grants so that I can buy as many supplies as possible. Also, I spend a lot of my own money on my classroom.
I can’t do that anymore. I have to pinch in the spending.
This school year, because of the teacher shortage, I will also be teaching music and helping out with special education. I am not formally trained in music, other than singing in the choir now and then. I have joined our choir and my husband jokes that I will be the Ethel Murman of the choir. “Everything’s coming up roses!”
Now back to art. Because of penny pinching I decided that I will include digital media apps within our lessons. I am going to teach digital collage. I do that for my own art. Making digital art is close to free, if you don’t count your time. As a hobby, I like to splice up photographs and data bend. Then I collage bits and pieces together of the items that I really think fit well to make an interesting composition.
We are going to remix the Renaissance.
I have had no formal training or art school. I applied for an M.F.A. However, haven’t gotten in (as of yet). Ii would love to be formally trained with technique. Meantime, I will keep playing. I am an amateur. For me, the training that I have had with regard to the Fine Arts is by taking Humanities classes, and Dance as an undergrad as electives. Also, I took graduate Art therapy classes and Art Education classes. As a special ed/gifted ed teacher, art was more about expression, than technique.
Now that I am teaching art again, there is the opportunity for me to learn again. I can learn the techniques. I watch YouTube videos on How tos. I learn from my mistakes. I grow. I share my learning with my students. We grow.
Here’s to remixing the Renaissance!