Ok... embarrassing story...

I forgot my blogger password! LOL! I'm such a scatterbrain. But lo and behold, I was messing around with my google accounts (there are many... how did that happen?) and it let me back into Blogger! Gosh I've missed reading everyone's blogs. I know I've lost a lot of followers because of my year-long disappearance from posting, but I'm going to make up for it by posting over the summer. I'd like to do a review of this school year and some of the best projects that my students created.
I'm also launching a new blog that is focused mainly on my art journaling and mixed media stuff. More to come! Until then, feel free to check out my current Tumblr page called In.Spir.Ed.
So let me do a little catching up... lots of things have changed this year! First off, the biggest news is that I got married. It has been a bit of a challenge to adjust (for everyone), especially after nearly 8 years of single-ness. But he is really super-fantastical and I love him more than I can express, he's really just the perfect match for me. Wedding pics to come in the near future!
As far as school, this year has been very rewarding and challenging at the same time. Changing my name in the middle of the year has been interesting! I'm trying not to answer to "Ms. Scott" anymore, which is difficult since that has been my name for quite some time. But kids and staff are getting better about remembering, slowly but surely. I've had to develop a complete curriculum for art this year. That has been an internal struggle for me, because I disagree with making such a concrete thing for such an abstract subject. But in the end, looking back at it, I think I made it general enough that I can change things up within each unit and not be tied down to the same projects every year for each unit (really... can you imagine!?).  For all of my art teacher readers, I'd LOVE to know what your district's curriculum looks like for art. Please respond!
Let's see... well I've been taking lots of online art classes-- mostly mixed media and art journaling. I'd like to incorporate more journaling into my art elective class at school too. Right now I'm taking 21 Secrets, Lifebook 2013, and I <3 Drawing with Jane Davenport. They are all fabulous and all quite different. I am excited for summer (6 more days of school... eeek!) so I can devote more time to these courses.  I'm also working on an art certificate from Penn Foster after dumping my boring and complicated Educational Administration program. I'm 150% happier since doing so!
Well I'll run for now, I look forward to getting back in touch with everyone and posting, reading, and having a good 'ole Blogger time. Toodles!

In addition to art, I also teach speech and special education. My first year teaching, I participated in a reading challenge against the middle school kids. Whoever got more AR (reading quiz program) points than me would be able to put a pie in my face. I had 9 pies that day...

...and the pictures were published in the local newspaper. Do you know how hard it is to get Cool Whip out of your hair and ears (and nose)? It's greasy. But, the kids will never forget it. 

Happy Leap Day! This is my 6th leap year (I was born in a leap year after 2/29, so that may mislead you about my age... but so be it...lol).

I have been given a somewhat unique opportunity, and I am hoping to hear from people who have experience in this area.
Let me start off by telling you a little about the school where I teach. There are about 145 students in grades K-8, one class per grade level. After 8th grade, the kids can choose between two area high schools. It is very rural, located between a town of 10,000 and a town of 2,500. Middle school is departmentalized. Currently, I am the art teacher, speech implementer, and special education teacher. Almost every teacher has more than one role... I just so happen to have 3. But not to worry! I only have 19 speech kids, 4 special ed kids, and 110 art kids. It's not as bad as it initially sounds.

Anyway-- Next year I will have much more time to teach art (my favorite part of my job, and my passion!) and my superintendent asked if I want to teach a class based around creating the yearbook. The only thing is that our yearbook program is super simple, and since our yearbook is free to students, it's very simple and doesn't include a lot of extra stuff. Right now our school secretary organizes it and it takes her a couple days at most. So how can I base and entire year of class on that?

Here's what I proposed:
Yearbook, digital art, and desktop publishing, all rolled into one neat little one-day-a-week elective.
My superintendent thought it was a good idea, so now I have to develop a curriculum outline for it!
I have around 36 classes per year with a weekly class. It's actually less, depending on the time and day it's scheduled, assemblies and early-outs cut out classes.
Here's what I have in mind, and again... please make suggestions!
36 classes total for the school year=
2 classes must be dedicated to teaching appropriate behaviors, per school regulations
4 classes missed for assemblies and early outs (approximate, probably actually a low guess)
2 classes for beginning-of-year yearbook planning- events, photo ops, etc.
2 classes for photography basics- use of digital cameras, vocab, framing shots, etc.
5 classes for end-of-year yearbook organization & design
3 classes for photo-manipulation instruction and practice with various programs
6 classes for desktop publishing
10 classes for computer generated art
2 classes "free" for catch-up/unexpected class cancellation

This is my thought process as far as a timeline goes, but the more specific details I need some help with. Did I mention I am open to suggestions? Lol!
It'll be exciting to build goals and a curriculum from the ground up, I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew! *nom nom nom*