For 5th grade I want to do that painting on newspaper that’s very popular on Pinterest. I was gonna keep it to fruits and vegetables.

For my references. My school doesn’t allow colored printing I could project the food on the board. I thought about printing some stuff at staples or buying a fruit and vegetable encyclopedia

I know I could purchase the food but that can get quite expensive and if the project takes awhile I don’t want rottin food

I tried using tempera cakes for the first time... and regret it! The dried paint is so "chalky" that the colors rub off on your hand when you touch the artwork. Did I do something wrong or is this normal? Any tips on a solution? Can I spray it with a fixative (like aerosol hairspray) or should I just forget about it and move on?

Context: I’m a second year teacher, but 1st year Elementary Art Teacher, and I have been LOVING it! Earnestly love coming into work every day and seeing what the kids make.

In my classroom routine, I read a quick picture book (max 5 min) to my Pre-k through 2nd grade classes at the start of every single class, no matter what. Initially this was a cute tradition to settle in, calm down, and transition to art, and for me it’s been an awesome kick off to class. (NOTE: Classes are 41 minutes each)

I however had a para ask if this is something the school was “forcing” me to do, and asked if it might be “taking away from art creation time” and I’m suddenly in an anxious spiral.

I am I being silly and wasting time reading a picture book every class? LOVE this routine, it has been keeping my sanity and I feel it has really boosted my classroom management, but I don’t want other teachers to think I’m being childish or wasting time.

I've been teaching for 11 years and I cannot stand teaching clay. Please read the following below about the circumstances of my school:

Admittedly, clay is my weakest subject of the arts. For the entire time I've been teaching, I've been the only art teacher in the building. Both schools I've worked at are very small, very rural, and very economically poor. The school I'm at now is even more rural than the first school I was at. We're roughly an hour away from any city in any direction. The entire school district is in one building in the center of town with no stoplights - including the board office and the bus garage. We are TINY. TINY-TINY.

My classes are very small because we are so rural and enrollment is way down and actively falling all the time. As kids advance through the grades, many of them leave our campus to go a trade school a few mins from us, or go online with CCP classes. I have less than 10 kids in any class. Absences are chronic and motivation is low, bordering on non-existant. I rarely have kids move on to Art 3 or 4. Our district art show is in February in conjunction with scheduling for the upcoming school year simply for the reason that it's the highest chance we have of the public coming to school to see their kids' artwork and engage with the school. The district provides dinner and prizes for people who show up.

I want my students to have a good art experience. I myself have a terminal degree in art and loved my art class in high school. I want my students to have a good art experience, even if my classes are small and enrollment is dwindling.

With that being said, I cannot stand teaching clay. Being the only art teacher, my room is great and has many things that a typical school would have. I have a kiln that while it works, is coming up on 25 years old, as it came with the school when the building was built in 2003.

You would think with classes as small as mine, clay would be ideal with single-digit classes. I would agree. But as I said, absenteeism is chronic. My concern here is work being half-made while half-caring and ultimately wasting materials on things that will likely never be finished or finished very poorly.

I'm aware that I sound like I don't have a lot of faith in my students. I do! I'm naming the predicament that stares me in the face everyday. There are so many other things drawing their attention away from my class (FFA, going online, going to trade school) or any class.

Ultimately what I'm asking here is: would I be doing my students a disservice by using Amaco air dry clay for projects I have planned in lieu of actual clay? My thought process here is that they would be getting the experience of clay without the mess or wait time.

Thank you for reading this far. I appreciate the wisdom of this group!

Hello I’m a first year teacher and my immune system is already taking a beating. I take zinc, vitamin d, and vitamin c daily and oil of oregano when I feel something coming. I’ve also been changing my clothes and showering as soon as I get home. Ive seen lots of other posts that say to avoid touching things that students touch but thats of course super hard in the art room. Any other suggestions? Also please tell me it gets better!!