Who said this?

Why am I not teaching art this week since school started a week ago?

Some of you may be waiting to hear how my first week went. It went well, but I continue to fill the position of a Special Education teacher until my replacement arrives. I'm still thinking and working like an EC teacher, and will be until she gets here, next week.

In the meantime, I can't help but be absorbed by planning for the art classes, at least perusing and studying possible subjects and lessons for the classes I'll be teaching.

I am very excited, which is why I haven't been writing much lately. I'm in two classrooms every day: in the one I am teaching reading, writing, and math to Kinders, 1st, 2nd, and 4th graders, and after they go home, I return to my other classroom to continue fitting in whatever planning I can do with the time allowed.

So, tonight, while browsing through one art integration book that I brought home with me, I came across my #1 favorite quote of all times. You may have read it before in my journal, but it's worth reading again....

"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

Do you know who said these words? I'll tell you in a minute.

About ten days ago, I had to put up a bulletin board in time for  the Open House. All teachers have been assigned a bulletin board, and mine was in the front lobby, right by the front office. Lots of traffic there. What message could I put out there for everyone to see? I wanted it to be a welcoming message, but I wanted it to say a little bit more. And I wanted it to be freestyle, you know, with minimal purchased materials, or none at all.

Usually when teachers put up bulletin boards in their hallways, it is to showcase students' work. Whatever they are working on that month, you will see it displayed on a colorful and pleasing bulletin board, student and teacher made usually. I've seen many crafty boards over the past eight years, and it amazes me how they come up with new ones every year, and how fast they can put one up. But school hadn't started yet, so there was no student work to put up there. I would have to improvise with some kind of "welcome back to school" message.

I haven't done very many bulletin boards, due to my position as EC teacher. I've done maybe one a year. That's not much of a record when you consider that most teachers put up a bulletin board every month. So I'm weak in that department. You'd think it would be a strength, me with an art background. You'd think I would enjoy doing them, for the same reason. But nay on both accounts. I don't know why.

Except this year. I was tired when it went up. But I would not leave the school building until I had it done. I wanted to add that quote above... part of it... to be part of the text, somewhere. The board would also say "Welcome to ..School.." and that's all my imagination was able to come up with at that moment. I couldn't think. I was tired.

So out came the brushes, the pencils, the oil pastels. Out came the fabric and wire butterflies I bought last spring at the dollar store. Up went the bulletin board paper (yellow) and the trim I borrowed from one teacher's personal border collection (a rainbowof colors, wavy paint border). I brought from home my acrylic fabric paints, ... you know, the kind in the pointy tubes... you can write and paint fine lines with them, glittery colors, shiny, bright, sparkly shades of pinks, blues, greens, golden orange, and white.

As I stared at the great (about 4 ft by 6-7 ft), blank, yellow bulletin board in the front lobby of the school, two other teachers came to keep me company, to take a break at the end of the day, and to share their ideas. I brainstormed even as the hot glue gun heated up on the little lamp table by the comfortable lobby furniture, where each of them found a seat. Observant teachers that they are, they recognized my need for some inspiration, and despite their own need for a mental break, they helped me out, calling out all sorts of phrases that might work.

Then one shouted out "Welcome to ..... where imagination takes flight!"

That was it! It worked well with the imagination quote, and with our school's vision statement. Once I had the words, I was able to put all those pieces together: the butterflies, the art utensils... I hot glued it all to the board. Added some little foam butteflies and dragonflies, squirted on lines and swirls of glitter and color, and I had a board that reflected imagination taking flight. I hand painted the words in italics, and used cut out letters to write the Welcome to.... .

The quote was added in small print on a card explaining the purpose and meaning of the board, a requirement for every bulletin board. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow and add it here. I know that's a bit anticlimactic, but I didn't think to take a picture of it all week.

It has been a great starter week.

Oh, and the author of that quote? Albert Einstein, physicist.

 

Tags: Einstein, bulletin boards, school starts, preparing for school