Mr. Mills Blog

It is hard to believe that we have made it through one quarter of the school year. I can never decide what part of the year goes by faster…the months leading up to the winter break or the last two months of the year. I think I change my mind every single year.

Third grade is currently working with their tables to create a community mural. It is not always easy to work as a group, but it is important for them to learn that skill. It is important for any age. The mural they are creating is their idea of a community. We talked about what we might find in a community, and then they are going to illustrate that on a large piece of paper.

The 4th grade students are working with high contrast. This week, they used a print out of their face, which was ONLY in black and white, and traced it on to another sheet of paper using carbon paper. Their pictures looked very shocking to them because all of the gray tones were taken out, so the black and white pictures looked very strange to them. We will be using these pictures to create a winter-themed portrait.

The 5th grade students are still working on their stories without words or captions. They will be up at the SmartExplorers final event. Mr. Bynum’s class has their final event between 6:30 and 8:00 on Monday, November 20th and Mr. Brown’s class has it on Tuesday, November 21st. I sincerely hope all of the children attend with their parents and friends.

And, 6th grade are still creating their logo in Inkscape. I was frustrated that some of the students gave up so quick last week with the program before giving it a chance. It is a difficult program to use, but I would like to see them exposed to these types of illustrating computer programs to see if they enjoy it. If they plan on continuing with art past this year, they will need to know how to use these programs. Plus, they are so much more powerful than what they are used to, it only makes sense to incorporate that into fine arts. I like to push them as much as possible.

And…students are still filtering in and out of the computer lab. It is being used for multiple classes throughout the week for blogs, research, and projects. I try to have an “open door policy” because I want teachers to feel like they can bring their students in to use the lab. It is not always easy for them to have that time, so I try to be as flexible as possible.

Check out the links on the right for interesting things to do at home. I have included a free online typing program.

I also look forward to seeing parents next Wednesday. I will be writing on some report cards next week if students are failing to complete assignments, exhibiting inappropriate behavior, or not giving 100% effort in fine arts. I feel that those three ingredients help all students learn more effectively in my classroom.