Art teacher, Kristen McCarthy, shares her photography project with us.

She says, "I joined in on this project by working assumptions called Showing: work x family in my photography classes. The basis of the project is to show how work and family overlaps in the student's world. The students really enjoyed the project, as did I, and I loved seeing their work and reading their statements about it."

This assignment really allows students see what they often ignore: the daily rhythm of their own lives. It forces them to step back, observe, and compose. It may even help them empathize with their parents and siblings!

Whenever a project requires writing, it helps strengthen composition skills. Here the expository writing helps the observer understand what they are seeing. Without the writing, the images may appear to be banal, as opposed to keen observations. 

This project could certainly be done with any art media by using the photographic image as a starting point. Since most students have a camera in their phones however, this is a great opportunity to incorporate technology within the art class. 

Grids are used in art classes for many art lessons. They help students break down a complicated image into manageable bits and help with proportions when doing figures or portraits. They are also great for mural work. Put a grid on the image you want to enlarge, another grid on the wall, and then work square by square or give 1 square to each student.

This lesson was done in the beginning of the year to foster school spirit, introduce grids, and connect with the artist Chuck Close. 

Our "practice" intro image was a reproduction of a Chuck Close image on black or white paper square. I numbered and lettered the squares so putting the image together is easier, but I don't tell students what the final image is, they only see their own square and the number indicates what direction is "up." I put numbers on the back, so it's assembled up-side-down and when I turn it over. lots of "Ooohs & Ahhhs."

After this I created an image of the school mascot with the school logo behind it. "NB". Again, I broke the image into small bits, numbering so the "up" side would be known. I mixed up the pieces and had students "pick." I actually made 2, so if a piece was lost, I had back-up.

Before beginning, students brainstormed. What was their favorite thing about school? Physics or lunch, gym or Chinese class? What clubs and activities did they enjoy most? These ideas were incorporated into their square (10 x 10 inches). They were also given to "zentangle" samples should they feel an area was empty or needed some additional visual "spice." You could certainly do this with square canvas boards for a more permanent mural. I used paper here.

Their first step was to transfer the lines on their square, and work around those boundaries. I reiterated that their messages should be positive and they were to hide their name inside in some way. They could personalize their symbols too, so a military child could include a camo pattern for example. 

If your students are too young to take on this challenge, an alternate idea would be to pre-prepare squares for them to draw on top of and then re-assemble the work. You do the black lines and they complete the rest of the area. I have done this with a photocopier, pushing it to it's highest magnification and copying one area at a time and having student cut out their square. You'll need to number the squares before copying.

When reassembled the top image was the result. Some images of students working on their individual pieces are below.

If you are in need of ART-Based classroom resources, sub plans you can copy, or assessments, please check out THIS LINK. If your school is seeking more STEM/STEAM resources, check HERE. 30% off most resources when you buy direct. Schools can order directly through NASCO.

Before I became a teacher, I worked in several jobs with Johnson Park School and Eden Autism of Princeton NJ. These places are well known for working with autistic individuals in schools, group homes, and work communities. Many things I learned while working there that have benefitted me as a teacher. Techniques and methods I use with my "special" and regular students, like positive reinforcement, remaining calm, understanding that behavior is a symptom of a syndrome or youth.  I am NOT an expert in this field but I do speak from some experience.

I have noticed that there is a high level of attrition within the aids who help guide these students through their classes. I experienced new staff making simple errors that have made situations worse. I assumed they were getting proper training, but when everyone is focused on their own student, they really can't stop to guide a new aide. Many "would be" mentors are new themselves. The best ones leave for better jobs...

So I thought maybe there is a quick reference sheet, poster, guide that might help. When I could not find one, I created this one.

THIS LINK will take you to the larger poster I have made available. You don't need a poster to understand these ideas. No one can learn enough from a simple image to help all students with Autism, but I hope this is a start and a point of a larger learning experience. As with everything on my blog, it's all about the kids.

Avoid "NO"
No is often a trigger word that can make a situation worse. Avoid using it.

U-TURN
Redirect behavior to refocus the student. Instead of saying "no," say, "Let's do this first" or "How about we try this?"

TALK
Talking with colleagues, professionals, and parents is important to understand what behaviors we need to focus on. Some behaviors are antecedents to larger issues.

IGNORE
Ignoring the small behaviors that do not lead to distraction or harm is sometimes just as important as redirecting behavior.

Safety
For the child, the adult, and others present. Know the child's antecedents, and address them early. Routine is very important to those with autism. Be ready and watchful when routines are disturbed.

MODIFY
Consistency is important, but sometimes "things happen." Stay positive, and try a different approach. Be ready to modify your methods with a backup plan.

Here is a low resolution version you may share:

More posters for your classroom can be found HERE.

With brain-numbing PARCC testing coming up, I wanted to do a unit that we could display around the school to add a little whimsy and levity to the building. Keith Haring's work is certainly joyful, colorful, and often fun, so that became my starting point. 

This is a short video from CBS that gives a short overview of Keith Haring.

We explored the concept that the human figure is about 8 heads high on average. Then created sketches that were 16 inches tall (note that 16 divides into 8 nicely). This way students would have a template to base their wire figures on for approximate size.

