At the beginning of the summer, with great pleasure, I accepted a K-3 teaching position in Milton, WI at Harmony and Consolidated Elementary Schools. I am beyond excited to have my own classroom and to teach the age group that I am most passionate about. I look forward to getting to know and become part of the Milton community.
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Throughout my college experience, I was surrounded and encouraged by great artists. I cannot thank them enough for all that everyone has done for me. My professors are not solely professors, they are also working artists. After spending long days helping students like me hone our crafts, they go home to work on their own projects. Many artists make a living by selling their work. Today, I went down to a local ceramic shop and bought several pieces that were done by a couple of my professors. It is but a small way to thank and remember them by when my adventure here in Eau Claire has come to an end.
This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the first ever Eaux Claires Festival. 22,000 people attended this two day music festival put on by Eau Claire's very own Justin Vernon. I oftentimes don't give musicians enough credit and wanted to take a moment to thank Justin for this wonderful experience. The festival promoted collaboration between musicians, as well as spontaneous start-up bands put on by the crowd. As soon as we entered the festival grounds, we were greeted by a large string art installation that hung above our heads. It was a piece that Justin commissioned Minneapolis-based yarn artist, Eric Rieger, aka HOTTEA. The piece was breathtaking as the strands of yarn showed the gentle shifting of the breeze, creating waves of movement as we walked beneath it.
I often find that younger students are surprised that I have a life outside of school. I know, crazy right?! Although I haven't made some of my own artwork in a while, typically I paint when I do. However, this summer I have found that I have become more interested in ceramics. I have had the chance to stop at several ceramic shops over the summer and check out fellow Wisconsin ceramicists work. I also had the opportunity to throw some pottery in Tomah, Wisconsin with Margi and Julia Genrich. It's always great learning and working with other artists and fellow educators.
While at a WAEA leadership retreat in La Crosse, we had the opportunity to go and see a large printmaking activity. Printmakers from all over the city had gathered in a parking lot with their large wood blocks. We were able to watch them ink their blocks and then use a steam roller to roll over the blocks and print them.
I thought this was too cool not to share. The high school teacher completely blacked out his room by sealing up all the cracks along the doors and windows. He then cut a small hole into the cardboard covering the window and placed a large sheet that hung from the ceiling. After we turned off the lights and sat in the dark for a short period of time, we began to see a projection on the sheet of what was outside the window. We even sent students outside to walk around and they could be seen being projected onto the sheet.
Tasha was in charge of the Empty Bowls Event so that was a responsibility I took on when she had her baby. The event featured bowls from the elementary, middle, and high school students that could be purchased by people. The event also had a cupcake and cupcake art decorating station. After the event, the students had their choir concert which was themed "The Sweet Shop." Because of the theme, throughout the year the students had also made artwork that revolved around sweets. Parents could walk throughout the school and view artwork from all of the elementary levels that dealt with sweets. Many of the sweets-related projects can be found on mine and Tasha Newton's blog.
Today, we got to learn about Johnny Appleseed! We painted a HUGE apple (large enough to keep the doctor away for several days) with tempera cakes. Then we took apples and used them as stamps (I cut a bunch of apples in half and took bites out of some of them). Before I saw them for their second class, I cut out and glued their heads onto the apple. Then they used a Q-Tip to add seeds to their apples. They also glued a pan on top of their head, just liked Johnny Appleseed! Lastly, they colored their stem brown with a Slick-Stick (not pictured in my example) and cut out their apple.
While at Fall Creek, I have had the opportunity to teach 4K which has been an absolute blast! This is a project that Tasha Newton taught. First we used tempera cakes to paint our pig. Then we took blue and white crayons and drew bubbles onto the tub. Next we used a spray bottle with blue paint to spritz the tub, revealing the magic white crayon! The next day, we cut our pig out and glued him on. Then we glued on cotton balls and two X's as faucet handles.
I am overjoyed to announce that I have been hired as a long-term sub for elementary art at Fall Creek. I have had the pleasure of getting to know the art teacher, Tasha Newton, over the last couple years and she runs an incredible program there. I am lucky to have the opportunity to teach with her and to eventually take over the rains for a brief period when she has her baby. You all should check out her blog at iartmyjob.weebly.com
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Devon CalvertHarmony and Consolidated Elementary Art Teacher in Milton, WI. UW-Eau Claire graduate. WAEA President. Apple Teacher. Archives
March 2019
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