So today was my first day leading any lessons. I felt really good about coming in with my complete book illustrated for the alien storyboard. It was nice to show Jamie what I came up with since he saw my first failed attempt. I felt like the book I did was a great example and very solid in the story, illustrations and binding. Without having it finished it wouldn't have been a lesson the kids could wrap their heads around I don't think. I took some time to explain the project to them in the beginning and used the method I did with Keith Haring to have them work in packets until they were ready to go to the final pieces. Were spending 3 weeks on this lesson. Week one is character development, week two is completing the storyboard finals, week 3 is creating and binding the book. I'm super excited to see what these kids come up with and see this project as advanced and challenging, yet rewarding.
I also introduced my latex lesson to the last period. Jeff had to go pick it up from Commercial Art Supply since the order didn't go through for some reason. It went quicker than I though and some of the kids didn't wait long enough before putting their next layer on but I think they are getting the concept. This one was more straight forward. I'm having them draw a tree of their present, future, and past by painting a color and masking it out in latex. Were doing 5 layers of paint and 4 of latex. This is just a test so they can learn the process. It's taken from a painting Sonya and I did called Past, Present, Future. I showed a video of us making it to show the process and also tested papers to see which one took to the shapes of latex and dried quickest to see which one to use for this. The illustration board worked the best so that's what were using. The kids will be doing a pre-existing work with this technique as well as an original piece as well.
The other class that I'm not starting until after graphic design, I took to the nurse's office today to show them the space. I'm going to have them create three paintings for the nurse's office. We talked to her a little about what she wants to see there.
The ceramics class was awesome! I showed Jeff my piggy bank and I think he was impressed. He said I could lead that lesson and was really open to it. He thought it turned out nicely. I know its just a piggy bank but it was really fun to see come together and I'm already proud of it. I explained coil and told them this was my first time doing it so I'm not an expert but was able to walk them through the steps I learned. I also had a student in the class who knew a lot about it so I was able to work with him to introduce the lesson. Everyone is going to be making a piggy bank. I wanted to take pictures while I made it but we were messy and I was just learning it so I may make another one and take pictures to help introduce the steps.
There is a gay straight alliance here and they meet on Monday. A couple of the girls from the group stopped down to ask for something from Jeff, so I asked them when there meeting was and they took me upstairs. I got to meet the health teacher who I had in high school I think, who runs the GSA. They call it Acceptance Coalition because they weren't allowed to call it a GSA because of the principal not approving it who is gay. She told me a lot about that and a few other things. They had a sticker campaign after a professional development and put up stickers for Safe Zone and had to take them down and had a whole controversy about them. This is what ACLU told me about so I was curious to know the follow up to it.
She told me one of the students just left but that I am his hero and he can't wait to meet me. She also told me that the vice principal wants me to lead an assembly for Day of Silence and asked if she talked to me yet. I told her I'd love to do it and that it wouldn't be adding any stress to what I'm already doing, that I could do it with my eyes closed at this point I've done it so much. I hope it works out. I think it would mean a lot to the students to hear about Fagbug, and to see someone from Westhill who's becoming successful. It's exciting.
I cancelled the computer lab and am not doing my one project in the lab at this point. I got Final Cut on the computer I have in the room, but one of the students who wants to learn for journalism class came after two teachers who are in the lab set it up with me, came and for some reason it's saying its out of memory. I'd love to have Final Cut Pro at home. They have a few copies here that no one's utilizing. I'm kind of jealous. I have Final Cut Express. Same thing just not as good.
Anyway, I'm not sure if I'm going to incorporate video into the latex project or not yet. I'm going to get through the test and then perhaps document their process and see about the editing if I can figure it out on my computer here or not. If so I'll do it. I have to see if someone can help see why the memory is saying that. The person in change wrote Jeff back and pretty much dismissed it and didn't seem like they wanted to help but I'm going to talk to her and explain it more and see if there is something they can do about reallocating the memory.
I feel much more confident having a pig, and storyboard under my belt! I had a lot of anxiety this weekend about it and when these things are not done and take hours it's just hard not to be stressed when it's all unknown and not resolved. Once it is it's a huge weight lifted!!!
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