We used annealed (soft) wire that I got from Nasco.  18 to 20 gauge works well, though 20 is easier to bend. We used pliers and did a demo like the video below. We blunted the cut ends of the wire by making a tiny curl since cut wire is pretty sharp. Each person took 2 full "wingspan" arm pulls of wire, about 10 to 12 feet each. The first step was to fold the entire length in half and twist the head to a 2 inch loop with several twists to make a neck. The body is made from head down, in a symmetrical manner. As we twist the wire, we held it over the drawn figure.

Wire Twisting Steps Below:

In the past I have just let the figures stay in wire and we have fun posing them. But the black wire is so thin and dark it is hard to see it when it's displayed. Here are two samples below.

This year I happened to have a lot of unused duct tape. A large box of it actually, so I wrapped one figure up and experimented a bit and found 2 techniques that were fairly easy. The easiest is folding the tape over the wire which gives it a ribbon-like look. I think this would be best for younger students. The second, and a bit harder, is ripping the tape into thirds, and then wrapping the wire. I let my students choose. If wrapping didn't go well, I just had them switch. Wrapping a little ribbon of tape around the paddles of the hands, feet, and head, helped give the figures a cleaner edge. Some did it, others didn't quite have the dexterity to do it.

After figures were wrapped I placed them on a template and partially graded a rubric that included scale and symmetry. They had to keep the rubric until the project was complete. 

Next we had a class challenge, make them stand. Most were able to, but if they made their feet too small they had a problem. We made 3 figures in all, so they learned from the first how to make the next one better. When I graded their figure's scale, they could chose which of their three I should grade.

Then they had to determine their poses, and where they wanted the figures to be displayed. I gave a heads-up to administration that the school was about to be taken over by little sculptures and sent them a photo of my sample. Once students had decided where they wanted their figures to go, they had to seek out the person in charge of that area to seek permission. (If they wanted it in a hallway or public area, they had to talk to a custodian) They took a photo with their phones to better explain their ideas to the adults. I encouraged them to seek out the classes they enjoyed most, the places they liked to hang out, etc.,  so that their work would be personally expressive and be incorporated into the environment. 

I gave them a little warning to not do anything that might interfere with school security systems, alarms, etc, nor could they do anything inappropriate to their figures, (like showing one smoking.) I reminded them that each figure needed their full name and period on the foot, and I checked that off on their rubric as well while I graded scale. Without the name, it could not be displayed.

On the day for displaying work I handed out index cards with QR codes on them. They added their names, title of the artwork, media, and noted this was a sculpture class project. There are plenty of free QR code generators online, so it wasn't hard to do. Adding these tags did 3 things.

• It let other students visually know "don't mess with it."
• The QR Code would take viewers to more information
• It let teachers know it's legit and not some student prank.

The last thing was that each piece had to be photographed after the student set it up for 2 reasons.

• Proof they did what I asked
• If stolen, I could still grade it.

All understood that theft was a potential issue in a school, but I let them know to look out for each other. If a figure was moved or fell, they could walk it back to my room at ANY TIME and I would write them a pass. The display will be up for just one week during testing, so my hope is not too much will go wrong. The up-side to theft is that your work was so awesome, someone wanted to keep it.

Are those suspicious looking bruises a sign of abuse?
Are they just joking about drugs?
Are they exaggerating about a beating?

If you have to ask, you have to report it. All teachers are considered "Mandatory Reporters." That means if you suspect a problem, YOU MUST REPORT IT. Failing to do so may result in the loss of your teaching certificate and potential legal actions. If you are wrong, their is no punishment. "Any person who, in good faith, makes a report of child abuse or neglect or testifies in a child abuse hearing resulting from such a report is immune from any criminal or civil liability as a result of such action."

In cases of abuse, your state has a hotline you must call. For drugs and other issues, you are bound to tell a school resource officer or administrator. If you do not know who to tell, EMAIL your administrator asking for advice. NEVER report such things orally, but if you do, follow up with an email detailing the conversation.

As art teachers, if we see something that seems to indicate drug use, self-harm, or violence, we need to report it. I always ask students to sketch first, and I look at this work. If a student included a pot leaf, I remind them it is not school appropriate, and I need to follow up with an email to admin. THEY can choose to ignore it or follow-up.

Why do I always email concerns? Email is admissible in court. A conversation is not. If, god forbid, a child dies, O.D.'s, is hurt, or someone else is harmed because of the situation, and a trail leads back to your inaction, the only thing that will save you is verifiable proof that you did what is required by law.

​What if the school does nothing....? Ultimately you have done what you are legally bound to do. If it happens again, you must report it again. This sets up a pattern that can be used to save your butt and prove where the fault should be pointed.

If you feel passionate about a situation, and you truly fear administrative inaction may lead to a serious outcome for a child, you have every right to pick up a phone and make a police report. The law is on your side.

If your employer retaliates for your advocating for a child, document every step of the way, contact a civil rights attorney, and be prepared to win millions in court and retire early.

When in doubt, report it via email.

(Thank you M.U. for the use of the photo and your post that inspired this)