And then there's my day job:

It feels like forever since I've posted anything that my kids are doing at school.  We are fast approaching the end of the year.  Once I get back from Tassie it will be full on frantic until June.  But here's a few things that we've been working on lately:

KG 2 unit on pattern: we looked at pattern, symmetry and even brought in a little aboriginal art inspiration.  I absolutely love these paper quilt blocks that these 5 year olds made, and they LOVED making the,  especially the sewing part.  I can't wait to stitch them together into a collaborative piece.

I am so totally in love with my garden in my lower elementary classroom.  We have been using sharpies and liquid watercolours to create easter eggs and I gave them the option of flowers too.  And now I want to keep this garden.  Forever.  They have taken their eggs, but the flowers are all MINE!!!!!  It makes me so happy to look at this every day.

I have a city of grade 1 air dry clay buildings in my classroom waiting for the big art show at the end of the year....

here are our pysanky inspired easter eggs (KG2 and grade 1).  I absolutely adore liquid watercolours over sharpies.  

KG1 easter eggs were a little simpler, although we still focused on line, shape and colour to make our patterns.

The gorgeousness of international fiesta last week (over 3 days!!!).  I ADORE working in an international school.   Never thought my Norwegian would be used so much (I led out the Lower Elementary Norwegian kids- all 11 of them for our parade of countries; they thought it was awesome that I could speak to them in Norwegian.  I was secretly beside myself that they were speaking to me in Norwegian).

KG1 self portraits.  I just love these.  Each child has really represented who they are (oil pastels and liquid watercolors).  Here is a typical spread of ability in one class.  When I do this with them, we talk about all the different things we can see on faces and they look closely at each other's and their own.  Pupils, nostrils, eyelashes, eyebrows and hair that comes down to their ears.  It's kind of science meets art.  LOVE doing this lesson with the littles.

 Some pre painted air dry clay buildings.  I loved these white, but I knew they would want to paint them....never mind the HOURS I spent using slip to stick them all back together.

Grade 5 linear perspective study.

So happy with the work produced during this unit (although not happy with unfinished work that I came back to after my week in Thailand.)

 My first kiln firing (so exciting!).  All those years of clay and I never fired anything.  This was a momentous thing for me.

That's it.  All new units coming up as we head into our last stretch of the year.  It's been a FULL ON year, and I was ready to call it quits at Christmas.  I'm so happy I didn't and that I've pulled through the worst of it.  I love my job, I love my kids and I feel so lucky to be doing what I love to do.  All those notes telling me that I'm the best teacher ever certainly don't hurt either.