raheem tech

  Hello, friends! If you saw my post earlier this week , I said I'd be sharing a follow-up lesson to our Jasper Johns-inspired alphabet paintings . Here's a peak at that project:   And the video lesson! I see my kindergarteners for 40 minutes, once a week. I knew they'd zip through the alphabet painting...so I shared with them a super fun Chicka Chicka Boom Boom video from YouTube and challenged them to make a painting of upper and lower case letters. This resulted in beautiful black and white paintings of letters. We piled them on to the drying rack and were done for the day...two masterpieces complete!   Once the ink is dry from the bingo daubers, my students are going to "hug" their letters with water soluble markers. Then they'll add just water right over their marker lines for this fabulous result!   Another alternative to having them paint over their lines is simply spray them with water! Once class only had moments left so we did this trick and, while I...

This kindergarten lesson was so fun for my students that I wanted to share! I even created a video of the process. The beginning of this video will show you how to create your own Texture Rubbing Plates with simple supplies like tagboard and hot glue! Here's the video: I will tell you some things that I did in preparation for this lesson: * I made a set of texture rubbing plates, about 6 for each pair of students to share. Having a variety really helped them stay engaged in this portion of the lesson. * With the help of a fellow specials teacher, I folded the paper and created the grid. This took time but I did it well in advance and I'm so glad I did.  * When we did the alphabet, I did have "cheat sheets" for them at their tables to share with their neighbors. This way they could look at the sheet as a reference for writing their letters of the alphabet. * I prepped the bingo daubers with ink. That's what the kids are using...and a lot of my lessons are currently...

Teaching kids how to make a paper heart can sometimes make you question your life's choices. And that is ESPECIALLY true if you teach kindergarten. The week of Valentine's Day, I wanted to take a break from our usual projects and teach this skill. Knowing that it might be a bumpy ride, I wrote this poem. It helped me so much, I wanted to share. Feel free to use in your art room with any age group of kids! So, how does this poem work? I recited it during my demo with the kids and had them repeat after me. I do call and response ALL DAY LONG in my art room so they are used to this routine. Here's a glimpse into my art room with kindergarten: By the end of our 40 minute art class, each student had successfully cut out many hearts. We also chatted about the artist Chris Uphues and added fun faces to these. The kids were beyond excited to create and take these home with them. Just had to share!

  Holy cats, I'm excited to share this first grade weaving lesson with y'all. I do a paper weaving project with my first graders each year and try to put a different spin on it each time. Here's a peak at last year's weavings :  This year, I knew I wanted to do something a little different. Here's this year's weaving project, owls! Feel free to use this lesson in your art creating world: What's the hardest part about teaching paper weaving? Creating the paper loom! I've been creating paper looms with my first graders since my first year teaching. So, like, for 100 years. I would like to say, I've got it down. Here's me teaching first graders how to create a loom: The giant loom is a huge help. Also, that book, The Goat in the Rug, is a must have in the art rom. Here's our follow up lesson where we learn to weave: I like to have my kids weave in a circle. I love this because it creates this fun atmosphere. It also allows me to sit in the middl...

This summer, I had the chance to visit the artist Miranda Herrick  at the gallery where she works, Bennett Galleries . In an attempt to bring living, breathing artists to my students, I've been working on a video series called Field Trip! In this series, I visit the space where artists work and/or create and interview them about their process. Miranda's work is super unique in that she does a lot of her creating with recycled goods. In fact, this series of work is made entirely with recycled aluminum soft drink cans. I really think her method of creating is something students in middle and high school could also do. Here's a video of her walking us through her process: I love so many elements of her work from the recycling to the idea of meditation to the notion that her work can be changed like that of a kaleidoscope. I also loved that she shared her inspirations...and that they ranged from her grandmother's quilts to Islamic tile work.    I've not tried to cut alu...

LEEEEET me just start this blog post by stating the obvious: I am not a knitter. I mean, I know HOW to knit but just as much as I know HOW to sing in a wannabe opera voice or I know HOW to tap dance when I have annoying tap dance sounding shoes on. But that don't make me no Maria Callas or Fred Astaire. Knowing such, I should have known better than to even think I could knit a Rainbow Scarf...that didn't look like a giant boa constrictor about to devour me (my buddy Michelle called it the Rainbow Anaconda and I think that's hilariously 100% accurate). Think I'm exaggerating about the size of this thing? Check this out: I mean...oops. The whole thing started with a week of snow days and time on my hands. I spotted these colors at the craft store and they all happily hopped into my shopping cart. I had no way of stopping them, I swear (this is the story I tell the hubs. He's not convinced).  I've knitted scarves before and I DISLIKE knitting. It takes to dang long...