Miss Art of Teaching

I always get excited about teaching the Cyberpunk/Steampunk program to Year 7 students. This is my third year teaching it and it gets better every year. The first year, students did not take responsibility with bringing in their own 'materials' to create a mask. This ended up with a lot of masks looking similar and lacking the detail required to create interest. Last year, all my students were motivated even the ones who had difficulties completing homework throughout the year.  I loveeeee this project as I am a hands on person. Students will be using plaster bandage, hot glue gun, spray paint and also found objects. The combination makes it fun to teach. Students have started bringing in materials. A student told me today that he would use his broken fire alarm as part of his mask. I want students to see the potential in every household material. Anything can be made into a mask. We started the project yesterday and I am so happy to see students being eager to learn. I ha...

To prepare my Stage 5 students for their 'Street Art' unit, I have invested one lesson on stenciling. I wanted them to understand both positive and negative space. It was also important for them to understand the purpose of 'bridges' and how to apply the paint (if they choose to use paint over spray paint). The teacher samples proved to be an effective way to explain the importance of planning their work ahead. I also demonstrated how to use a scalpel knife correctly. Students were asked to create a simple stencil using the initials of their name. At this point, it is not important to develop a conceptually strong stencil. They are still planning their 'social issues' ideas for this new unit. Students are super keen on starting this unit. I surprised them with a few furniture that I have kept aside for them to work on. They will be transferring their designs onto desks, tables, books shelves and filing cabinets. Students will still be marked ...